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This year my Facebook dashboard was filled with photos taken in Jordan. My friends, one by one were exploiting the new incredible flight Malta-Amman which Ryanair made available for ridiculous prices.
What if my childhood dream to emulate Indiana Jones in his Last Crusade could become true?
For once in my life I tried to follow the mass and... for once the mass was right! Not only Petra, but the whole country is incredible! I will tell you why in the next lines...
Guidelines
As for any exotic country, mind to respect the local culture and follow the rules.
If you have purchased the Jordan Explorer for 75 JOD (about 90 EUR), you will have the Visa fees included along the access to the main attractions. This is a must and will make your journey seamless. The Jordan Explorer is nothing more than a ticket with a QR code that the Visa guards and the tourist ticket offices will scan to let you in. You can buy this pass directly here: https://www.jordanpass.jo/buynow.aspx?type=Explorer
When you cross the arrivals line, they will immediately give you discount vouchers to change currency at the airport. Don’t take them as you can change cash at the hotel or in any bank for better rates.
Transport
Calm down! I know, you are melting by the impatience to know about Petra. How does it look like? How much is it? How long does it take to get there? Is it safe? Are the Bedouin there? Have you found the Grail?
Petra is a magical place, but you have to earn it, so follow me in the steps to reach The Lost City in a safe, efficient and cheap manner. Jordan has basically no public transport and Petra is 4 hours driving from the airport. If you don’t want to be ripped off by a taxi and wish to have the freedom to explore around, renting a car is the only choice. However, don’t rush! Forget about those vendors at the airport. My choice, as per the advice of my friend Angelo who was there one month before me, was Montecarlo Car.
I couldn’t choose better! They are very professional from the start and even amusing! Abdullah, the boss, is a very cool guy and the personnel is always ready to assist you. What pleased me the most is that Abdullah was the first one to take photos of the car, while in my previous experiences, some garages even got offended if I pulled out my phone.
The horse was a black (couldn't be a better colour!) Kia Picanto, the last car they had, but it did a good job after all. Montecarlo will provide you even with a mini router to have internet with you should you need it. Including even the insurance, the total price was an equivalent of 220 EUR for 4 days: 55 EUR a day plus a 30 EUR of fuel. Not bad for the service and for the kilometres we have covered.
The highway
There are basically two highways in the country and both lead to Petra. You can choose to get along the Dead Sea, which will take roughly 4.5 hours or cross straight through the desert, which is like 30 minutes faster. On the first leg we crossed the desert. Most part it is a boring route. Everything is plain, sometimes you see some mosque and some unfinished house here and there. A lot of works too and invisible bumps that made us jump more than once. On one dump I truly feared that we had destroyed the car! Be careful on that highway. Go fast only when you have learned to see the dumps. Yeah there are signals, but they are placed like 10 meters from the road side…
Another thing you must pay attention too are speed cameras and the total absence of lines. In some moments it’s not easy to understand where you are supposed to stay.
This didn’t happen to us, but for you info, Abdullah told us that as a country with millions of refugees, there are even some gypsies that might try to provoke road accidents with the hope that you will pay them. I’m not sure if it’s more a sort of urban legend like the ones circulating in the West, but you will find many people walking along the highway, even under the sun, so be careful. I know it sounds absurd and I couldn’t figure out what people are doing along a desert highway if not for some who sell zucchini!
Who is doing something on the highway are surely the cops. It was a question of time that we were stopped…
Cop: “Passport please? Where are you from, guys?”
Me: “We are from Italy but living in Malta”
Cops: “Oh! Italia! Hahah”
I was thinking like - shit this doesn’t sound good!
Cops: “Eh Milan, Inter, Juventus!”
Oh that’s better… Then a man in white approached the car and the cop said: “Where are you going?”
Me: “Petra”
Cop: “Good! Listen, could you please give a lift to our colleague here? He lives in Petra and must be with his family for the Eid.”
We accepted the unexpected requested happily. I immediately thought that we got a story to tell! The Eid marks the end of Ramadan. It is similar to our Christmas. People gather with their families, from grandparents to cousins when they can finally eat during the day, usually around an abundant traditional meal.
We spent the next hour with a cop looking forward to see his family. It’s cool because we had the license to overtake everyone! We were the road bosses! Not to mention the shortcuts that the cop suggested!
