JORDAN
Jordan is a bit of an anomaly in the Middle East. The country has no oil. While it is ruled by a King, King Abdullah II is Western educated, boarding school in Massachusetts and college at Georgetown, and thus balances a few Western concepts with the historical teachings of Islam. The country is often mentioned as a key ally of the US.
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I spent only two days here with the sole purpose of seeing Petra which is easily (although a bit expensively) reached from Amman. I had the juxtaposition of arriving from Cairo so as soon as I left the airport I was shocked to see modern infrastructure and calmness. I was so impressed with the country that whenever I return I will consider renting a car and driving myself around to see the other sites.
Pete has spent some time here with his travels to Israel and has covered additional areas of the country. |
JORDAN DESTINATIONS |
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Long day trip to Petra. There's a lot more to the site then just the guidebook image. You could easily spend several hours here. There are refreshment and gift stores throughout the complex and the proprietors are generally less pushy than their Jerusalem and Cairo counterparts. For some reason they really, really had an interest in my $15 Timex watch.
I don't remember all the details of my trip but I arranged a taxi through the hotel to drive me to Petra, wait for the day, and drive me back at the end. I think the cost was about $100. I remember it being more than a tour but not so prohibitive that I was kicking myself for not joining the tour. With multiple people that cost is even more justifiable. |