Natalie's going on a really long trip. See it all on Facebook.

Week 6: Jordan

Jordan is often described as the middle of the Middle East - not only for its geographical location but for its position throughout history as the home for many cultures. Nabataeans, Bedouins, Romans, Greeks and my abs. Jordan has been the thoroughfare for Europe, Asia and Africa for thousands of years which basically means that Jordan is that friend you have that lets everyone crash at their place.

As soon as I arrived at Jordan the sheer beauty of the place blew me away. Huge mountains complemented by a desert landscape dotted here and there with ruins of cultures past. One of the places I particularly enjoyed was Petra - something every Indiana Jones geek will appreciate. The Nabateans carved amazing tombs and settlements into the rocks. What happened here though, which also happened in a lot of the places I visited in Egypt, was that the Romans settled in here later. Can't those guys build their own damn places? Stealing everybody's thunder! It seems wherever I go they've converted some ancient temple or tomb into their own and left their name all over it. Whenever I do that in exams, it's called plagiarism! Only joking, it's actually incredible to see the layers of history in sites such as Petra, which have had several owners.

Jordan has been incredible and if anybody out there knows a place in Australia where I can buy the sage tea they serve in Wadi Rum, please let me know - I'm desperate to get it!

NB: All dates and historical facts in this blog post are approximate. By which I mean very approximate. By which I mean it would be a good idea for you not to rely on them to pass your year 9 history test on Ancient Civilisations which I failed.