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Petra
Petra is incredible. For centuries travelers have tried to put the beauty and magical awe of this ancient city into words yet they have come up short. When inducted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 it was described as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage. Petra is an ancient city carved out of the colourful sandstone rock in the mountains of southern Jordan. The city was built or cut by the Nabataeans. The Nabataeans are an ancient people who are lacking in historical record yet they commanded enormous power in this harsh desert landscape from around 300BC until 100AD. They created an ingenious system of channels and reservoirs that brought and stored precious water to their protected valley. By having a continuous water supply in such an arid region, they attracted traders who plied the silk trade route and grew enormously wealthy. Building projects on a grand scale were undertaken during the height of the Nabataean wealth, and these time weary monuments are what remain today and are what have fascinated eager travellers for centuries. The legend of Petra is made even more intriguing due to the fact that it was lost from western historical record sometime after the crusades. Discovered again by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812, the local Bedouin made travel by foreigners to Petra a dangerous undertaking for years to protect this special place. The natural defenses of Petra allowed it to remain untouched by marauding armies that swept through this region over the millennia. Petra requires at least 3 days of exploring to cover the bear essentials of this 40sq km site. Petra is more than just the iconic façade of the Treasury, there are days worth of stunning tomb facades to explore, highlights include; the Monastery, which is an even larger structure than the Treasury; a huge rock cut amphitheatre and numerous hikes and paths that climb to former religious sanctuaries on the peaks of this enclosed valley. Petra, the rose-red city, is a dramatic and ingenious piece of ancient history whose magnificence is equaled by none. Petra is the number one travel destination in all my travels.
Amman
Amman is the capital city of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This congested city of over 2 million people was originally built over 7 large hills, similar to Rome. Now the city sprawls over 19 hills and for any western traveller is the safest, friendliest and most easygoing city in the Middle East. Amman's history is long with evidence of civilization dating back to 6500 BC, the Romans left their mark with the large Temple of Hercules built on the peak of one of the original central hills. Sitting under the shadow of the remaining pillars and listening to the call to prayer belt out from loudspeakers on the surrounding hills is a surreal experience that will define any visit to the Middle East.
Jerash
Jerash, or in ancient times Gerasa, is the ruins of a once thriving Greco-Roman city and is considered to be one of the most important and best preserved Roman cities in the Middle East. In the second half of the first century AD, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity as the Roman Empire built roads throughout the region bringing trade. The current site is huge and very impressive with large stretches of colonnaded streets, huge temple complexes standing tall with orange tinged pillars and amphitheatres restored to their previous glory. Often overshadowed by the magnificence of Petra, Jerash is an easy day trip from the capital Amman and well worth the effort to disappear into a piece of history.
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is located in the Dead Sea Rift, which is part of a long fissure in the Earth's surface called the Great Rift Valley. This is the Earth's lowest point at 418 m below sea level and falling by about 1 meter every year. This hyper saline lake is the second saltiest body of water on Earth with a salinity level of about 30 percent. Due to the high salt content the Dead Sea has provided visitors with a unique experience for thousands of years; anyone who swims in its waters cannot sink. Riding so high in the waters makes swimming difficult and mostly you just bob up and down floating right on the surface of the water. A classic activity, if not solely for its photographic value, is reading the newspaper while you float around without fear of ruining your paper. If you have any cuts or sores be prepared for some searing pain and don't dunk your head under water the salt stings the eyes in the worst way.
