Best Ice Cream: Petra, Jordan

When my wife and I were at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra, Jordan, in September ’10, we were told that we should try the ice cream at the hotel Mövenpick Resort Petra, (Box 214, 71810, Petra, Jordan; phone +962 3 215 71 11), located just outside the site.

The first day we toured Petra, we must have walked miles, including the 900 steps to visit the Monastery, one of the main attractions. Tired, sweaty and covered in Petra’s red dust, we started limping home. As luck would have it, we passed the Mövenpick, so we entered and almost crawled to the ice cream salon, sinking into their comfortable chairs and ordering two of their large ice cream delights.

After just one or two bites we came back to life, each quickly devouring three large scoops of three different kinds of chocolate topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and a caramelized crunchy wafer.

At about $10 per person, the servings weren’t cheap, but we were reborn and refreshed.

In our two remaining days at Petra, we returned twice to the Mövenpick for more ice cream. Hats off to the Swiss and their ice cream oasis in the Jordanian desert!

GEORGE COHEN
Rancho Mirage, CA