JORDAN: A PARTY IN THE CENTRE OF THE DESERT

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Do you want to come to a party in the middle of the desert? That’s the phrase my friend Mirna from Jordan used to invite me to visit her. And she wasn’t kidding. Cause even though she might have been referring to an actual rave party that has been taking place for the last 3 years in the heart of Wadi Rum desert, but the whole 15 days I spent in this AMAZING country were nothing less than a continuous party. I’ll try not to bore you with touristy information, but rather to introduce you to MY Jordan, as I felt it in my skin for a few days.

Always keep in mind that what really matters in a journey, is the attitude one embarks with. If you are open (within safety and logical boundaries) to try everything at least once, then you are certainly going to have a great time, especially in a country like Jordan.

The first shock (from the many that followed) hits you when you are still on the plane. When the pilot said that in 3 minutes we would be landing, I looked outside my window and saw NOTHING but desert. “Am I nuts? Where am I going?” I thought and tightened my belt even harder.
Shock No.2: You get to the airport and you realize that you can’t even read the signs (Thank God for English translation). This country however as well as it’s people, as in most Arabic countries, have a magical way of carrying you with them, show you their secrets and making you feel like you’ve been living there for your entire life. Everyone has always something to tell you, to give you or to treat you to, and very rarely you see people frown, even if some of them leave in circumstances that by most Europeans would be considered less than tolerable.

In Jordan EVERYBODY can find an ideal destination, regardless of interests, age or money. No matter how many images I can describe for this trip, it seems they are too few. Anything I might have imagined, doesn’t do justice to the real thing.

If you fancy living a 1000 + 1 nights, being introduced to ancient cultures, wonder around the red desert (by 4X4 or camels), sleep under a million stars, eat with Bedouins and get to know their lives through spending time with them, then Jordan is most definitely inviting you to do it. If you are athletic and adventurous again the country has a lot to offer like trekking, hiking and mountain biking in places that will remind you of a movie set, snorkeling, diving and other sea sports in the enchanting waters of the Aqaba Golf. If on the other hand you belong to the category of people to whom vacations = relaxation, then all your dreams are about to come true. All you have to do is spend a few days in one of the amazing Dead Sea spas in order to go home as a reborn person. Feel the rejuvenating minerals in your skin, cover yourself in mud and unwind reading your newspaper even in the water, as it is impossible to sink. If till now you believed that Middle Eastern countries couldn’t keep up with or match the modern way of entertainment, then think again! Apart from the well-known belly dancing and folk music, Jordan offers a very well informed clubbing scene. Especially if you are a fan of dance music, then try to coincide your trip with the “DISTANT HEAT -VOYAGE INTO THE RUM” festival (www.distantheat.com), a party that you will remember for life.

What I’ll be taking with me are the short discussions I had with the locals, that made me feel as If the saw straight into my soul. People I’ve never met before, told me things that scared me as if they knew me since I was a child. Maybe their pure hearts or the “lack” of civilization as most “westerners” see it, gives them the ability to be so incredibly insightful, so they can interpret with amazing accuracy -and no trace of judgment- your every word or action. May you all have made or make one day, exactly what the word says…such a JOURNEY.

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Comments

[Hana Q]

keep em comin babe... we are all so glad you had a massive time... love you hayati :)