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Desert Queen: Travelling through Jordan
The ancient kingdom of Jordan has turned a pretty shade of green.
By Anne Michaud
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The vibe Raw desert light, sparkling white buildings, men swaddled in kaffiyeh, women wearing burkas, street signs for nearby Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.... In the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, it's easy to lose your sense of the West. Listen to the muezzin call the faithful to prayer. Have a steam bath and vigorous massage at Salome Turkish Bath in Petra. Eat mansaf, a Bedouin lamb stew served over rice and garnished with almonds or pine nuts. Drink a glass of arak (an aniseed flavoured eau-de-vie) or some Jordanian wine. Smoke a hookah (a water pipe) in an Amman café, savouring the apple- or grape-flavoured tobacco...and discover an unexpected eco-oasis.
Green acres Since 1966, Jordan has been a leader in eco-tourism in the Middle East. Seven nature reserves welcome rock climbers, hikers, mountain bikers, boaters and birdwatchers. Shaumari Reserve -- created in 1975 as a breeding centre for endangered and locally extinct wildlife -- is home to ostriches, gazelles, onagers (a member of the horse family) and the nearly mythic Arabian oryx (a large, straight-horned antelope that once faced extinction). The diverse topography of Dana Nature Reserve includes wooded highlands, rocky slopes, gravel plains and vast sand dunes. At the reserve, guests at Wadi Feynan Eco Lodge -- which is illuminated only by candles at night -- can watch the sun set over the Jordan Rift Valley.
Red rum Wadi Rum, the main desert in Jordan, is made up of red, yellow and orange mountains -- which are popular with rock climbers -- and steep, sandy valleys. In the early part of the last century, the Welsh-born T. E. Lawrence -- better known as “Lawrence of Arabia” -- formed an alliance with the Arabs to turn back the Turks and spent much of his time in Wadi Rum. A youthful Peter O'Toole filmed Lawrence of Arabia here, galloping his camel across the sands where four-by-fours now take visitors “wadi bashing.” In the spring, more than 2,000 species of wild plants and flowers -- including poppies, red anemones and the black iris, Jordan's national flower -- bloom in the hills and deserts of Wadi Rum. Eagles and other large birds of prey soar over the hills, and the grey wolf, sand cat and ibex make this lunar landscape their home.
Sink or swim? More than 400 metres below sea level, the Dead Sea -- in the Jordan Rift Valley -- is the lowest point on earth. Heavy evaporation creates extremely high concentrations of mineral salts, which kill all plant and animal life but make swimmers float like corks. Since ancient times, the mud and mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea have been known for their beneficial effects on the skin -- Cleopatra even extolled their virtues. Today, luxury spas abound and offer a wide range of treatments. The most popular one includes a salt exfoliation and mud wrap, which leave the skin smooth and soft. You will want to fill your suitcase with beauty products from the Dead Sea, but there's no need to pay duty: they can also be found in Canada. The Rivage line -- which is available at The Bay across Canada -- is the best known.
Image courtesy of www.seejordan.org
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