Petra, Wadi Rum, Amman, and the castles Karak, Shobek, Ajloun, Jordan. October 2018.
In my most expansive solo trip to date, I spent two and a half weeks in Paris, Jordan, and Istanbul. Although a small country by American standards, Jordan is a landscape of landscapes. Careening hills and valleys, vast deserts, stone monoliths, an inexplicably salty sea, and historical sites built upon historical sites. The peoples welcomed me with a kindness to brighten the heart of the most cynical traveler, a kindness that was usually accompanied by a tray of yoghurts, grapes, honeys, cheeses, breads, and seeds. Damn, I need to go back.