Part One - Jordan
Olive Baptista is a Specialty Tour, Luxury Trains & Cruise Consultant at UNIGLOBE Geo Travel in Nanaimo as well as an intrepid traveler and adventurer. Olive shares her adventures on a recent trip to Jordan and Turkey.
Ephesus Gals
I just returned from a great tour of Jordan and Turkey where I traveled with a group of lady friends who are very adventurous and always eager to see and do things. Both countries offer a wide range of places to visit and explore,a variety of food and fabulous shopping . Some of us had visited India together in 2011 and hence I was aware of the things to add in the itinerary for each day.
Our flights were out of Vancouver so we headed out the night prior and stayed at the Accent Inn Vancouver Airport . The friendly and helpful staff makes it very convenient for a stopover.
Soon after our arrival Wadi Rum and a ride in the desert up and down the dunes in an open jeep got the adrenaline flowing. Some of us jumped out of the jeep and tried to walk up the dunes. The sand was heavy and the trudge up was exhausting. It was fascinating to see the young guide run up. We felt age was definitely catching up with us as our steps were slow but sure.
The evening camel ride to see the sunset was a great photo opportunity.
The Treasury Petra
The highlight of our trip to Jordan was Petra, a beautiful city carved in the mountain and now a Enesco Heritage site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Petra Marriott hotel was luxury plus and a great hotel to use on the visit.
The tour operator used on the trip was Bestway Tours and Safaris. They are a great operator to deal with and they have excellent ground handlers.
The walk through the gorge which cuts through the mountain to Petra valley is quite long and deep with rock formations on either side that are quite spectacular with all the colours that have formed through years of erosion.
The first glimpse of the Treasury as we exited through the gorge was breathtaking. The sand was heavy and the trudge exhausting. We spent the day walking through the excavations that cover a vast valley. The next large structure is the Monastery, built higher up on the slope of the mountain and dates back to the 1st century BC. There are around 300 steps leading to the entrance.
Hammam (Turkish Bath)
After our trek through the site in 35C temperatures our guide convinced us to visit a Hammam (Turkish Bath) for a complete treatment. After paying and entering the change rooms we were thoroughly surprised to see that it was not restricted to women only – a fact our tour guide conveniently forgot to mention. He had a good laugh when we met him again for dinner. We related our experience when we suddenly noticed the men in the steam room. Needless to say it was quite a struggle and creative experience to cover up with the skimpy little wraps they provide. In the end we felt they were never going to see us again so that was not so bad.
Jordanian Meal
Dinner was interesting. The guide had a special Jordanian meal prepared for us at a local restaurant. After refreshing lemonade
loaded with mint we were served a delicious meal on a large tray. The lamb was served over some saffron rice. We were given a jug of buttermilk and yogurt which we had to pour over the lamb. We then received a demonstration of eating with our fingers. This was a merry mess with food on our faces and all over around the table. We looked like kids after a messy spaghetti and meatball dinner. It was an excellent way to end our visit to Jordan
Olive Baptista
Specialty Tour,Luxury Trains & Cruise Consultant
UNIGLOBE Geo Travel
#135-2000 Island Highway North
Nanaimo, BC V9S 5W3
P: 250.882.4808
F: 780.420.6141
E: obaptista@Geo.ca
If you have never had Turkish Bath, you really have no idea what you are missing. Just to experience the feeling of relaxation is comparable to none. After the session you feel like you could float from being so relaxed or fly from feeling so invigorated.
An experience beyond your imagination
Al Yakhor Turkish bath is located in Quiet Street where next to Petra Palace hotel. Just 200m far from main gate of Petra. Freshen up with a centuries-old spa treatment! A scrub in a Turkish bath is not just part of a bathing ritual, it also helps with detox and enhancing our immune system. Indulge in a hammam and get clean on the inside as well as out!
The Turkish bath, also known as a hammam, is the Middle Eastern variant of a steam bath. During the Ottoman Empire, Turkish baths served as places of social gathering and ritual bathing. Today people use the hammam as a pampering form of cleansing and relaxation.
How the hammam works
The Turkish bath is modeled on the Roman system of bathing with a warm room, hot room and cool room. The bather enters the warm room where their body warms up, then enters the hot room, or steam room, which has water basins along the walls and a large heated stone platform in the center. The bather can rest on the stone to increase body temperature and promote sweating, then rinse off at the water basins. One of the main specialties of the Turkish bath is the foam and scrub massage where a masseuse or masseur lathers up the bather with a special cloth sack full of foam and scrubs off dirt and dead skin with a loofah. The bather can then continue to relax in the hot room and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of the steam and heat.
Address : Al Yakhor Hammam
Jordan – Petra – Next To Petra Palace Hotel
E-Mail : alyakhor@gmail.com
Tel : 962 775 766 861 – 962 779831414 – 962 03 2154944
the offer free Transportation from your hotel and back to .