Jesus, Indiana Jones, Jordan, Lawrence of Arabia, Wadi Rum, Halloween cave at Petra and camels: Lynn News Bar Man column

Bar Man by Jeff Hoyle

For some Petra is the name of the original Blue Peter dog, while for others it is, in the words of William Burgon,’a rose red city half as old as time’.

It was the latter that we were eager to see when we decided to take a trip to Jordan, and it didn’t disappoint. Named as one of the new seven wonders of the world, it is often illustrated by a picture of the Treasury, which you may recall from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, but this is just a tiny part of a huge site.

Indeed, it is about a 2.5 kilometre walk from the entrance down through the narrow chasm known as the Siq to reach it, and a further trek of the same distance to the end of the popular route and the base of the 900 steps that ascend to the Monastery. Take in the theatre, numerous tombs, temples and mosaics and there is a full day’s exploring just on the popular route.

Fortunately, we had two days there, so we had the opportunity to take a less popular path to the High Place of Sacrifice, perched 175m up at the top of the cliff and affording the most fabulous views. By the time we had returned and then walked down the gorge again in the evening for the hugely disappointing Petra by Night experience, we were ready for a beer.

The good news is that the Cave bar, just behind the Indiana Jones Snack Stall sold alcohol. Cut into the rock, it had the feel of the Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham, but the beer was less interesting.

In a country where 95% of the population are Muslim, I guess we should be grateful for any kind of pint, but the Petra Lager was eye wateringly expensive and little better than the only alternative we found, Amstel lager. Still, I must have charmed the waiter as he brought me a free beer alongside the ones we purchased.

Beyond Petra there is so much more to see in this fascinating country. Just outside the capital, Amman, there is the Graeco-Roman city of Jerash, known as the Pompeii of the Middle East for good reason. We paused at Mount Nebo, reputed to be the site where Moses set eyes on the Promised Land shortly before his death and travelling south, we visited a Crusader castle on the way to Wadi Rum, an area of desert where Lawrence of Arabia lived while trying to persuade the Arabs to revolt against the Ottoman Empire.

My very favourite sight was in Madaba where there is a sixth century mosaic map of the Middle East comparable to the Mappa Mundi in Hereford Cathedral. Our attempts to visit the baptism site of Jesus were thwarted, but floating in the Dead Sea close to the Israeli border more than compensated.

Even with the five-hour delay on the way home while they found us a new plane due to a ‘technical problem’ it was such a pleasure to fly for the first time since lockdown and Jordan was a great choice, far enough away to be exotic, but comfortable and safe.

If you are tempted, here are my top tips. Go in the cooler months. Walking around Petra in the summer heat with the bulk of the million annual visitors may detract from the experience. Don’t go to Petra by night. See as much of the rest of the country as you can, and if you want a drink, you may enjoy the Jordanian wine rather than the beer.