Once we landed in Amman, we hired a car to drive us 3 hours south to Petra. After checking into the Petra Moon Hotel, we stopped by the Cave Bar (rumored to be the oldest bar in the world) for a drink and then walked down to the Treasury for a night time tour. The pathways were lit by thousands of candles and it was an surreal welcome to Jordan. The next day, we were up at dawn and began the full tour of Petra. We walked and hiked around the ruins all day and were told that the total distance from the entrance to the Monastery and back was roughly 15 miles. Whew!
On our third day we hired another driver to take us 2 1/2 hours to the northwest toward the Dead Sea. The scenery along the drive was breathtaking as we descended down through the mountains to 1,388 feet below sea level. We checked into the Kempinski Ishtar Hotel and went down to the Sea for a mud bath and a float. The salinity of the sea is such that it is virtually impossible to go under water and floating is effortless. The remainder of our two days at the Dead Sea were spent sitting around the pool and floating.
On our fifth day in Jordan we walked around and toured Amman. We saw the ancient ruins at Citadel Hill, the various souqs, and had lunch at a small local restaurant. Our plane didn't depart until 9 PM, so we found the nearest lounge and hung out until it was time to leave.
