Middle East Part 2... Fantastic Jordan

My trip through the Middle East also took me to Jordan... which I'm not afraid to call a truly fantastic country, clearly superior to Syria! Why? Easy... first of all for the variety of things to see — there aren't just ruins to look at but a myriad of things I'll tell you about shortly! And also because here it no longer feels like the near-third-world it was in Syria, but a fairly Westernised civilisation, thanks above all to the sovereign and his very famous wife: Queen Rania of Jordan. Obviously I'm not talking about a rich country, not at all, but a country that knows how to make the most of its riches (which are many!) and shows itself off well. Surely the word Jordan will remind every traveller of the mythical city of Petra... one of the 7 wonders of the world... but not only that: going around it I could see that it's full of character in every part..

in fact maybe it's the only country where the capital is practically the least beautiful place to see, haha!! The food is spectacular, all based on meat, spiced or not, even though the house speciality is the so-called "mezze", meaning the starters.. and there are loads of them!!... my trip starts at Jerash, or Gerasa, which according to many is even better than its Syrian rival Palmyra, since it's been well preserved with its temples, its ruins and a fantastic... oval square! The capital, Amman, is worth noting only for its amphitheatre.. truly very beautiful though.. otherwise it looks like the classic city with thousands of markets and nothing else.... far more interesting was the visit to Madaba, the city of mosaics, and Mount Nebo, famous because Moses had his vision of the promised land there. Then finally came the moment for the legendary Dead Sea..

a place unique in the world, which I personally only knew because it was the world's most famous depression... over 300 metres below sea level, though in recent years, thanks to the intense heat (at midday it was 49 degrees in the shade......) the water has been receding more and more... I found myself in the absurd situation of taking a dip in a sea where you couldn't sink!!! practically paradise for anyone who can't swim, haha.. all this because the salt content is 6 times higher than the ocean average. My trip then continued to Karak Castle... which unfortunately I visited in a rush, alas, because a very strong windstorm forced us to flee! And finally the highlight of the holiday... the one everyone was waiting for... namely Petra. Petra is something unique.. wandering through its canyons waiting to reach the Treasury (the very famous image of the doorway) was wonderful...

it felt like being right in an Indiana Jones film! Finally, at the sight of the imposing doorway... I don't know how many photos I took, haha... but Petra isn't just that... the city is gigantic, in fact you go on admiring all those fantastic rocks in their peculiar colours and the tombs carved into the mountains... a breathtaking sight! To reach the monastery, at the top of a punishing climb of 850 steps!! A stop that wasn't obligatory but felt due was the one that took us to Aqaba.. the only seaside spot in Jordan... and it's on the Red Sea too! Well, the water is stunning, the city obviously offers nothing.. but 2 days in that blue sea and 40 degrees, I have to say, were truly a godsend! And finally the desert... well, if you go to Jordan and don't visit the very famous Wadi Rum, you haven't seen anything! The legendary desert, made even more famous by the film Lawrence of Arabia...

it's beautiful... full of gigantic dunes and inhabited by very likeable Bedouins; it's distinctive for its red sand that gradually changes colour! I was also lucky enough to take a jeep excursion and eat in a Bedouin tent... something I recommend if you get the chance! A final mention for the small desert castles, on the road to Rusafah... where I realised that mirages really do exist... the suffocating heat makes you see things you'd rather not:)