Travel Featured
Journey to Jordan
By Bettina Bennett
I
have always been fascinated by
the Dead Sea. Ancient kings hid
and fought there. Beauties like
Cleopatra and the Queen of Sheba
bathed in its waters. It’s alive with
stories that go back to our beginnings,
and yet its waters are barren. So, when
a friend said she wanted to spend a
long weekend in Jordan, I said sure just
as long as we get to spend some time
at the Dead Sea.
We also wanted to see the ruins of
Petra. Who wouldn’t want to feel
like Indiana Jones for a day? Other
Jordanian treasures beckoned us to
visit, but we only had three days. So,
we decided to book a room at a Dead
Sea resort and hire a driver to take us
on a day trip to Petra.
Luckily our driver was a young local
who loved showing off his country, so
we got to see much of the country’s
landscape during the long drive to
and from Petra. I was surprised by
how green and mountainous parts of
Jordan are. Sheep roam its hillsides.
It felt like we were visiting Ireland
versus a country that borders Syria
and Iraq. And then a camel would
walk by and remind me of where I was.
There were also the occasional military
checkpoints that looked out of place.
Watching families work their farms,
boys chase goats up rocky cliffs, or
friends gather for a picnic and shisha
made it hard to imagine the stark
contrast of lives on the other side of
those mountains.
Al Khazneh or The Treasury at Petra in Jordan.
I can’t thank Mohammed, our driver,
enough for giving us a glimpse into
his world. He also deserves a medal
for getting us to Petra and patiently
waiting all day while we hiked the
never-ending steps that led to the
Monastery, a massive temple carved
into rock at the top of a mountain.
Local men tempted us with donkey
rides, but we wanted to do it on our
own — besides the animal lover in me
couldn’t torture a poor dusty ass with,
well, you know, my heavy one. It took
us around four hours to get to the top,
which included stopping for friendly
banter with Bedouins selling anything
from rocks and jewellery to freshlysqueezed juices. We also stopped
every few minutes to take in the
majestic views. My words won’t do it
justice, but know it’s worth every sting
your muscles will give you the next day.
The beauty of Petra is you get to walk
through ruins that predate the Romans
while also taking in the wonders of
Jordan’s mountains and the people
who’ve thrived on them for centuries.
The day after Petra, we spoiled
ourselves at our hotel’s spa, which is
a must do if you’re staying at any of
the resorts. Even if you’re not a spa
person, just do it. Hello? This is where
Cleopatra built her own place of
pampering.
Then, of course there’s the Dead Sea.
Like everyone else there, we lathered
ourselves with its black mud (which
apparently pulls out toxins), and then
carefully slid into the water where we
awkwardly bobbed around. We didn’t
dare splash around because one drop
of that salty water in our eyes was a
fury we didn’t want to know (but got to
experience anyway).
I don’t know if this cured me of anything,
but my skin was the softest it’s ever been,
and floating in mythical waters while
watching the sunset made me feel like a
goddess. I’ll be back, and the next time
I’m there I’ll experience the rest of this
country’s gifts.
Photography by the Dead Sea.
A view of the city from the mountain.