Solo Adventure Part II: Ancient Wonders

After a great few days in Dubai, I got back in the air and headed towards my next destination - Jordan! With many of its neighbours facing unrelenting instability at the moment, this little Middle Eastern kingdom is a popular destination for tourists still wanting to visit the region. While certainly not free of its own complex issues, including the influx of Syrian refugees in the north, Jordan is a safe and exciting destination for travellers, including women on solo trips like myself!

I stayed in a dorm at a hostel in downtown Amman, a great location for meeting new people, checking out the capital and organizing trips to other parts of the country. I decided to join a tour on my first day in order to see as much as possible. Our driver was a wonderful, wrinkly Palestinian gentleman with unlimited knowledge about Jordan, who took us to Mount Nebo and the mosaic town of Madaba before driving the panoramic route to the Dead Sea for a quick dip/float. After returning to Amman, I went for dinner and drinks on Rainbow Street with a great bunch of people I was lucky to meet thanks to the fantastic and life-lasting global network that comes with a United World College education ☺ Roadtrip + salty swim + new friends = a fantastic first day in Jordan!

View from Mount Nebo!

Adding my name to what might be the world's largest mosaic in Madaba

Dead Sea!

The Dead Sea is several hundred meters below sea level

My next two days were filled with more adventurous excursions by bus to the ancient Greco-Roman ruins of Jerash and the spectacular historical city of Petra – one of my main reasons for wanting to visit Jordan. The rose-red city - a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World - is over two thousand years old and was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom. After passing through the Siq and past the famous Treasury (al-Khazneh), I headed up the High Place of Sacrifice trail. At the top, I was rewarded with a fantastic view of much of Petra before heading down a rather hidden path on the other side of the mountain. At times I found myself completely alone as I explored the fascinating ruins along the way - quite the contrast to other areas that are swarming with people, donkeys and camels.

Contrary to what the lack of humans around me would suggest, however, the footprints in the sand revealed I was not the only one to choose this trail, although it clearly isn't such a common find. When I noticed the many towers of stones ahead of me – a common sight of guidance when hiking in the mountains of Norway – I felt happy and confident that I had chosen the right route for the day. Meeting new people while travelling is a lot of fun, but sometimes the best part about going solo is actually being alone. I loved exploring the wonders of Petra by myself, getting slightly lost among magnificent tombs and temples while enjoying the fresh air and stunning landscapes. After a couple of hours, I was on my way up the eight hundred or so steps to Petra’s largest monument, the Monastry (ad-Deir). It really was an incredible sight, although perhaps a little tainted by all the other tourists showcasing their best poses in front of its grand facade. I was one of them of course, so I can’t really complain. After quickly gulping down a refreshing lime and mint juice, I had to rush back (quite a distance!) to catch my return bus to Amman. Within seconds of finding my seat I was fast asleep - very exhausted but very happy after a great day!

The ruins of Jerash

Miaaow :)

Petra!

Varder/cairns/stone guides.. :)

Donkey! On my way up the Monastry (by foot, of course)

The breathtaking Monastry

Stunning views along the way

I dedicated my last day in Jordan to Amman – walking around the city, eating a LOT of hummus and the city’s supposed best kenafeh, checking out the Citadel and Roman Amphitheatre and enjoying a final Jordanian meal with friends before being chauffeured to the airport. Not bad! I was even upgraded to business class for the first time ever in my life on my flight from Bahrain to Ethiopia (the only difference in this case being the size of the seats, but hey - still counts).

YUM

Kenafeh - a strange, cheesy but delicious super sweet dessert

Amman

The Citadel

Entrance to the Roman Amphitheatre

Returning to Addis before sunrise, it felt great to be back in my temporary home after a wonderful holiday. My passport is officially full, my bank account is nearly empty and I am whole lot of new experiences richer ☺