Dear Iowa Voyagers, - The University of Iowa Alumni Association

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Tour membership limited to 24 alumni and friends TREASURES OF JORDAN ANTIQUITIES & NATURAL WONDERS 12 days for $3,795 from Chicago — air & land inclusive From times Biblical to Byzantine, Roman to recent, the land of Jordan has offered visitors a dazzling diversity of sights. Join us as we encounter wonders both of nature and of man: lively Amman and rosered Petra; the ruins of Jerash and the lunar-like landscape of Wadi Rum; the resort life of the Red Sea and the restorative powers of the Dead Sea. Mediterranean Sea Aqaba Dead Sea Gulf of Aqaba Petra Amman JORDAN Destination Motorcoach Entry/Departure Avg. High (°F) Mar Apr Amman 60 73 Petra 75 85 Red Sea 78 85 Your Small Group Tour Highlights Amman sightseeing ... Lunch in the home of an Amman family ... Outstanding Roman ruins at Jerash ... Madaba, “City of Mosaics” ... Biblical Mt. Nebo ... Three-night stay in Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage site ... Petra touring ... Jeep ride through spectacular desert landscape of Wadi Rum ... Two-night stay at deluxe Red Sea resort ... Storied Dead Sea, with chance to “float” in salt lake ... Excursion to biblical Bethany Beyond the Jordan ... Outstanding accommodations Day Itinerary Hotel Rating 1 Depart U.S. for Amman 2-4 Amman Le Meridien Sup. First Class 5-7 Petra Movenpick Petra Sup. First Class 8-9 Aqaba InterContinental Aqaba Deluxe 10-11 Dead Sea Marriott Dead Sea Deluxe 12 Depart Amman for U.S. Ratings are based on the Hotel & Travel Index, the travel industry standard reference. Day 1: Depart U.S. for Amman, Jordan Day 2: Arrive Amman Upon arrival early this evening, we meet our Odysseys Unlimited tour director and transfer to our hotel, where we have a briefing on the journey ahead. Day 3: Amman A morning walking tour introduces us to this lively Middle Eastern capital. We meet locals engaged in nature preservation at the Wild Jordan Centre; taste the renowned falafel sandwich at Hashem restaurant; and tour the glittering Gold Market. Other sites include the Ottoman-style King Hussein Mosque; the busy streets and vegetable markets near the Nymphaeum fountain (ca. 191 AD); the ancient Roman Theatre (ca. 170 AD), still in use today; and the Citadel (El-Qala), offering excellent city views. After lunch in the home of a local Amman family, the remainder of the afternoon is at leisure. Tonight we visit the walled village of Kan Zaman, where we dine on authentic Jordanian cuisine and enjoy Arab music and dancing. B,L,D Day 4: Ajloun/Jerash Today we travel north through scenic pine forests and olive groves to the town of Ajloun, site of the well preserved Qalaat Errabadh ("Hilltop Castle"), built in 1184 for protection from the Crusaders, with grand views of the Jordan Valley. We continue on to the Roman ruins of Jerash, dubbed the “Pompeii of the East” for its splendid state of preservation. After lunch here we explore the colonnaded streets, theaters, churches, and temples that comprise the largest Roman site outside Italy. At Jerash’s newly restored Hippodrome, we see a performance of Circa Gerasa, a Roman spectacle with gladiators, chariot racing, and military showmanship. B,L Cover Photo: View the dramatic, red-rose Treasury of Petra on Day 6.
We spend two days exploring the “lost city” of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Day 5: Amman/Petra Traveling from Amman to Petra today, we stop en route in Madaba, “City of Mosaics,” known especially for the Byzantine-era mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. We see this ancient relic covering the floor of a church here then continue on to the important pilgrimage site of Mt. Nebo, where Moses is believed to have been buried overlooking the Jordan Valley. We visit Mt. Nebo’s 4 th - and 6 th -century Byzantine churches, and may be able to catch glimpses of Jerusalem roof-tops in the far distance. From Mt. Nebo we proceed to the imposing Crusader fortress at Kerak, which presided over the King’s Highway in antiquity. Early this evening we reach the “Lost City” of Petra. B,L,D Day 6: Petra A UNESCO World Heritage site and one the “New Seven Wonders of the World,”the archaeological site of Petra fills even seasoned travelers with jaw-dropping wonder. We set out this morning to explore this “rose-red city half as old as time,” a collection of red-hued temples, tombs, civic buildings, an entire city carved into the sheer rock face of the Sharah Mountains by the Nabataeans more than 2,000 years ago. Having prospered from antiquity to the Byzantine era, Petra then was “lost” to all but desert dwellers until its rediscovery in 1812 by a Swiss traveler. Entering through the Siq, the long, narrow rock chamber that betrays no hint of the splendor inside, we spend the day exploring Petra: the dramatic Treasury (a key backdrop in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), the Monastery, 3,000-seat theater, colonnaded streets, rock-cut tombs, temple façades, shrines, and funerary halls. B,L Day 7: Petra We return to Petra to spend this morning among the ruins then visit the nearby Al Beida (Little Petra), an ancient suburb that resembles Petra itself. Dinner tonight presents a special opportunity to prepare a typical Jordanian meal alongside local women and a chef at Petra Kitchen, whose furnishings, décor, and tableware all are handcrafted in Jordan. B,D Day 8: Petra/Wadi Rum/Aqaba A two-hour drive south brings us to Wadi Rum, the dramatic landscape of pink and white sands, ancient valleys, and towering sandstone monoliths rising from the desert floor. Empty and silent, timeless and isolated, Wadi Rum was headquarters for T.E. Lawrence and Prince Faisal bin Hussein during Post-Tour Extension: April 7 - 10, 2009 DEAD SEA – ON YOUR OWN 4 days/3 nights for $595 Single Supplement: $395 Enjoy a relaxing interlude at a deluxe resort hotel in this region of biblical, archaeological, and historical treasures. Your Tour Price Includes • 3 nights’ accommodations at Marriott Dead Sea (Deluxe) • 3 meals: 3 breakfasts • Transfer to airport • Gratutities for dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
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Dear Iowa Voyagers, - The University of Iowa Alumni Association

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