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**stanleycamel** · 16 Mar 19, 10:45 PM

A few years ago I was lucky enough to have a virtually full tour of Jordan and Petra was a highlight.

I was extremely lucky as it was during the period that various places were vying to be a New Seven Wonders of the World and Jordan Tourist Board were using Petra in their campaign. I came back from a walk up to the Monastery (hard work) and walked into the Treasury area(the one Mr Jones rides into at the end of the film) just as JTB were doing their photoshoot and they kindly didn't turn me away and allowed me to sit on a seat looking directly at that wonderful scene - there was just me, a camel and two photographers. I couldn't believe my luck and just sat there taking it all in - and managed some great photos myself with no hoards of tourists. Would love to go back and do Petra by night. If you get the chance to read amazon/Married-Bed.../dp/1844082202 it is a fascinating book about how a Kiwi backpacker married into the Bedoiuns who lived in Petra. On my walk up to the Monastery she was actually there and she was absolutely fabulous and so generous with her time - not sure if she is still in the Petra area but acccording to tripadvisor she was in March 2018.

Other highlights were overnight in Wadi Rum in a tent (freezing in March) with a camel who liked eating toilet rolls and a fabulous cooked in the ground lamb meal similar to a gold old New Zealand hangi. Mount Nebo where Moses was suppoed to have seen the promised land - my visit was just after Pope Paul so even though I am not particularly religious it was very moving. Jerash was interesting and reminded me of a certain Hadrians Wall near where I live. Also did Dead Sea (well you have to) - a little known fact about the Kempinski Hotel there is that Boris Yelstsin the late Russian leader drank the hotel dry of vodka! The food in Amman was very good especially snack dishes like falafel cooked fresh - there was one dessert which cropped up repeatedly and the only way I could describe it is white blancmange that smelt of Savlon but it tasted better than it smelt.

Even back in the early 2000's there was a movement to help Jordanian women start up small businesses to give them independence and I believe that this still flourishes to this day.

I hope everyone who wants to visit gets the chance as it is a very welcoming country with some great scenery - I will go back one day this time taking my partner.

Just checked and the Pope's visit was 2000 so perhaps more than a few years since my visit

16 Mar 19, 10:45 PM	#10
	16 Mar 19, 10:45 PM stanleycamel VIP Dibber ✓Premium Member
stanleycamel VIP Dibber Join Date: Dec 15 stanleycamel's Reviews Restaurant Reviews: 1	A few years ago I was lucky enough to have a virtually full tour of Jordan and Petra was a highlight. I was extremely lucky as it was during the period that various places were vying to be a New Seven Wonders of the World and Jordan Tourist Board were using Petra in their campaign. I came back from a walk up to the Monastery (hard work) and walked into the Treasury area(the one Mr Jones rides into at the end of the film) just as JTB were doing their photoshoot and they kindly didn't turn me away and allowed me to sit on a seat looking directly at that wonderful scene - there was just me, a camel and two photographers. I couldn't believe my luck and just sat there taking it all in - and managed some great photos myself with no hoards of tourists. Would love to go back and do Petra by night. If you get the chance to read amazon/Married-Bed.../dp/1844082202 it is a fascinating book about how a Kiwi backpacker married into the Bedoiuns who lived in Petra. On my walk up to the Monastery she was actually there and she was absolutely fabulous and so generous with her time - not sure if she is still in the Petra area but acccording to tripadvisor she was in March 2018. Other highlights were overnight in Wadi Rum in a tent (freezing in March) with a camel who liked eating toilet rolls and a fabulous cooked in the ground lamb meal similar to a gold old New Zealand hangi. Mount Nebo where Moses was suppoed to have seen the promised land - my visit was just after Pope Paul so even though I am not particularly religious it was very moving. Jerash was interesting and reminded me of a certain Hadrians Wall near where I live. Also did Dead Sea (well you have to) - a little known fact about the Kempinski Hotel there is that Boris Yelstsin the late Russian leader drank the hotel dry of vodka! The food in Amman was very good especially snack dishes like falafel cooked fresh - there was one dessert which cropped up repeatedly and the only way I could describe it is white blancmange that smelt of Savlon but it tasted better than it smelt. Even back in the early 2000's there was a movement to help Jordanian women start up small businesses to give them independence and I believe that this still flourishes to this day. I hope everyone who wants to visit gets the chance as it is a very welcoming country with some great scenery - I will go back one day this time taking my partner. Just checked and the Pope's visit was 2000 so perhaps more than a few years since my visit Edited at 10:50 PM.