Blogs from South, Jordan, Middle East - page 36

Dag 250 - 253. Paa morgenen tok vi drosje fra hotellet til salgskontoret til JETT, som solgte bussbilletter til Aqaba (pris: 16,80 JP for begge). Bussen gikk ikke for kl. 14, saa vi hadde 3 timer aa slaa ihjel for den skulle gaa. Vi fikk legge sekkene vaare under noen seter hos JETT, og saa ble vi gaaende oppover og nedover gatene rundt kontoret. Det var mest mobelbutikker og bilverksteder i omraadet, saa vi maatte gaa et stykke naar vi ville kjope engelske romaner. Vi fant 4-5 smaa bokhandlere som laa forholdsvis naert hverandre, og den siste av de hadde et par klassikere; Robinson Crusoe og Oliver Twist. Bokene var tynne og relativt dyre, men Eirik var tom for lesestoff. Vi kjopte vann, kjeks og chips til bussturen, og saa gikk vi tilbake til JETT kontoret ... read more

One of the Seven Wonders of the World for a reason! Wow!! Took 2 days here to see it all and I'd recommend a third actually! Site is huge. Ok so we got an early start and did the walk in through the 1.2 km Siq (a huge canyon formed by the Earth) that ends at The Treasury or Al-Khazneh. If you have ever seen pictures of Petra, you have seen The Treasury! What a beautiful sight! Did hike up to the High Places of Sacrifice with views of valley. Came down the other side into another valley, passing carvings, tombs and more. Found this random staircase that is more just small ledges in the rock climbing straight up. Decided to follow it and found another reservoir. The Nabateans were absolute masters of water as this ... read more

One of those groups of historical peoples that failed to get a mention in any of the history books we have encountered are the tribal Nabataeans. Picture a small empire built up out of the lucrative proceeds of controlling the camel pack-train trade routes through the deserts of what is now Jordan. If it had not been for the growing influence of the spreading Roman Empire around 200AD, they would have continued to expand their incredible ability to carve stunning building facades out of the soft sandstone rock faces of their capital Petra. Undeniably one of Jordans outstanding attractions, Petra had us spending one massive afternoon just walking from one end to the other and back, gobsmacked by the artistry of their architecture. The 'Treasury' is one of those buildings that contests the 7 wonders of ... read more

The Jordanian star attraction is the ancient Nabataean city of Petra. A member of the new seven wonders of the world, this city flourish in first three centuries AD. Highlights include the treasury, carved over 100 years, the main city way, with amphitheater, the urn Tomb and the monastery. The tour included one and a half days of exploring Petra, a thoroughly enjoyable experience and a highlight for the Jordan leg.... read more

At Wadi Musa we check in to our hotel and wash the remaining Dead Sea salt from our hair before joining our guide on the short walk downhill to the entrance to Petra. It’s already quite cold under the clear night sky, but ‘Petra by night’ is too good an opportunity to pass up. The site authority lay down the ground rules for the walk down to the Treasury - no mobiles, no flash photos, no loud talking, and no bunching up as there’s plenty of time to see everything. With the rules established we pass through the gates onto a gravel road that is lit only by candles, spaced every few metres, and the moon overhead. We wind our way down the valley before crossing over a small bridge and entering the Siq - the ... read more