Petra & the Jordan Valley

The sun slanted through the tall, dark canyon from acerulean blue sky above, as we walked the last few yards towards the narrow entrance of the ancient city of Petra.. “Stop a moment, shut your eyes and take five steps forward, and then open your eyes,” demanded our guide. As we obeyed his command, we all gasped at the sight of the morning sun glinting on the rose red stone of the Treasury House, in the first square at Petra. Seen many times in pictures, it was still breathtaking in its reality - and that was only the start of along and exciting day exploring the remains of this famous city. Some archaeologists rank Petra as the eighth wonder of the ancient world and it is certainlyunique.

Much of Petra's appeal comes from its awesome, multicoloured sandstone high mountains and steep rocky slopes into which the ancient Nabateans carved most of the celebrated tombs, facades, theatres and stairways. Petra is truly amazing. So is the climb up 800 steps up the mountain to the Ad-Deir Monastery which we tackled in the heat of the day. Mad dogs and Englishmen is the expression which sums up the experience! However, it was worth the climb for the view over the Jordan Valley alone.

You need at least a day to explore Petra, some strong walking shoes, a camera and a supply of bottled water. Take a horse ride to start off your day and finish by donkey or camel if your feet give out!

The whole of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a young country dense with history. The Jordan Valley is a bridge between sea and desert and above the layers of antiquity lies a land of mesmerising beauty and contrast. Standing at the top of Mount Nebo, where Moses was buried we could see for miles into the dry, dusty desert and across the rough mountains. "Do you know why Moses was lost in the wilderness for 40 years?" quipped Riad who was showing us the sights of Jordan, It was because he didn't have a good guide!

We certainly had a splendid guide for our week's tour of the Jordan Valley, where we marvelled at the ancient Roman sites, the awe inspiring scenery, the Crusader's castles, the amazing Dead Sea and the desert at Wadi Rum. High above modern Amman, The Citadel with its Roman columns overlooks a Roman theatre in the centre of the city where the streets team with life. At night, in the coffee shop area you can enjoy the ubiquitous hooker pipe or a tasty meal. But be warned these coffee shops don't serve alcohol. However, there are restaurants which do, and you can buy booze at the supermarkets and small shops.

Just north of Amman we explored the Graeco-Roman ruins of Umm Qays (Gadara), reputed to be the spot where Jesus cast out the Devil from two demoniacs into a herd of pigs! After a delicious lunch we had another walk through history at Jerash which is the largest Roman site outside Italy. Jerash has colonnaded streets, churches, a cathedral, theatres, temples, baths, plazas and wonderful city walls spreading out from the entrance through Hadrian's Arch. We were serenaded by Arab pipers in the amphitheatre, which enhanced the whole experience but didn't soothe tired feet!

The Bible stories come to life in Jordan and never more so than standing at the Church on Mount Nebo where Moses stumbled out of the wilderness after 40 years. He stayed here for another 40 years before being buried where the little church stands today. From this site you can see across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea to the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

The nearby town of Madaba is worth a visit to see the wonderfully preserved Byzantine mosaic map within the Greek Orthodox church of St. George, although there are also amazing mosaics in Moses church on Mount Nebo too.

The final highlight of the trip was staying at the Dead Sea where we marvelled that we could not sink in the sea and laughed as we plastered each other with the therapeutic Dead Sea mud. The hotels are wonderful here and you can take serious treatments reputed to cure many ills. We simply enjoyed the sun, swimming and wonderful food after our float in the sea. You can also take a short trip to Bethany where Jesus was baptised. I just chilled out for a few blessed hours and reflected on a fantastic trip.