Petra - Jordan

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Wednesday night and Thursday: Petra
The thought of visiting has been a highlight in planning our trip and we are both excited about arriving here. We stopped on our way in and Khaled ran in and picked up tickets for us for Petra at Night and we arrive at our hotel around 5:30. We will have time to do this. We headed into Petra by Night after a quick salad dinner. A lot of people have jackets and heavier clothes on which had us kind of wondering if they know something we didn't. As it turned out our T shirts and capris were all we needed. The Siq going into the Treasury was all candlelit so we could make our way. There were large groups and we were warned to distance ourselves and stay away from large groups that don’t stop talking….and we would enjoy the experience more. They had a point. We approached the Treasury about 1.5 km in and the sky was full of stars…there were mats put down on the ground and everyone was sitting with hundreds of flickering candles in front of the Treasury. The Bedouins played flutes and gave us some truly magical moments. We are so glad that we did this before we have seen it in daylight. We hiked out and headed to the Cave Bar which is the oldest bar in the world and yes it is a cave. That beer was soooo good. We managed to end the day before midnight. Early morning tomorrow for a tour tomorrow.

We have booked hotels that include breakfast which certainly helps the budget. We won’t see Khaled, our driver, until Friday morning. We meet up with our guide for Petra at 8:00 a.m. who is going to spend 2-3 hours with us on our walk in through the Siq to the Treasury and the other sites of Petra. This was included with our tour. We pass on the horse ride to the entrance and use our own legs to get there. The Siq is incredible and I can only imagine how the rose colors will change during the day depending on the light. We see fossils in the wall and along the way and the remains of clay pipes. There are many caves throughout. Some of the original stones are still remaining on the roadway through the Siq. Horse drawn carriages go by covered with colorful adornments and the hooves of the horses echo throughout the Siq. Good thing, you can hear them coming. The walls of the Siq are everchanging and absolutely gorgeous.

When we arrive at the entry of the Treasury it is truly breathtaking and the feeling of awe and wonder are very real. It is massive and takes some time to asbsorb it's size and beauty. We are approached by many who want to sell jewelry and their wares. Of course we had to help some of them out. At the end of our time with our guide, Sian and I part ways. It is hot and she is heading up 900 plus steps to the Monastery and it is 11:30. Not for me. It is very hot. I head back along the way we came in and stopped and talked with people selling their wares and taking pics of the camels and donkeys. The animals are relatively calm and obviously quite use to all the people around them. They are all adorned with colourful blankets and hardware. I share purchases with 2 boys who had argued earlier over selling to me so they had to share…everyone was happy. I stopped and had lunch on my way through the shady cooler Siq area and took tons of pictures. The natural light from the day has changed the appearance again. So beautiful. I find some quiet time and lunch is my protein bar and my 2nd bottle of water. Hey maybe I will lose some weight on this trip. Should be melting if off.

These areas are so hard to describe and pictures will certainly help portray the experiences. Petra is everything we thought and more. A beautiful massive site with lots of trails and areas to poke around in. I would think at least 2 -3 full days to spend here would be optimal to see most of Petra. I would love to do some of the hikes and spend more time in this area but would have to do it in early morning for any climbing for me. After a shower I head out and do some snooping through the hotel area and entrance to Petra site. Sian is back by 5 with tales of her hike and the heat. She is learning to like water, especially in this heat. Will have dinner and pack up, tomorrow pick up is 10:00 a.m. so we get to start the morning out slow and sleep in a bit. We will then say goodbye to Petra and head to Little Petra, Wadi Rum for a jeep tour in the desert and camel ride and hope to be swimming in the Red Sea by late afternoon. We will only be there one night before we drive back to Amman and fly to Egypt. Petra has been a thrill.

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