Jordan – part 1: Petra

Ok, Ok, Ok – It has been over 2 months since the trip and I haven’t posted about it yet. Well, here goes.

We headed to Amman, Jordan on March 30th with two traveling companions/colleagues for a whirlwind tour of many places that I’ve read about, but never figured I’d actually see. The “loose” itinerary included Petra, Wadi Rum, Dead Sea, Jerash and Amman, all in 10 days! It is a bit odd to think about visiting places like Petra and the Dead Sea. I’ve heard about them, read about them, but somehow they have never taken on the identity of “real” places. They have always been on par with places like Mt. Everest or the deep sea trenches – Yes they exist, but not for “real people”.

Our adventure began as soon as we arrived in Amman and realized that our mobile phones did not work! We’d done the voodoo that we were told would allow us roaming in Jordan, and we’d received SMS messages indicating that they should work – but alas. After some effort and frustration, we managed to find the friend of one of our companions with whom we were staying! Lovely sushi (Yes – raw fish in Amman Jordan!) dinner and back to the flat. Ah a good night’s sleep after traveling.

We’d booked a taxi to take us to Petra. This, apparently, is common practice for getting around virtually all of Jordan. There were 4 of us, and all our luggage in a small 4-door sedan for about 3 hours to get to Petra! OY VEY. Not the most comfortable situation, but…

Taybet Zaman was a cool, although pricey, unusual “village/hotel” about 25 minutes from the entrance to the Petra site. It is on the site of an old Ottoman village and is a “restoration” of the village. Rooms are Bedouin/stucco. Very cavernous and refreshingly cool.

We spent 2 days wandering the site that is Petra. Words cannot begin to describe what it is like. The site is EXTREMELY large, so it never felt “overcrowded”. We wandered and discovered many of the sites, without any agenda or even expectations. The fact that we were there was enough, and the more places, carvings, beautiful oxidation patterns in the stone we found the more thrilled we were. My favorite was the “High Place of Sacrifice” with its very cool altar and a view that seemed to go forever.

Pictures of our 2 days in Petra are HERE. Sorry so many – this was trimmed down from 250 photos!

Our last evening in Petra happened to be a Monday. The site is partially open on Monday and Thursday nights for “Petra at Night” events. For this event, the site from the entry gate, thru the Siq to the courtyard in front of the Treasury is lined with candle lumieres. There are about 1800 candles lining the 2km walk! Even after spending 2 days in Petra, walking the Siq twice in each direction, the experience after dark was incredible. Romantic – especially since we had a full moon. Surreal.

The mind plays tricks in situations like Petra after Dark. Shadows move in the breeze and become Nabataean worshipers or craftsmen on their way to the ancient city. The city could be alive. As we approached the end of the Siq, hauntingly beautiful Bedouin flute music floated up the rocky passageway. It was TRULY like a dream. It is an experience that I can and will never forget. (Unfortunately, my point-and-shoot could not take nighttime pictures of candles and moonlight – Jack has some incredible shots from this experience)