With the current political system in the Middle East, it's not always the first place you think of as a holiday destination. Certainly, it hadn't crossed my mind to ever visit Jordan, despite the fact I'm well-travelled and always thinking about my next trip.
I met my now-boyfriend at university while we were studying medicine together. This is us, after buying our first - and I should admit only - cactus baby... (I'm not allowed another one because I accidentally killed this one :( RIP Carlos).
He (my boyfriend) is a Jordanian national and goes home during the summer holidays. Last summer, torn between a mixture of excitement and nervousness about plunging into the unknown, I jumped on a plane from London to Amman to go and see him.
I had no idea that the next week would be the best of my life. We travelled the country, recreating Indiana Jones at Petra as the camels posed better than we did:
Following in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia, to find a water source in the middle of the desert. Watching the sun set over red sands, and staying the night under a moon so bright it woke us as it rose over the mountain-tops:
Snorkelling along the coral reefs in the south of the country, and eating the freshest sea food you could imagine:
Soaking up the sun at the infinity pool at the Dead Sea after floating in the salty water and covering ourselves with mud:
We canyoned, we trekked, we partied, we ate phenomenal hummus and vine leaves and falafel and kofta and more. We ate the national dish, mansaf, the traditional way: standing around with a group of other people, tearing off bits of lamb and squidging rice around it to make a little ball which can be eaten (I ended up eating far less than everyone else did because it's not the easiest thing to master!!)
So all I can say is if you ever get the opportunity... visit Jordan. It's often overlooked, or known only as being synonymous with terrorism, or for the influx of Syrian refugees. There is so much to the country and I can't do it justice in one post... you should go and see for yourself :)
Rachel