Where are you from?...Welcome!

Amanda with our extremely friendly and fast falafel maker in Amman.
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Despite having seen so much on this trip, I must admit I had my prejudices before coming to the Middle East.  I hadn't yet met anyone who had traveled here, so my information was limited to less-than-impartial tourism websites and the news media circus.  Primarily, American news media at that.  Coming from an Arab-phobic country that so often depicts this part of the world with scenes of terror, war, or hostility, I couldn't help but wonder if I would experience some of that first-hand.  I didn't know it at the time, but within hours of arriving in Amman, I had my answer.  It came from the airport shuttle bus driver, the hotel clerk, the falafel vendor, and two teenage boys: "Which country do you come from?...[answer]...Welcome to Jordan!"  There were no displays of disrespect or feelings of animosity much less demonstrations of hatred and violence.  Time and time again, people said, "Welcome," and that's exactly how they made me feel.

On the bus coming into the small village of Wadi Musa, the home just outside of Petra.
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Even though my first impression of this Hashemite kingdom was a great one, I was glad I didn't have to experience it solo.  Courage is more easily mustered when not alone, and Amanda once again provided that mustard.  For one final country, we'd be traveling together before our desired destinations led us in opposite directions.  Our main goal in coming to the country was the same shared by most Western tourists: the Nabataean city of Petra.  This Wonder of the World accounts for 80% of the kingdom's tourism revenue.  Most people know it as the resting spot of the Holy Grail, thanks to Indiana Jones, but that building is only one in a city of hundreds.  The site is but 5% excavated, however its tombs, trails, cisterns, and holy places will require all the time a 3-day pass will allow.  But it isn't the manmade contributions that make this my favorite Wonder thus far.  No, it is the valley's scultpure garden and vast color palette that nature created long before we were here to appreciate it.

Let go your fears and stereotypes.

Just before heading into the kilometer-long valley known as The Siq.
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The Treasury (Al-Khazneh) is Petra's poster child.  When the area is depicted on a website or in some printed material, this building is almost always used to represent it.  While indeed remarkable, it does not deserve all of the attention.  Some goes to the kilometer-long, 80m high, 3-15m wide gorge called the Siq.  If cliffhewn buildings are what you want, try the Royal Tombs.  There are more than half a dozen, with some reaching six stories in height and recessed a basketball court's length into the rock.  For Roman influence, take a stroll down the colonnaded street to the Temenos Gate or climb above the Street of Facades to see the 7,000-seat theatre.  But if hiking is your thing, make your way to the High Place of Sacrifice for a bird's-eye view of the city or up to the Monastery (Ad-Deir), a carved building equally high, twice as wide, and as well-preserved as the Treasury, to re-learn what "marvelous" means.

The entrance to The Siq.
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Not far from Petra is the protected area of Wadi Rum.  This desert mountain terrain is quickly becoming known for its outstanding rock-climbing opportunities, but it has long been revered for its natural attractions.  Whether hiking up a fine sand dune of deep red, trekking through the white desert, or just watching the sunset silhouette distant craggy peaks, the area will easily seduce any nature-phile.  Amanda and I had only two days to spend here before we'd part ways, but we understood how some stay for two weeks.  We spent our first day on a 4x4 tour seeing Nabataean ruins, places visited by Lawrence of Arabia, and noteworthy creations of time, wind, and water.  The second day was our own to explore the two deserts, the red and white, and we used every bit of daylight to do so.  In the evenings, we satiated our appetites with delicious buffets of local cuisine.  And after, we joined our Bedouin hosts around the fire for songs on the rababa (like a single-string violin) and endless glasses of sweet tea.

Gorgeous light and textures in here in any tone.
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Once Amanda flew out of Amman, I only had a couple of days before meeting a friend in Israel.  I spent the first in Jerash, an ancient Roman city, and the second at the Dead Sea, unfortunately without my camera.  I've often heard the best-preserved Roman ruins are outside Italy, and Jerash is proof to this claim.  Its Cardo Maximus and Oval Forum have most of their columns upright and intact right up to the capital.  From the Nymphaeum, water could still flow.  And its two theatres have retained their perfect acoustic integrity to warrant their use during the annual city festival.

Even sepia...
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The Dead Sea was my December day at the beach.  In the northern hemisphere... Being more than 400m below sea level has an odd way of making a chilly, windy day disappear.  Although not as odd as trying to swim in a 30% salinity body of water.  It's not so much swimming as it is bobbing.  A person sits so high in the water, he/she can read a newspaper without it getting wet and without exerting any effort.  Before returning to Amman, I met two Palestinians who helped me apply a mineral-rich mud pack, and whose conversation helped further erode my misconceptions about this land and its people.

Along our second longer hike up to the Monastery (Ad-Deir).
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By the time I left Jordan, my behavior had transitioned from reserved to relaxed.  The dark alleys didn't seem as dark.  Hitching rides with strangers became a comfortable practice.  The loud, dirty restaurants were invitations not intimidations.  I know now my initial apprehension towards the Middle East stemmed from ignorance, as I believe it does for many people.  Education, information, and experience are the best remedies against such a malady.  Experience that, in Jordan at least, will begin with an honest question and sincere reply:  "Hello, where are you from?...Welcome."