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Published: November 19th 2021
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Hi,
So last time we had just arrived in Wadi Mass, the town that services Petra. We stayed at the Petra Guest House and I was expecting something small but it had been the Crowne Plaza. It was a nice place with lovely friendly genuine staff. We were up for breakfast at 6.15am and what a difference from the chaos of the Dead Sea. Our guide Ahmed arrived at 7 and we set off for Petra, full of excitement it is 50 Jordanian Dinar entrance fee which is about 50€ or £53 so we wanted to make the most of it.
We knew it was going to be a long day and as you set off walking towards the valley you have no sense of what is ahead, the track is flat and uninteresting. You then arrive at the Siq and your journey really begins; walking down a canyon worn away by rain and wind with some amazing natural features. Ahmed was telling us the story of the Nabateans as we walked, you can read it yourself if you are interested. This is what the Jordan tourist board says
“The ancient city of Petra is one of Jordan’s
national treasures and by far its best-known tourist attraction. Petra is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2,000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is a UNESCO World Heritages Site and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Inhabited by the Nabateans, Edomites and Romans, Petra brought together the knowledge and skill of these civilizations to create this world wonder. Caravans laden with incense, silks, spices and other exotic goods would rest at Petra.”
After 2km you catch a glimpse of that famous building, the Treasury, and it is everything you expect from an ancient wonder. It is not a building at all but it is carved out of the sandstone rock above some recently unearthed burial chambers. The current path is probably 2-3 metres higher than the original and might one day be further excavated.
Our early start paid off as there were only a handful of people so it was easy to capture photographs without people in the shot. The site is huge and we continue down past the ruined business
side of the town where the marketplace had been. Up on the hillside were magnificent tombs waiting for us at the end of the day.
Soon our two-hour tour was over and Ahmed left us at a remarkably well-preserved tall temple, it had survived earthquakes because of rows of wood between the bricks to provide some flex. We had a quick stop for a drink and planned our next section which was to visit the Monastery. It was a 900 stepped climb and we decided to use a donkey! Chris did a deal to go up and down and the first part was fairly flat but once we started climbing it was scary. You can see from the picture what it was like, I was holding on for grim death unable to enjoy the views, and after about 15 minutes I knew, I didn't want to go down head first. The ride ends about 10 minutes from the top and we stopped for a coffee and to recover from what became a white-knuckle ride as I held on so tight! The short walk up in full sun made us realise the tortuous ride had been necessary but it was
Shanks’s pony for the descent. The Monastery is similar to the Treasury but much bigger and with stunning views across the valley. It was well worth the journey. The descent was much better, we walked at a nice steady pace and were able to enjoy the beauty of the landscape.
At the bottom we had a delicious lunch in the Basin restaurant, not too expensive (we got 20% discount as it was run by our guest house) and beautifully prepared and presented salads. The staff were fabulous and Chris made a point of letting the restaurant manager know when we eventually got back. By we got to the tombs we decided we had walked enough and just admired them from afar. In total we walked about 13.5km and we wandered back towards the town, stopping again at the Treasury where it was much busier.
The walk back is a gradual height gain of nearly 200m but I was spurred on by the memory that the Cave bar had Happy Hour from 1pm to 2pm. We got back and ordered two beers, thinking we could pay for one but we had to have 2 each !!
To say
we were ready for a nap is an understatement as we had booked a cooking class for the evening. We arrived at the Petra kitchen at 6.15 and I was a little dubious as there were 35 people but it worked fine. Each table prepared a selection of dishes, supervised by a chef, and then we all ate together. In Jordanian cooking everything is either finally diced or chopped, Chris and an American guy, Bill, were encouraged by Ahmed, our chef by the words MORE CHOP i.e., not small enough! Our table did lentil soup, Baba Ganuj, Galayat Bandura (pan cooked tomatoes) and Musakhan rolls (Sumac flavoured chicken in thin bread). Other tables contributed fattoush, tahini salad, bread with 2 different toppings (goats’ cheese and Za'atar).
We enjoyed our meal with two English girls and an Indian couple who had arrived that day to find their luggage was still in Chicago, ouch. To finish the chefs had made a Jordanian pastry. It had been a long and eventful day but we will remember Petra with affection and awe.
Next stop Mars.....sorry Wadi Rum which was used to film The Martian with Matt Damon.
You will have to wait for the next instalment.
Norma x
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Uwe and Marlene
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Beautiful !!
By reading your blog I remembered my sisters visit to Petra 40 years ago, it was a lot different than. I love your writing style, it is fun to read all your blogs, thank you and hello to both from Mexico !!