Chasing Legends: My Journey to Petra and Beyond
March 2005: Jordan had been calling to me for years—its ancient ruins, biblical history, and vast mystical deserts igniting my imagination. But above all, one place stood at the heart of my wanderlust: Petra.
Like many, my first glimpse of Petra wasn’t through history books or travel documentaries, but on the big screen. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade—one of my all-time favorite movies—introduced me to the breathtaking image of the Treasury, carved into the rose-red cliffs. From that moment, I knew I had to see it with my own eyes. I wanted to stand before those legendary ruins before they were overtaken by the tourist masses, and in 2005, I finally made it happen.
For a week, a friend and I roamed the wonders of Jordan, with Petra as the crown jewel of our adventure. But Jordan had much more to offer than just its most famous site. From the ruins of Jerash to the surreal landscapes of Wadi Rum, every step through this ancient land felt like a journey through time.
Stay tuned for more on my time in Petra and the hidden gems we discovered along the way…
My route in Jordan
Mount Nebo
Journey Through Jordan: A Land of History and Legend
To explore Jordan on my own terms, I hired a taxi for multiple days, crafting an itinerary that covered the country’s most iconic sites. Starting in Amman, we briefly ventured into Syria and Israel before heading south.
Our first stop was the Dead Sea, where I floated in its mineral-rich waters. Nearby, we climbed Mount Nebo, the biblical site where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land before his death. Continuing south, we explored Crusader castles, wandered through the breathtaking ruins of Petra, and camped under the stars in Wadi Rum. After a stop in Aqaba by the Red Sea, we ended our journey in the northeastern desert, exploring the mysterious Desert Castles.
Jordan was a land of history, myth, and stunning landscapes—a place where every step felt like walking through the pages of an ancient story.
Mount Nebo
Dead Sea
Floating in the Lowest Place on Earth
Our next stop was the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth at 1,400 feet below sea level and one of the saltiest bodies of water in existence. Stepping in, I immediately felt the sting—its extreme salinity exposed every cut, scrape, and dry patch of skin, burning like fire.
Despite its depth, sinking was impossible. The dense, mineral-rich water kept me effortlessly afloat, a surreal experience unlike any other. Floating weightlessly in this ancient, otherworldly lake, surrounded by barren desert, felt like drifting in another realm.
Dead Sea
Me floating in the Dead Sea, a photo that I posted on my Flickr photosharing website that somehow ended up on a foot fetish website that I had to remove multiple times.
Kerak Crusader Castle
Exploring the Crusader Strongholds of Jordan
During the medieval Crusades, Christian armies from Europe clashed with the Islamic Caliphate for control of Jerusalem and the surrounding biblical lands. As a result, Jordan is home to several European-style castles, built by the Crusaders to defend their conquests.
One of the most impressive is Kerak Castle, a massive fortress perched atop a lofty hill. When we arrived, we found it eerily empty—giving us the rare chance to explore its shadowy tunnels and ancient corridors in complete solitude. Wandering through its towering stone walls, we could almost hear echoes of the battles that once raged here, a haunting reminder of Jordan’s deep and layered history.
Kerak Castle
Kerak Castle
Kerak Castle Mosaics
Kerak Castle Tunnels
Petra
Petra: A Dream Fulfilled
Petra, the 2,300-year-old biblical city of the Nabatean Kingdom, was easily one of the greatest highlights of my travels. Hidden deep within a narrow canyon, its grandeur is only revealed after a long, winding approach—an entrance as dramatic as its history.
Determined to experience Petra without the crowds, I booked a hotel as close to the entrance as possible. At sunrise, I was the first to enter, running ahead to explore the ruins in solitude. For nearly an hour, I had the ancient city to myself, wandering through its towering facades and intricate tombs before the first trickle of tourists arrived. I spent hours exploring as much as possible, captivated by the city’s grandeur.
That night, I returned for Petra by Candlelight, an experience even more magical than I had imagined. The mile-long canyon leading to the Treasury was illuminated by thousands of flickering candles, casting an otherworldly glow on the ancient stone. Led by Bedouin guides, my friend and I, along with a handful of others, arrived at the Treasury—its legendary facade, made famous by Indiana Jones, shimmering in the candlelight. As we sat in awe, an elderly Bedouin storyteller wove tales of Petra’s past, his voice carrying across the silent canyon.
