Work.
Everybody’s got to do it at some point, even those of us who like to pretend life is just a series of exotic vacations pasted together one after the other. How fortunate for me, then, that the first big project I took on since quitting my PR job in December 2010 was scheduled in a country I’d long wanted to visit — the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
But what did I really know about Jordan before I arrived? Turns out, not much.
- Petra. Between Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the Left Behind Series and about a dozen travel blogging friends who’ve paved the road before me, I thought I knew what to expect from the “city as old as time.”
- The Dead Sea. Jordan shares this very salty body of water & its mineral-rich mud with Israel.
- Cuisine. I’d heard the food was not just delicious, but plentiful.
- People. Would Jordan be similar to Egypt (like, would I get lots of offers for camels) or perhaps a bit more welcoming?
- Borders. Jordan borders Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria and the West Bank and Israel, so I could pretty much expect my family to be nervous the entire time I was away, despite the fact that Jordan itself is a very peaceful nation.
- Biblical Connections. Despite a solid knowledge of Biblical history, I can’t say I ever really conceptualized it all on a modern-day map. Jordan seemed like a good place to start just that!
After two intense weeks of social media consulting, research and presentations with the Jordan Tourism Board and its partners, I was able to escape Amman for a tour of some of Jordan’s most famous sites.
I learned so much and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! Stay tuned…
My tour was sponsored by the Jordan Tourism Board. As always, opinions are my own!
I can’t wait to hear more. Jordan is definitely on my bucket list.
It’s one of my favorites! Can’t wait to share =)
The other impression of the Country is that the King of Jordan is quite the practical joker. Comedian Russell Peters describes how he was punked by the King on several shows.
I didn’t know that! Will file that nugget away for use later…
Last March we had planned a trip to Egypt and Jordan to see Petra. It was the 2nd time planning – and paying for – this trip. Then the Arab Spring happened and the military told my husband he was not allowed to go to Egypt a mere 3 days before we were to depart. “Go to Jordan the entire time,” was their solution.
A new set of plane tickets and some very quick on the fly planning happened. I knew NOTHING about Jordan besides that a really cool place called Petra was in Indiana Jones and Transformers.
So off we went to Jordan for 10 days. Wow! I could have stayed longer! We loved it. We traveled indepently by renting a car and saw Jerash, Madaba, Mt. Nebo, Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan, the Dead Sea, Petra, and Aqaba. Amazing country and trip!
Can’t wait to hear what you were up to there!
How beautiful! I’ve never had a huge inclination to visit the Middle East–I’ve been to UAE and Israel and that’s about it–but Jordan looks well worth reconsidering!
Jordan is awesome and I just know you would love it. If you end up going, I’m coming with you! There’s so much I didn’t do!