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Jordan is a land of vistas, views and beautiful blue skies. Returning to Jordan after almost 25 years, I was most pleasantly surprised by just how remarkable this small, modest country is.

Our first day took us to the shores of the Dead Sea, one of the lowest places on earth. The shore line is several hundred meters below sea level and becoming still lower due to the diversion of the River Jordan for agriculture.

It is “dead” because nothing can live in it. Since it does not drain anywhere, over the millenia salts have built up. The water has an oily feel and salt crusts along the shoreline.

Along the shores of the Dead Sea, numerous villages survive, sprawling though the hills up into the plateau

Up on the central plateau, which extends far off into the desert and eventually to Saudi Arabia, what little water falls in Jordan has carved some magnificent canyons.

We came across this wadi quite unawares. We knew it was ahead of us, but the land is so flat that we were at the edge before we saw it.

Jordan has a long history going back to biblical times.

Moses, Herod, the Romans, Saladdin, the Crusaders, Lawrence of Arabia – all have passed through here.

Being Canadian, it is easy to forget how small this region is. From Mount Nebo, just a few KMs from Amman and Madaba, many significant towns and cites are only a day’s donkey ride away.

During the Middle Ages, Jordan was on the front lines of the crusader fight against the infidel and as such the remains of numerous castles run in a line from north to south. Kerak was one of the more prominent castles, first built in the 12th century. In a twist of fate, it fell into the very hand of those it was meant to defend against and since was a stronghold against the crusaders, who themselves might have then been viewed as infidels.

Just as modern day homes have a driveway in the front, Kerak has a place to park your horse at the front gate.

Back in the day, one way to keep your meat fresh was to keep it alive. Some traditions still linger…

However, by far the most spectacular reminder of past glory are the ruins at Petra. Sections of the ancient city date back to about the 3rd century BC, with significant additions spanning to the 6th century AD.

Petra is not a walk in the park. You do need to walk a long way …

… and some sections require rather strenuous hikes up, and up to reach the ruins.

Most of the ruins are actually tombs and places of sacrifice. This piece of wall is all that is left of a former temple. The view from here is superb.

After the spectacle of sacrifice, people would then wander over to the amphitheater for another type of spectacle.

Most of the rock out of which Petra was carved is sandstone. The vibrant colours leave little need for paint.

The Romans took over this area somewhere around 80AD after taking Masada, just across the Dead Sea, and dealing with Herod the Great. This temple was built during the 2nd century AD and eventually fell to ruin around the 5th century after a huge earthquake rocked the area.

The most majestic and belittling site (sight) however was the structure known as the “Monastery”.

As was noted earlier in the blog, the former inhabitants liked to put their temples at the top of mountains.

Jordan is home to some of the most amazing mosaics in the world. It seems that the Romans left behind a tradition that continues today. This church floor mosaic from the 6th century originally covered the walls as as well as both sides of the main aisle.

A great time to visit Jordan is in the winter and a great way to travel around is by rental car. There is very little public transport and rather than hire taxis or buses, you are better off in your own car.

If you get lost, you can always pop into a local store and ask for some help.

On our last day, we drove back to the Dead Sea and watched the sunset over a historic and spectacular land.