We arrived in Petra safely and were even rewarded with fresh Pepsi for the lift we had offered. Cool!
Note that they still have the historical can opening that is banned in Europe since decades... Time travellers!
Petra
Finally here we go!
We were very lucky in reaching Petra on Tuesday because on that day the site is open until 19:30. This gave us the chance to visit the Lost City almost empty. Can you imagine how magical that can be?!
You have to walk for like a kilometre in a narrow and tall canyon before you will find suddenly before the Treasury Palace, the iconic face of Petra. Trust me, you will feel yourself shivering with emotion when you approach the point. You will know there are a few bends remaining when you feel a steady breeze caressing your face: "We're almost there, do you feel this breeze? It means that there is a wide open space ahead of us!"
Petra during the evening
And Indiana Joonto was finally before the Treasury Palace ready to face the mortal tricks protecting the secret of the Holy Grail!
The structure is imposing. The level of the details carved out of the stone is impressive. You obviously wonder how the hell the Nabataeans came up one day with the idea of stopping wandering through the desert, settling down in Petra and beginning to carve such beauties out of stone. The style is so elegant, with neat references to Greeks and Romans. Not bad for who is supposed to have lived in tents until then. However, the truth about this civilization is one of the biggest mysteries of archaeology as the Nabateans didn't use to write that much, so very little is known about them and their origins. We are not even sure about the real purpose of these astonishing buildings if not how they were used during the Roman period.
But how's the rest of Petra? In front of the Treasury, turn right and then left to reach the valley. There you will see that Petra is huge! This used to be a true ancient metropolis. You will find youself surrounded with structures carved out of stone. It's a large canyon that looks like a Swiss cheese. The theatre carved out of the hill gives even a sci-fi touch to the area. In this point Petra looks like an alien city wiped out by a nuke apocalypse.
Be careful here! You can risk to be run over by mules and camels running up and down the valley. Kids will ask you all the time if you want to ride the animals. Overall the animals look treated quite well, but I'm not a big fun of animal transport. I prefer animals not to carry heavy lazy humans. You should be grateful for the legs you have, so start using them. It's not granted they will work forever.
Even because the fate of some animals might not be so nice. When we arrived in Petra and were looking for the hotel, we bumped into a poor horse that was bound to a tree, full of flies and incapable of moving. He was lying down, but with the head forced to stay up due to the short rope. We were afraid to intervene considering we were in a foreign country so different. However, my heart didn't sleep. I had to do something. I searched for possible animal rescue services in Jordan and to my relief I found someone. This person helped me to report the case and now the horse is safe and sound!
Never hesitate to help a life. Karma will reward you sooner or later.
Petra during the day
Another aspect that caught my attention is that Petra is kept "wild". What do I mean? I mean that beside few restrictions around the Treasury area, including the denial to get inside the palace, the rest of the city is fully accessible. No barriers expect few exceptions for the structures that could collapse at any time. This is both good and bad.
It's good because you can really feel like an explorer, you are free to check and touch whatever you want, even at your own risk, rather than being a passive tourist taking pictures and souvenirs.
It's bad because you will find many caves stuffed with rubbish left by assholes travelling around the world.
You will also find local Bedouin selling souvenirs. They craft most of the items they sell, so you have the chance of getting something authentic. On top, they are not even pushy which will make the trade experience more pleasant than at the site entrance.
Just at the site entrance I incurred into an eccentric seller. As you can imagine, I couldn't get inside without an Indiana Jones hat. To fit into the role of my childhood hero, I needed a raw cap, without too many garments. Around the several shops populating the visitors centre, I spotted the one! However, the seller was determined to give me another cap. Same shape, but way too decorated. This is not Indiana Jones! The cap looked fitter into a fashion catwalk than in the dusty Petra. I tried it out of courtesy, then I returned to my goal: "I think that will be the best for me."
Seller: "But I like this!"
Me: "I understand you, but I need that!"
Seller: "But that is ugly, ruined."
Me: "That's exactly what I need!"
He gave up and I could become Indiana Joonto!
