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Jordan

An Abercrombie & Kent Signature Experience

By CHRIS OWEN

October 28^th, 2015

after egypt

On the heels of an amazing Egypt And The Nile Small Group Journey with leading luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent, my thought was “Well, as long as we are in that part of the world, might as well see Jordan too”. Little did I know how very unique the two experiences would be.

See A&K’s Egypt: More That We Thought It Would Be for more

jordan

Arriving in Jordan via Royal Jordanian Airlines, we first toured the city proper, from down on street level to high up above. Our time in Egypt was spent on an A&K Small Group Journey and brought a rich travel experience, limited to a maximum of 18 guests. Our occasionally-offered extension in Jordan was an entirely different Abercrombie & Kent Signature experience, a custom tour for as few as two people.

See our Royal Jordanian Flickr photo album for more

LUNCH WITH LOCALS

Our time in Jordan was peppered with a lunch here, a dinner there and stopping on a whim for street food like no other. You can do that with just four people on tour.

upbeat jordan

We saw a noticeably different economic and political scene in Jordan over other nations we have visited around the world. The Jordanian royal family is loved. Tourism is down but those who work in the industry are upbeat.

undeniable roman influence

Two Roman Amphitheatres have withstood the trials of time in Jordan and are still used today

flags often tell the story

The flag of Jordan is based on the flag of the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The colors stand are the Pan-Arab Colors, representing the Abbasid (black band), Umayyad (white band), and Fatimid (green band) caliphates. The red chevron is for the Hashemite dynasty, and the Arab Revolt.

jordan bazaar

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and the land starts to change

It was on our way to Crusader Castle that the landscape started to take on a different look that would later bring amazing sights

crusader castle

Crusader castle in on the eastern side of the Arabah, perched on the side of a rocky, conical mountain, looking out over fruit trees below. The ruins, called Shoubak or Shawbak in Arabic, are located in modern town of Shoubak in Jordan

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hikayet sitti restaurant

A local experience in Jordan

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mount nebo

Where Moses was allowed to see the Holy Land but not enter

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petra

The Treasury

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the desert sun

“The desert, when the sun comes up…I couldn‘t tell where heaven stopped and the Earth began.” ― Tom Hanks

madaba

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THE AMMAN CITADEL

The Amman Citadel is a historic site at the center of downtown Amman. The L-shaped hill is one of the seven jabals that originally made up Amman. Evidence suggests it is one of the world‘s oldest continuously inhabited places.

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wadi rum

I am the wind
You cannot see me but you can feel me
Breezing gently through your hair
Brushing slightly across your cheek
Whispering softly ‘neath your ear

I am the wind whirling,howling,roaring
blowing fiercely against the desert sand
which sifts silently in the hourglass of your soul
I will not fail you,nor leave your side
till you smell fresh rain again
and soak under cascading waterfalls

I am the wind extinguishing wild fire
which scars the lifeline of your palm
I am the wind blowing whimsically
in the honey fragrance of each meadow
where you lay beneath a half sun
I breathe my warmth where your cold fingers
gather forget-me-not petals
that fall ever so slow with
every drip drop of my fluetish tapping sound

I am the wind,I will carry you to places ,far
I‘d tickle your lips with fluttering feathers
of early doves which soar above your mirthful past
I‘d strip your thought bare till I touch that heart

I am the wind wafting by your pillowcase
I play within your dreams with each seductive move
Capturing the hour of a star
I linger in the depths of all that once was dark
I pour rose- scented zephyr into your night
and We would never part,No! We‘ll never part
I am the wind

Charmaine Chircop

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desert camp

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the dead sea

Our Jordan Journey ended with an overnight stay at the Movenpick Resort Dead Sea Hotel and a front row seat to the Dead Sea. I was glad we came at the time we did but saved ‘swimming’ in the Dead Sea for another trip. I’ll bring my good friend, wife and lifelong partner Lisa with me for that one day because surely, I’ll be back.

Footnotes

Photos- Chris Owen

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FootNotes

Photos- Chris Owen

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