April In the lead-up to my Turkey Tour, an international Internet vote for the New Seven Wonders of the World was finalised and the winners announced. Petra was one of the winners; and, along with the other winners, received considerable attention in the travel media.
The Jordan component started as a three-day trip focussed on Petra. It could easily have been longer; there was so much of interest. But I limited myself to the week and, therefore had to forego some key sights.
The tour was undertaken in a car and accompanied by Khalil, my local driver, guide and fixer. We returned to Amman on the main highway, but continued through to Jerash before coming back to Amman.
Map of Jordan Tour. Here is a map of Jordan indicating the route I followed. If you're a potential visitor, make sure you follow the King's Highway south from Amman rather than the main desert highway, at least, as far as Kerak. View Jordan in a larger map. The most notable of these are the citadel, with all the ruins and history spread across its plateau, high above the city; and several items of the old Roman town of Philadelphia that are clustered together at the foot of the citadel on its south-western side.
My first impression of Amman was a city in monochrome. Every building seemed to have the same light beige hue. They were packed so tightly that the whole city could have been a giant Legoland. Closer-up, of course, as you wandered the streets of old Amman, you came to appreciate the diversity hidden behind the monochrome facade.