Believe me: Petra is huge! The valley seems endless. You can get lost there. I suggest you to spend at least 2 days there, even though for me wasn't enough. I didn't reach the iconic monastery because I didn't find it... :D
But look at it by yourself here:
The way back under the Google's dictatorship
If Indiana Jones used to have clashes with Nazis, Indiana Joonto had a clash with Google, which after all is the Reich of the 21st century (I will break down this accusation in a future article).
Simone and I were OK to take the route that goes along the Dead Sea. It was meant to be spectacular! But Google Maps didn't agree and at every chance it tried to "correct" us again back to the desert highway. For the Artificial Stupidity made in Mountain View, the desert highway is way faster, so there is no reason for humans to take the alternative route even if that was the chosen one.
After the nth "correction" I was fed up: "You see??? You see??? Google is educating the world population to carry their orders! For them people are supposed to simply carry Google's orders, without even questioning them!!!"
No, it wasn't because of the rage burst of the moment, I still believe I hit the point.
We were determined to fight the Great Dictator back till the end, even for a mere question of principle. Google took this riot really bad. In Mountain View they must have cursed us! The navigator failed to lead us at an important fork and we took a highway that was strangely on one way....
We realised that we took the wrong way. Along it, tiredness began to lurk in me. I had to stop to rest a bit. Just in the moment I set the indicator light and pulled over, a pickup truck stopped and reversed to us. Honestly in that moment we thought: "Come on! Mind your fucking business and go away!"
The driver opened the window: "Good evening guys... Is everything ok?"
"Hello. Yes, we are just resting a bit as I'm driving since a few hours now."
Pickup driver: "Oh OK! We thought that you were lost or had a problem, as we saw the green plate! Good you are safe! Good night and welcome to Jordan!" they said before speeding away...
We were astonished by such pure kindness! And that was nothing compared to what would have happened shortly after.
Remember the curse from Mountain View? When we were finally aware of where to go, the right front tyre hissed... TZZZZ.....
Simone: "Fantastic... We have a flat tyre..."
On top of this I even had the first diarrhoea attack. Like in the ancient times, I unloaded in the open fields and buried the radioactive product illegally under some stones... Back at the car Simone announced that we just had the small wheel as spare tyre... With still 130 km to Amman, it looked unrealistic to make it. Montecarlo Car suggested us to drag ourselves to the nearest station. At 10.00 pm? Still ignorant about the local working hours, we thought it was a bullshit. But what if we didn't need it?
Here the unexplainable happened... A truck stopped and a young fit guy popped out of it. He spoke only Arabic. We tried to explain by gestures what happened. He even didn't reply. In a few seconds he was already equipped with a pump and a tyre repair kit. He took the damaged wheel, found the puncture, filled it with special tar and inflated it again. In a matter of minutes, the car was in good standing once again! But the most unbelievable part was that this angel guy didn't want anything!
He saved our ass in the middle of nowhere for free! I don't think in Europe would ever happen unless we were hot girls. It really seems that hospitality in Jordan is taken seriously!
We understood how lucky we were just a few kilometres after. At a bend we saw a group of cabins surrounded by tens of dogs! I've never seen so many dogs in my life! They looked at our car as a can of food! "Think if we had the puncture here..." I said.
The road then became insanely hot when we approached the Dead Sea. This salt lake is 430 m below the sea level. You pass by mountains, then you have steep downhills. This contrast makes the way by the Dead Sea much more interesting then the desert highway imposed by Google.
In some spots it even doesn't look like Jordan, but more like Austria almost!
Stephen Hawking warned that when machines will exceed human intelligence, we will must make sure that their goals are aligned with ours or machines will wipe humans out. We can already see that here the machine and the human goals already differed: for Google it only mattered to get the fastest route, while for us it was essential to take the most interesting road.
I must admit that the journey was exhausting, with the regret of having reached the Dead Sea only by night.
You can't imagine how we reached Amman. I was still full of anger toward Google and I began to feel very tired after having driven for 6 hours. Even the small breaks along the way didn't help much if not to ease the ass pain. However, Amman didn't think it was still time for me to rest. Guys! You haven't driven yet if you haven't driven in Amman! It's a giant Far West of driving:
- First of all no lines on the roads. It's up to you to understand where to stay.
- You will have only 0.03 seconds to move your ass when the green light comes in, before people will start honking at you.
- Be ready to have cars overtaking you by the right side!
