Amman - Petra

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Out of Syria, across the border and before you knew it we were "CROSSING JORDAN".
Amman is the capital and the inevitable first stop for most tourists rolling in from our direction. Amman is hardly your quintessential exotic Middle Eastern city but there were enough distractions in and around to occupy us for a couple of days. There's nothing particularly wrong with Amman but nor is there particularly anything right with it.
Petra, on the other hand, is THE must see and everyone who visits Jordan does see. There's a reason for that. Petra is (I'm trying to think of an appropriate enough non-cliched superlative but it's just not happening) out of this world. (That will have to do).
Someone asked me how I would rate Petra relative to the other great archaelogical sites we've been privileged enough to see over the years. That got me thinking. Yes, we have been privileged to witness in person some of the world's truly great wonders:
The Pyramids of Egypt, the Mayan version of pyramids in Tikal, Angkor's temples, Macchu Picchu, Panthers Leagues Club, just to name a few. So where does Petra slot in? Absolute, 100%, no questions asked - TOP SHELF! Not just top shelf but a solid contender for the gold medal.
Rather than constructed, the city was carved out of the myriad of rock faces. This was all done by the Nabataens way back in the 3rd century BC, I think a tad before the invention of the jackhammer. Taking that into account along with the enormous dimensions of the structures and extent of the city, there must have been some mighty fancy chiselling going down here around 220 BC.
The entire complex is broad enough to allow the local Bedouins to don their entrepeneurial hats and offer a full range of animal transports to cover all the sites. Horses, donkeys and of course Penny's favourite and more traditional desert vehicle, camels. However, camels and Yeatesy are rarely mentioned in the same sentence without the word disdain being squeezed in somewhere. Thus we decided the city would be more appropriately explored on foot.
Petra completed, we will be leaving Jordan a little unfulfilled. I was hoping to adopt the role of a modern day urbane Lawrence of Oblivia and partake in a 4 wheel drive tour through the Wadi Rum desert, sleeping under the stars in a Bedouin camp. A few complications with itineraries and air tickets meant our little desert sojourn wouldn't be happening this time around.
Regardless, as one door closes, another opens and tomorrow we will attempt to negotiate a tricky border crossing and duck into the most disputed piece of real estate on the planet. Fingers crossed, our next blog in few days will zoom down the screens from Israel/Palestine.
Yeatesy.

Jordan. Crossing the border from Syria to Jordan was relatively quick given that our passports had to go through several sets of hands on both sides. Job descriptons for border staff must be very brief. Each person having their one specific task to perform. The first person asks the routine questions (how long are you staying in Jordon, where are you staying, what is your father name? go figure), the next person - data entries the details from the passports, the next person asks much the same line of questions as the first, the next person processes the visa, the next processes the money, the next person stamps the passport etc etc. Then when you think it is all finished there is one last person who jumps on the bus and checks the passports one last time just in case somebody on the assembly line made a mistake.
Having arrived in Amman, it was difficult initially to identify we were in a new country.The same language was being spoken, the road signs are the same, the people look the same, there is still a high proportion of the female population wearing head scarves, the traffic is just as congested as in Syria and the food is pretty much the same although I have not found a filafel shop and the juice bars have reduced in number. The main difference upon closer inspection was a new currency - the dinar, the standard of cars seem to have improved with newer models on the road and not as beaten as the cars in Syria plus the odd prestige car. The taxis are in slightly better condition, although the taxis drivers seem just as manic and wanting to wheel and deal a tour for you as in every other country in the region.
Amman is also known for its impressive ruins and definitely on par with Syria for those that we visited until we reached PETRA. It is difficult to put it in words, seeing is believing and no amount of photos do it justice. Guess you will have to go back and watch re-runs of Indiana Jones to get the feel and magnitude. Two days starting at 6.30 until 5pm and it still was not enough. We walked so much that Gary has purchased another pair of boots, making it 3 so far this trip. Who said women buy too many shoes? Sunrise to sunset, Petra changed throughout the day as the valley, temples and tombs changed in colour with the sun. If walking the 12 klm round trip to the Monastary sounds too much, then there are plenty of obliging Bedouins willing to take you by donkey, horse or camel.
Petra will certainly be remembered as one of the highlights of the year. For now we are off to have our last sunset over Amman from the Citadel listening to the local music. (The calling to prayer from the surrounding mosques.) Tomorrow we are off to the Holy Land, The Promised Land, Palestine of course.
Penny

More images at:

www.colvinyeates.zenfolio.com

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Photos

Petra
The MONASTARY - WOW

Amman
The sprawling capital contains one third of the country's population.

Jerash
A Jordanian playing bagpipes in a Roman theatre. That's something you don't see every day.

Jerash
Security at the Jerash ruins.

Umm Qais
The reflective pillars

Petra
The star of the show- The Treasury-

Petra
The Royal Tombs Merchandiser

Petra
Say Cheese

Petra
Petra through the camel humps

Petra
The blind trinket seller, unfortunately all of her goods could only be purchased if you were blind.

Petra
Cats guarding the Sacred Palace

Petra
The royal tombs at dusk