• MORNING My favorite thing in the morning is to go to the old city centre, or Balad, and wander around the traditional souks and street markets, looking at the wares, listening to the haggling, and stopping here and there for coffee or sweets. After that, a trip up to the Citadel, the hilltop centre of ancient Amman. Here, one can walk among many reminders of the city's long history, such as the remains of the Roman temple of Hercules, a sixth-century Byzantine church, and the impressive Umayyad Palace. The National Archaeological Museum is also here, and has a small but fascinating collection of antiquities, including pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls. On the way back down, pass by the palace and burial place of the late King Hussein.
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• AFTERNOON The Dead Sea is just 45 minutes from Amman. It really is one of the most incredible places in the world, over 400 meters below sea level. The name speaks for itself. It is one of the saltiest bodies of water on earth and there is no life in it at all. There is no feeling like the one I get every time I go there and drink a cocktail while floating in the lovely warm waters, gazing at the wonderful views of the West Bank. I then take a mud bath full of warm minerals, which leaves my skin perfect.
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• EVENING Al-Pasha Turkish bath is a perfect place to spend a relaxing evening - comforting and luxurious. Turkish baths are famous in the Middle East, dating from the time when Jordan and other countries were all part of the Ottoman Empire. I never feel cleaner than I do after a massage and the hot water treatment at the Al-Pasha, while sipping some real refreshing juices.
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