- At the roundabout the strongest rules.
- When you're queuing at the traffic light, don't think you'll be safe. A car behind you might try to pass between you and the wall even if there's not enough space.
With persistence we passed this fire test too and reached the hotel in one piece!
Amman
Night-life
Amman by night! Finally something totally different. I tell you already now: here the nightlife is completely different from the Western nightlife concept. The main points of difference are:
- No alcohol around. Guys in our age are sipping hot tea happily.
- Infinite cigarettes, many more than you'll ever see in any European club!
- Almost no women around, though you may find them in the most Western quarters of the city.
- Shisha is the pivot around which you socialize!
- In Jordan the night is made for shopping! You will find all the shops open till late, while they were closed all day long. I guess the hot weather plays a role in this.
For us all of this was exciting. A special thanks goes to Ali, a guy that I met on Couchsurfing few weeks before when he was looking for accommodation in Malta and info about the MTV Isle. Ali is an excellent guide, he knows where to take you to the happy places. He didn't waste a second to make us taste the typical sweet with cheese and pistachios: Knafeh. I'm not into sweets, but guys... I would get addicted to this!
Immediately after, it was time for the Syrian ice cream. The taste is wonderful, but it’s the preparation that blows your mind! What if I tell you that Syrian ice cream is made out of… music? Check it yourself! :-)
Not only food. Amman offers a great panorama as the city is built on 7 hills, just like Rome! Unlike the Italian capital, these hills are way steeper, they’re almost mountains. This results in more spectacular views. It’s incredible how Amman is so vital during the night. You see lights everywhere, you see artists, shops, cars, children and you hear music and chants from the minarets just after sunset, that add a bit of a mystical and mysterious touch to your night experience.
About the mosques, Ali told us that all the mosques in Jordan are powered by green energy! Imagine how much carbon we would save if European churches worked likewise…
The green lights on the mosques refer to the colour that stands for “peace” in the Muslim world and the meaning gets further strength now that the mosques’ source of energy is renewable.
On the top of a hill we joined Ali’s friends, obviously around a Shisha, better known as Hookah. I couldn’t miss this experience before leaving the country.
Hookah + great view, helps conversations. We talked about everything, from life in Berlin (one of Ali’s friends lives in Germany now) to Gaza. The guys were shocked but even amused in hearing that Simone managed to access the inaccessible strip back in 2001!
There is so much we must learn on the subject. We are so biased, so polluted with sensationalist media that it’s impossible for us Westerners to know something if you don’t take a plane and begin to see with your own eyes and listen with your own ears.
Even the religious stereotypes were put down when we were told how much the Christian minority is respected. So considered that people celebrate even Christmas and that Christians can have 3 bonus days off at work for this holiday! To use Ali's words: "We celebrate each other!". There's always an excuse to celebrate!
I still can’t have an opinion on the overall Middle East situation, but I really hope that this wonderful country can remain an oasis of stability or even better that Jordan can become the norm in a turbulent region. At least here we fight only through laser tag… yes! The first evening we met Ali he invited us to play laser tag with his family. It was the end of Ramadan, which for Muslims is like Christmas as I said before when talking about the cop. Just like in the West, you want to spend the evening with your younger family members and friends after a whole day of filling your stomach beside parents, uncles, aunties and cousins! :D
My first time in laser tag was exciting from the adrenaline side. On the results side it was a disaster! First round I died 6 times and killed 2 times. The clerk tried to encourage me: “With these guys 6/2 is very good!”
Actually the guys are very good! Real snipers capable of hitting you as you sneak out to check the field! I’m very glad it was just a game!
Day-life
Amman during the day is hot of course, but still bearable for who is used to Malta. At least in Amman is not humid. What you can notice immediately is that during the day the city is a desert compared to the life thriving during the night. It makes sense. In a so hot region, it's more efficient to rest during the day and unleash the energy for business when the sun goes down.
There are two main historical attractions in Amman: the Roman Theatre and the Citadel. Still shaken by the previous night, I didn't feel like to drive in Amman, so we went for a taxi. It was hard as hell to communicate with the driver. He spoke only Arabic. When we told him to take us to the Roman Theatre he began to repeat the same Arabic word, something like: "Tezani? No tezani?"
