Columbus Cruise Review

Time Zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from April to September).

Currency: Dinar (JD) = 1000 fils.

Language: Arabic.

Sightseeing: Situated at the top of the Gulf of Aqaba, Aqaba is the only access by sea to Jordan. Cruise ships call at the Red Sea which is famous for coral reefs, excellent diving and sandy beaches. Aqaba is the port of entry for visiting Petra, Jordan’s best-known tourist attraction and one of the great wonders of the Middle Eastern world. This city was carved straight into solid rock and unfolds grandly after a two-kilometre (1.2-mile) walk through a very narrow chasm which only adds to its mystery and grandeur. Built during the fifth and sixth centuries BC, Petra is the ruined capital of the Nabatean Arabs. Its immense façades were lost for almost 1000 years, however, until rediscovered by the Swiss traveller Johan Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812. Today, there are still many sites to see including the el Khazneh (The Treasury) monument, which is a giant tomb carved out of rock, the Temple of the Winged Lions, the al-Deir (Monastery) and the small Archaeological Museum, which displays artefacts found at Petra during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Shopping: Special items include Hebron glass, mother-of-pearl boxes, pottery, backgammon sets, embroidered table cloths, jewelled rosaries and worry beads, nativity sets made of olive wood, leather hassocks, old and new brass and copper items, caftans hand-embroidered with silver and gold thread. Jordan is also famous for its gold and silver. Necklaces with a small golden coffee pot (dalleh) – a national symbol – are popular and widely available.

Eating Out: Dishes include meze (small starters such as humus, foul, kube and tabouleh); a variety of kebabs; Mahshi Waraq ‘inab (vine leaves stuffed with rice, minced meat and spices); musakhan (chicken in olive oil and onion sauce roasted on Arab bread); and the Jordanian speciality mensaf (stewed lamb in a yogurt sauce served on a bed of rice). Sweets are very popular and include baklava (pastry filled with nuts or honey) and kanafa (pastry filled with nuts or goats cheese). Drinking Arabic coffee is a ritual – coffee tends to be very strong and is served in small cups.