Jordan - Petra & the Dead Sea

It was a three hour drive to Petra from Wadi Rum and we had two shirts and one pair of underwear that was not red with sand.  We tossed our socks and managed to get the hotel to give us a deal to wash our clothes.  They even ironed everything while we settled in our room until morning.  It took a couple of showers to get the sand out of our hair, ears and other crevices.   We crawled into bed and watched Indiana Jones and the last Crusade (partly filmed in Petra).

Petra is up there with the Pyramids.  Much has been written, many pictures have occupied the covers of the best magazines but nothing really prepares you for this amazing place.  It has to be seen to be believed.  The most photographed and written about site is The Treasury (al-Khazneh)  and for good reason but it is merely the first of many wonders that make up Petra. 

The Treasury got its name from the Bedouin belief that pirates hid ancient pharoanic treasures in the tomb. 

Petra is the ancient capital city of the Nabataean people and recently proclaimed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.  It is believed to have been settled in 1,550BC.  Trade routes for silk, spices and other goods intersected for Egypt, Greece, Rome, Syria with India, China and the Arab world and the Nabataeans became extremely rich as a result. 

They poured a lot of resources into architecture and water management. Flash floods carved the caverns that formed the natural protective walls of Petra and the Nabataeans built dams, dug caves and cisterns to redirect the water away from their sacred tombs.   The colours and formations of the rocks in and around Petra are dazzling. 

We got up extra early to walk into the ancient city of Petra.  It is just 30-45 minutes through the Siq until you reach the Treasury. The walk through the cavern is almost worth the trip itself – the walls tower up to 80m overhead and at some spots, it’s only 3m wide.  The sun was just peaking over the narrow gorge (Siq) when we arrived at the Treasury – an awe inspiring experience. 

A massive façade, 30m wide and 43m high carved out of the sheer dusky pink rock-face and dwarfing everything around it.  It was most likely carved in the 1^st century as a tomb of an important Nabataean King.  We watched a video (Ultimate Engineering) on how Petra was carved and it is believed to have been carved from the top down.  

Petra
It seems no work of Man's creative hand,

by labour wrought as wavering fancy planned;

But from the rock as if by magic grown,

eternal, silent, beautiful, alone!

Not virgin-white like that old Doric shrine,

where erst Athena held her rites divine;

Not saintly-grey, like many a minster fane,

that crowns the hill and consecrates the plain;

But rose-red as if the blush of dawn,

that first beheld them were not yet withdrawn;

The hues of youth upon a brow of woe,

which Man deemed old two thousand years ago,

match me such marvel save in Eastern clime,

a rose-red city half as old as time.
- John William Burgon

We just stood there for a while, taking it all in.  We were early and with the exception of a few tourists, we had the place to ourselves.  After a half an hour, we started to walk into the city of Petra lined with tombs, temples and a roman theatre that could seat 3,000. 

We had our sights set on visiting the Monastery at the other end of the city at the top of a mountain.  After the 4km hike to the base of the Monastery, there was a 900 step climb.  Donkeys carried the bulk of (or bulky) tourists up the hill but we were not having any of that.  A donkey salesman took a particular pleasure in following us, to tell us how we could not make the climb and how we would turn back at the half way mark. 

He followed us up the stairs for 15 minutes before he finally gave up.  There were a few moments that I considered the donkey for Devin but all of the MacInnis’ seem to share the competitiveness gene (or is it pigheadedness) and no one was willing to accept a donkey ride from this dude. 

The moon was still in the sky when we reached the top.  We high fived each other as it was a helluva climb.  We sat for a couple of hours chatting with other travellers and shared some of our snacks. 

We hiked back down the hill where we ran in to some of the cutest kids we have seen on our journey.  Some great pics on the way down when not dodging owners whipping their donkeys down the stairs and a few souvenirs of Petra from some venders and we were at the bottom. We saw the donkey driver who was trying to manipulate us into the donkey ride and I couldn't help myself. I said rather loudly "That wasn't so bad, let's go do it again!" The kids groaned until I elbowed them in the ribs.   

We stopped for lunch on some boulders across from a group of beautiful temples carved in the rocks. Peanut butter on pita bread stuffed with banana never tasted so good.

It was 10km in and out including 900 steps up and down to the Monastery and we were back in our room by 3:30pm to relax  but with the plan to come back at night to do half of it again.  While in Wadi Rum, the mother and daughter from Singapore told us of Petra at Night.  A candle lit walk through the Siq to the Treasury where a thousand more candles light the facade.  

We could not miss this opportunity and all the boys were up for it.  We met a group of fellow travellers at the gate and started the walk in.  It is a completely different experience at night.  We arrived at the Treasury and it was one of the greatest moments of our trip.  We sat on mats in front with candles all around.  In the dark, a Bedouin musician began a sorrowful, haunting song while he played the rababa, a one string violin.  You could feel the spirits all around us. 

After he was done, another musician played more uplifting Bedouin songs on the shabbaba, a length of metal pipe fashioned into a sort of flute.  When the music ended, a Bedouin storyteller told us of the history of Petra. They served us all tea which is very much apart of their culture to welcome and comfort you. Devin fell asleep on my lap and we were all in a very sedate state. Part exhaustion and partly because of the tranquil atmosphere. 

It was near 11:00pm when we arrived at our hotel - a 15km day for a six year old is most impressive.  Our boys are really unbelievable.  They have visited countless ruins and hiked for hours almost every day and rarely complained and yet their enthusiasm for new adventure seems to be growing each day.  

The next morning, Sam was there to pick us up to take us to the Dead Sea.  It’s a good thing that you don’t need to swim while floating in the Dead Sea as all of our legs are pretty tired.   The Dead Sea or Sea of Salt is a salt lake between Jordan and Israel.  

It's one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water and it’s the lowest point on the Earth’s surface.  All the rivers flow down to it and due to it being landlocked the water evaporates and leaves the excessive salt in the water. Apparently, the Dead Sea is not entirely ‘dead’ as there has been a recent discovery of bacteria and microbial fungi. Don't worry we showered afterwards. You literally cannot sink in the Dead Sea.  If you just slightly lift your feet, your feet will rise to the surface and you will be flat on your back.  It takes a bit of effort to force your feet down in to the sand and back to a standing position. 

It’s a very weird feeling at first but once you get used to it…..extremely cool.  We tried as many poses as possible but superman, book reader and lounging dude were the best.

We showered, then  went to the airport for a late flight to London.

Brief summary of our Jordanian encounters

Amman to Madraba to Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp to Petra to Dead Sea to Amman

637km   9hours

Best experiences:  Jordanian people; climbing in Wadi Rum; candlelight in Petra; rolling down the sand dunes in Wadi Rum; 900 stairs to the Monastery; riding camels in the desert;  seeing the Treasury for the first time, and; floating in the Dead Sea.

Best accommodation: Tents in the Bedouin camp for its ambiance and; Hotel Petra Moon for its location.

Best meals:  BBQ in the desert, and; pizza in Petra.

Bested by an animal: Camels are wider than they appear.

Best repeated new phrase: “Do you need a taxi (camel)?”

Best city: Petra

Best beaches: Dead Sea