After a while he had the brilliant idea to stop a youngster and ask him where to go. This is how we reached the Roman Theatre. To be honest I expected more from this place. I must say that unlike the other attractions, this theatre is not well kept. Yes, the structure is totally intact, but the complex is very dirty, as if the locals don't care much about it. Anyway, there is a small nice museum displaying relics from the Arab Revolt, plus utensils used in the daily life of those times. The most curious items are a set of jars made out of stray and clay. They were used to bake the bread.
The Citadel is another story. The view is breathtaking. Ali insisted so much that we visited it and he was right. If you can, stay till the sunset and you won't regret. We couldn't stay that long as the toilet was calling...
Jerash
Jerash is not as famous as Petra, but this doesn't mean that this Roman city can't give you the same emotions! Just 40 minutes drive from Amman: easy peasy! The Roman centre is still pristine. You hardly believe it was built 2 millennia ago. It looks like it was abandoned just a few decades ago.
Jerash is scenographic. I loved the path you have to follow to explore the town: first you are welcomed by the impressive Hadrian Gate!
Behind the gate you will find the Hippodrome, the equivalent of our modern stadiums. Romans were crazy for biga races, even more than gladiators fights. Biga racers could become as rich and famous as modern F1 drivers!
Don't be discouraged by the long track, you will arrive in no time to the other, spectacular section: the Forum. This is the most iconic spot of Jerash, ideal for photos that will make your Instagram profile shine! Your followers will be mesmerized by your silhouette walking through the colonnade like a Roman senator!
It's at the beginning of the colonnade that I stopped to chat with a souvenir seller about Malta, Italy, Woody Allen, AC/DC, Stanley Kubrick before the guy pointed out that I look like Quentin Tarantino!
“My name is Anas.... Please Anas, not Anus like the Americans say...”
Fair enough! Anas then asked me why everyone wants to leave the European Union, which in the eyes of a Jordanian doesn't make sense. To these people the EU looks like a utopia, a heaven on Earth, the tangible freedom to travel without barriers. I explained to him that when you have everything you end up to appreciate nothing.
This interesting twist in our conversation was interrupted by a Russian tourist interested in Anas' merchandise. I left the guy to his business and proceeded to the Artemis temple, before heading to the Theatre. Here I had the great honour to play drums at the center of the most intact Roman theatre ever seen! This is a dream come true that definitely makes my bucket list! The most fulfilling musical experience of my life! Such a pity that the video went lost...
The photo credits go to a genius man who invented an incredible business: taking tourists around the theatre and assisting them with panoramic photos. It's him that made me discover how my phone is able to make panoramic photos... And this just for 20 JOD. Imagine 20 JOD for each dumbass passing by there every day, let's assume 5 retards to be prudent. That's 100 JOD a day. If this man "works" only 20 days a month, he collects 2000 JOD a month, which makes roughly 2,500 EUR a month... no tax of course!
Yes, he ripped us off, but I can't keep myself from admiring this genius man!
More than a travel
I hope you understand that Jordan wasn't just a holiday for me. It was a real adventure. One of those travels that really widen your horizons and make you get to know the world a little bit better.
I tell you, 4 days there is not enough if you are a traveller in search of experiences. You will need many more. If instead, you are an Instagram tourist, 4 days will be enough to catch the best like-makers.
Whatever kind of trip you will choose, bear in mind that local people will always greet you warmly with a simple but effective "Welcome to Jordan!" :-)
Impressions from Jordan
To wrap up Jordan according to my senses:
Weather: Hot as I like it. For some people the heat could be scorching.
People: Friendly and the most helpful ever met!
Food: Wonderful! Diet rich in vegetables and fruit. Lots of spices, put in the right spot, without excess.
Cost of living: On average – Due to the Jordan Dinar being stronger than Euro, don't expect great discounts.
Safety: OMG? Is it not dangerous? My colleagues were asking. It's not dangerous at all!
Monuments: Simply magical! You will remember Petra and Jerash for all of your life!
Transport: Shut up and drive!
Nightlife: Completely different from Europe, hence interesting. It's very lively, it seems to be during the day.
One recommended experience: Drive in Amman! :D
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Amazing! looks very good everything. We have to take advantage of trips like this as long as we can.
exactly! don't waste your time and go now! ;)
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