Petra, a Dream Long Held

 

View from high above the city of Petra; the Bedouin tent on the right sells tea and other drinks.

This is the second in the series on our Jordan-Italy trip. For the first installment, 

go here.

This is why we’d come to Jordan, this ancient city, Petra. For decades we’d been dreaming of coming to this mystical place. This was our reason for being here in Jordan.

And as we approached the city it was mystical: the weather closed in, and through the thick fog we could see only a cars-length in front of us. But Hamdan, our driver, was unfazed; he’d been over this route many times, and got us safely to our hotel (and then got himself safely back to Ammon, two hours away!). 

The next day dawned wet and cold, and our hearts sank as we ate breakfast at the hotel, staring at the fog out the windows. But the forecast was good, and by the time we made our way to the entrance (Petra is an UNESCO World Heritage site and requires an entrance fee) the weather had warmed and the fog lifted.

We crept thorough the slot canyon, stunned and amazed!

 

We strolled through incredible slot canyons, wide-eyed, the walls rising vertically above us. It was reminiscent of the red rocks of southern Utah, yet… different. We kept going, further and further. There were no side channels, only the one narrow confined trail. At one point we came to carvings on the walls, and overheard a guide explaining they depicted a camel train, wending its way through these canyons (although the images have been badly worn over the 21 centuries since they were carved!).

 

The legs on the right are clear, the other two men less so. But the camel above them requires some imagination!

It seemed endless, but we did approach the final opening...

Later at the museum we were to learn that Petra earned its wealth from the caravans carrying trade goods across the desert. At its peak it had an estimated population of 20,000. It was stunning to imagine these caravans crossing the trackless wastes for weeks, then coming upon this narrow canyon and following it until it opened into an entire city carved into the rock walls. What must have gone through their minds? They must have been even more astonished than we were!

 

And then it appeared: the tomb called the Treasury!

But the trade routes changed, and in the 1^st Century CE the Romans came along (them again!) and took over Petra. In 363 an earthquake destroyed much of what was left of the city, and it passed into obscurity until the early 19^th Century, when a Swiss traveler re-discovered it.

 

Petra's star attraction draws a lively crowd, hanging out and showing off.

Today it’s a major tourist draw for Jordan. The Bedouins, native people of the region, lived in the caves of the city until recently. They have now all been moved to a nearby village, but they still have a presence; their black and white striped tents can occasional be seen off in the desert, and of course it is Berbers who are selling all manner of tourist trinkets, drinks, and camel and horse rides through the city and out into the desert.

Tourist stalls in front of magnificently carved rock tombs.

We follow the crowd through the captivating street of this ancient city.

The Theater.

Sue and I opted for a long climb to the Place of Sacrifice, a spot many many steps above the floor of the city. It was tiring but rewarding, with views to the far-off horizon.

Sue climbs energetically...

...while Paula contemplates the city below.

Main street of Petra seen from above.

Some of the rock colors were hallucinogenic!
 (What must visitors have thought, back in the First Century BCE?)

The sun sank low and we started the long trek back through the Siq, that winding narrow slot in the rocks. The trial opened up, and we continued with the even longer, broad and open but uphill path to the entrance. Along the way we were offered horse rides out. “Included with your ticket!” the horse boys shouted. Maybe, but that did not include knowledge of how to ride. Nor did it include the tip.

We kept walking. 

It was all uphill to the hotel, but along the way we encountered the Cave Bar, world’s oldest bar (or was that world’s oldest cave? I don’t remember exactly.) We plunked ourselves down and ordered tall frosty mugs of beer all around. Jordan is a Muslim country, but the prohibition on alcohol is not extended to tourists, nor the bars that serve them!

Least we forget: the Treasury appeared in an Indiana Jones movie...
a bit of pop culture not lost on sellers of tourist goods!

The next day we were up early again, and took the free shuttle to Little Petra, a near-by village with a few carved rock faces. (No touring here, though; we were told a Russian oligarch had rented the place for a party, and, indeed, crews were busy setting up a stage complete with lights and sound system, and modern restrooms).

 

Little Petra gets ready for a private party.

From here we could pay €8 for a ride to the trail head: we all piled into the back of a pickup for a 15-minute wild ride along an “unimproved road.” Then we all piled out, and started walking up. And up.

 

View from the truck as we get ready to leave on our bouncy "joy" ride.

See that tiny car on the far left? That's the trail head, and we're just getting started!

The trail was steep but not difficult; it had been worked on pretty extensively. There were lots of stone steps, and concrete walkways along the cliff edges. But the country was very rugged: up and down, down and up. We were on a mountain ridge at about 3500 feet elevation, with fantastic views off in the distance. There were a few particular viewpoints where we could see (almost) the Dead Sea and, on the far shore, Palestine (as it’s called in Arab-dominated countries).

 

Not too bad here!

Well-constructed steps...

...but oh, so many of them!

Israel and the Dead Sea is out there somewhere.

The Jordanian flag marks a rest stop: a Bedouin tent selling tea, juice, and other tourist items.

 

After a couple of hours of this up and down among the rugged red rocks we came to what’s called the Monastery, another huge tomb carved into the rock face. There was the usual tourist scene, although there were not so many here as in the lower part of Petra. We ate the lunch we brought, and started planning our return.

Our first glimpse of the Monastery.

 

The Monastery, full on.

Yes, it's BIG!

And... more.

Paula was clear she would return the way we’d come; Sue and Alan wanted to take the 900 steps down to the lower town (which meant a hike out through the Sig again, and up the long incline to what we thought of as the front entrance to Petra) . I started out with them, but after seeing the crowds passing, some going up and some going down on those 900 narrow steps, I realized the wisdom of Paula’s choice and caught up with her. Not long after we got a text from Sue (and how cool is that, to have comms on a wilderness trail!*). She and Alan also recognized the wisdom of Paula’s choice, and would be right behind.

* No, I am not advocating that everyone should be instantly connected to everyone else all the time, but it was useful to know we should expect Sue and Alan to follow us in this rugged and unknown country.

 

More steps!

And we went down, too!

The road winds on.

We retraced our steps, past the Bedouin tents where water and tea was for sale, as well as all manner of other items tourists might desire, each with its own unique story. But the weather was cool and dry, so we kept on steadily until we reached the pick-up point.

 

Finally, back to the pick-up point!

We’d seen the essential, what we’d come to see. There is, of course, much more. The rugged hills around Petra are filled with carved tombs, caves, and ancient sites. One could spend considerable time wandering those hills, discovering all manner of interesting and striking sites. (And building massive calf muscles!) But for us it was time to move on; the desert of Wadi Rum called.

Next up: Wadi Rum and the open desert.

2-May-2022