Destination: JORDAN

Older than time

Faith, hope and contrast mark the ancient lands of Jordan and Israel

AMMAN, Jordan -- Mount Nebo, where Moses is buried, is one of the most revered locales in Jordan. From here, the view of the country's most famous tourist sites -- the Jordan Valley, Dead Sea and Judean Hills in Israel -- is breathtaking.

The Dead Sea is located about an hour's drive from Amman. Among the resorts at this lowest point on earth is the Dead Sea Spa Hotel, where resident physician Dr. Hamed Alawi treats visitors for arthritis, asthma and skin diseases. He recommends a one-month treatment for the most common ailment, bronchial asthma. Relief doesn't come cheap: Doubles, including meals and treatments, are US$160 a day.

From here, the spectacular drive along the Dead Sea coastline leads visitors to Kerak Castle, which is surrounded by a picturesque Arab village with narrow winding streets and colorful shops.

Continuing along the time-worn route, one of the most amazing treasures in the world finally materializes -- the ancient rose-red city of Petra.

Carved out of solid rock by Nabataean Arabs some 2,000 years ago, Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To reach Petra, a visitor can travel by foot, on horseback or in a horse-drawn carriage along the "Siq," a former river bed.

The first structure that comes into view is the most impressive: the Treasury. If the elegant building appears familiar, it may be due to its appearance in the final sequence of Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade.

Petra was strategically constrcuted on one of the major trading routes of ancient Arabia. From caves in a rocky outcrop, the Nabataeans created a fortress city that housed 30,000 people. The nomadic peoples dominated various trade routes, levying tolls and providing shelter for caravans laden with Indian spices and silks, African ivory and animal hides.

The best time to visit Petra is early morning or late afternoon, when a low-lying sun warms the hundreds of temples, tombs and houses of multicolored stone.

One of the most spectacular sites is the Monastery. Although it's a 1,000-step climb to the top, the view is reason enough to expend the calories. You will still find Bedouins here, waiting with their horses and camels to carry visitors through the city.

With the timeless images of Petra seared in my memory, we continue along the King's Highway to the port of Aqaba. En route, we pass through a spectacular mountain range near Wadi Rum where Lawrence Of Arabia was filmed. From here, we cross the border into Israel and the resort city of Elat.

Elat is a lively year-round resort town on the Red Sea. Located next to the Egyptian border, this part of the country is celebrated as a spot where the sun shines daily (annual rainfall is only 50 mm).

For visitors who become bored with the endless tropical sunshine, there are plenty of diversions at the hotels, restaurants and bars in this Riviera of the desert.

The Hilton hotel, just across the border in Egypt boasts a casino while the crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea provide opportunities for scuba diving or, for the more timid, the colorful sealife can be viewed from a glass-bottom boat. The closest brush with culture inthis desert oasis is the impressive Canada Place Park, built by Canadian Jews in 1995.

Although I could have easily dropped anchor in Elat until the next millennium, Jerusalem beckoned.

Once in the city, we visit the deeply moving Yad Vashem memorial to the victims of the Nazi Holocaust and the adjacent Mount Herzl Cemetery.

The tree-shaded cemetery is virtually deserted. At the entrance, the blood-stained speech belonging to assassinated prime minister Yitzhak Rabin is mounted on a pillar. And his grave, located near another former prime minister, Golda Meir, is decorated with fresh flowers.

We leave Jerusalem on a picturesque backroad to Tel Aviv, the nerve centre of Israel and a place of much unrest. Without much effort, a visitor can feel the tension in the steamy sea air. People in this wide-open town are not carefree. Handbags are checked at the entrances to department stores and mounted police patrol the glorious Mediterranean beach.

Such is the price of peace in the Promised Land, a country of faith, hope and contrasts that is just 50 years old yet its capital, Jerusalem, observed its 3,000th birthday in 1996.

Like so many other locales in the Middle East, the unrest is palpable. But the beauty and history of these biblical regions somehow outweigh the sense of danger, making a trip here unimaginably rewarding.

GETTING THERE: Air Canada flies five times weekly to Tel Aviv. Book in advance fares start at $1,514 plus taxes. Call 925-2311.

TRANSPORTATION: Rental cars are widely available. Israel has good tourist bus services. Visitors can now travel across the Israel-Jordan border without changing vehicles.

WEATHER: Be prepared for anything. Summer temperatures hit 50C in the desert. Evenings can be cool. It usually snows once a year in the mountains and in Jerusalem. Best time to go is May and October-November.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Visitors to Israel can choose from a variety of five-star hotels, kibbutz guest houses and youth hostels. Hotels in Jordan are generally of a lower standard, though they are clean, comfortable and cheaper.

TOURISM: Since the peace accord with Jordan was made in October 1994, the number of visitors to both countries has soared. About two million visit Israel each year. About one million visit Jordan, including some 100,000 Israelis.

PRECAUTIONS: This may be the Holy Land but that doesn't deter thieves. Car theft and purse snatching are big businesses in Israel. There is virtually no crime in Jordan.

Despite the often violent news from Israel and the increased security since the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, Israel is relatively safe.

INFORMATION: Israel Government Tourist Office

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