Not wanting the moment to end, I lingered on the walk back, savoring every step of what felt like a journey through time.
Narrow canyon leading to Nabatean Kingdom city of Petra
The parting of the narrow canyon that provides your first glimpse of the magical Treasury building
Treasury Building
Me in front of the Treasury Building
Petra
Petra
Petra
Petra
Petra
Beduin that lives in Petra
Wadi Rum
Camping Under the Stars in Wadi Rum
To truly experience the magic of Wadi Rum, I organized an overnight camping trip with local Bedouins from an outlying village. With our own driver and 4WD jeep, we ventured deep into the Martian-like desert wilderness, where towering cliffs, rolling dunes, and ancient petroglyphs told the story of civilizations long past.
As night fell, we slept in a traditional Bedouin tent, surrounded by the vast silence of the desert. Wadi Rum still holds onto its nomadic roots—many Bedouins continue to live here, moving with the seasons in their tents. Beneath a sky overflowing with stars, I felt completely immersed in the timeless beauty of this ancient land.
Exploring Wadi Rum Desert
Exploring Wadi Rum Desert
Petroglyphs
Exploring Wadi Rum Desert
Tourist tents where we stayed
Beduin tents
Beduin tents
Tea with a Beduin Elder in her tent
A Tea Break with a Bedouin Elder
As we drove through the vast expanse of Wadi Rum, I spotted a cluster of Bedouin tents in the distance and asked our driver if we could stop. He agreed, and what followed became one of the most unforgettable moments of our journey.
Inside one of the tents, we met an elderly Bedouin woman and her son, who had driven in from a nearby village to visit her. She welcomed us warmly, preparing camel milk tea over a small desert fire. We sat together, sipping tea as she casually smoked a massive spliff of marijuana, exuding a serene contentment with her life in the wilderness.
Her son explained that, despite having a house in the village, his mother refused to leave the desert, choosing instead to stay in her tent, raising camels and living as she always had. Sitting with her, sharing tea under the open sky, I felt as if we had stepped into a world untouched by time—a rare and intimate glimpse into a fading way of life.
Aquaba
Diving into the Depths of the Red Sea
After days of exploring Jordan’s deserts and ancient ruins, we headed south to Aqaba, Jordan’s only coastal city, for a night by the Red Sea. Known for its world-class diving, Aqaba offers some of the clearest waters and most vibrant marine life in the region.
I took full advantage, completing several dives, both during the day and at night. The underwater world here was teeming with life—colorful coral gardens, schools of tropical fish, and even sunken wrecks hidden beneath the waves. The night dive, in particular, was an incredible experience, with bioluminescent creatures glowing in the dark and the eerie silence of the deep adding to the adventure.
Aqaba was the perfect contrast to the rugged landscapes of Wadi Rum and Petra—a refreshing escape into the mysteries of the sea.
Aquaba on the Red Sea
Desert Castles
The Haunted Desert Castles of Jordan
Venturing into one of the least-visited regions of Jordan, I set out to explore the remote northeastern desert, where isolated Arab castles once guarded caravan routes between Israel and Iraq. These ancient fortresses, now abandoned and eerily silent, stood as haunting relics of a bygone era.
With no other visitors in sight, we had each castle entirely to ourselves. Entry required a local caretaker to unlock the gates and guide us through their shadowy corridors. At one particularly desolate castle, he issued an unsettling warning—we had to leave before dusk, as the site was believed to be haunted. According to local legend, ghosts or genies emerged at night, making the castle dangerous after dark.
Whether superstition or something more, the feeling of standing alone in those vast, crumbling ruins as the desert sun began to set was undeniably chilling.
Desert castle
Desert castle
Desert castle
Desert castle
Murals inside one of the Desert castle
Murals inside one of the Desert castle
Farewell to Jordan
Our journey through Jordan ended where it began—Amman, the country’s bustling capital. After days of exploring ancient ruins, mystical deserts, and underwater wonders, we took time to soak in the city’s lively atmosphere before heading to the airport.
From Amman, we boarded a KLM Airlines flight, making a stop in Amsterdam before finally returning home.