Lost and found in Jordan
It all started over a cup of coffee. A few friends of mine who are really passionate about travelling collectively decided on Jordan as the place we must now explore. At first, I knew absolutely nothing about the place beyond the fact that it is an Arab country in the Middle East that has an aura of mystery and exoticism about it. From the pictures we saw on the Internet, we knew we were headed for spectacular landmarks which would serve as amazing subjects to capture through our lens.
Without thinking too much, we packed a few clothes, took our camera kits and set out to live our new adventure — discovering the scenic beauty of Jordan. Little did we know that what lay ahead would exceed our greatest expectations. The country is vast and four days was little time, but we were determined to make the most of it.
One of the most important things I came to understand was that Jordan isn’t your typical travel destination. It is what some people might term “offbeat” and requires that you be willing to walk a lot and have patience to soak in the sheer historicity of the spaces. Also, one very interesting and rather peculiar thing about Jordan is that a few places within it are high above sea level and a few, far below it. As a result, the climate varies from place to place.
An obvious hazard that comes with this is that you have no idea what clothes to pack and wear. If you take along only light clothes with the assumption that you’re headed to the Middle East and therefore it must be hot, you’ll find that the heat is intense enough to burn your skin and so you need to cover up. On the other hand, if you do cover up with a jacket, it gets so hot that you’ll go crazy. At the same time, the nights are chilly. But despite the extreme weather, it would be safe to say that our visit there was a rather rosy one because I had an absolutely fantastic time.
You might also be inclined to ask yourself a few times, “What is a place without greenery, not a single patch of vegetative land and no blossoming flowers?” You’ll realise the very next minute, however, that there is a beauty to even the bare spaces in Jordan that nothing can quite match up to. It has its own kind of charm that really sets it apart from other more conventionally beautiful travel destinations. It is a truly beautiful place even without the trees, plants and flowers to punctuate it.
One of the most striking places we visited there was Wadi Rum, which literally translates into “the valley of the moon”. It is a valley cut from sandstone and granite and is a sight to be seen and experienced rather than described in words. The lost city of Petra, which is one of the seven wonders of the world, is also a superbly picturesque sight that you definitely wouldn’t want to miss.
In a more general sense, aside from the specific sights that can form the highlights of a trip to Jordan, the country has a magnificent array of sand dunes and stunning mountain terrain and the contrast in itself is breathtakingly beautiful. Add to that the historical and cultural richness, and you have the perfect destination for an adventure of its own kind.
— The writer is a TV actor constantly pandering to his wanderlust