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Jordan

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

I have to say that I fell in love with Jordan!  Its scenery is absolutely spectacular, and the people are really very friendly.  And there’s so much to see – ruined Roman cities, Crusader castles, desert citadels and awesome biblical sites (the river where Jesus was baptized, the fortress where Herod beheaded John the Baptist, and Mt. Nebo where Moses saw the “Promised Land”).  I slept overnight in the desert of Wadi Rum, floated in the Dead Sea (the lowest place on earth), saw firsthand the ancient mosaic tiled map of the holy land in the city of Madaba and, yes, I went to PETRA!

Petra
Most people think that the rock façade shown in the Indian Jones Movie is all there really is to Petra – they’re wrong!  Petra was recently named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and for very good reason.  Built by the Nabatean people who were ‘caravanners’ who travelled all over Arabia, the ancient city of Petra was constructed in a variety of architectural styles.  I’m talking Roman, Egyptian, Mesopotamian as well as local styles – and it works!  To explore Petra’s immense architectural site is truly an amazing experience.  Most people spend less than a day; but three days are best.  As for me, I spent two days on the Petra site and would recommend three if you are an avid hiker – I was dying to climb up into the back hills surrounding Petra for even more adventures!  One can also sign up for multi-day treks to some of the far-reaching sites that most people never see.

To get to Petra itself, one must walk along a long gorge hemmed in by cliffs soaring up to 80 metres high.  Called the Siq, it takes at least 30 minutes which gives you a chance to really appreciate the beauty of its geological rock formations, as well as their colours.  As you round a corner, Al-Khazneh (the Treasury) appears at the end of the Siq – suddenly you ARE Indiana Jones!  Its façade is immense, approx. 43 metres high and it’s difficult to say exactly how I felt when I first saw it – the architectural details are quite astounding.  Carved around the 1st Century BC as a Tomb, it was later used as a temple.  But the skill used in carving it out of the rock is nothing short of genius in my opinion.  You have to see it to believe it!

There is a similar façade located up in the nearby mountains.  It is called Al-Deir (the Monastery).  One can hike up there to see it – it is huge and quite awesome to see at the top of the mountain!  Its architectural design differs from the Treasury, and its embellishments are more simple.  I chose to use a donkey to go up to see it (my knees simply can’t take all those steps, approx. 800 I am told!).  The ride down is much more scary than going up, but I did it!  A couple of times though, I thought I might plummet to my death – at those times I simply raised my head to take in the breathless scenery around me.  I figured if I was about to die, and I was going to die smiling!  But I’m still here to tell the tale and the donkey is just fine!

I highly recommend a visit to Petra.  There is so much to see and many of its sites are quite astonishing.  There is an amphitheatre, tombs, temples, an ancient colonnaded street (columns), even a church and an ancient prison.  I am told that only about 25% of the site has been excavated to date.  Believe me, it is the astounding scenery and spectacular architecture all around you that makes it an unforgettable experience.  GO TO PETRA!

I stayed in the village of Wadi Musa, which starts just outside the gates of Petra.  Many of the cheaper hotel options are located about 2 kms up the hill, but I managed to get a reasonable price at Petra Moon Hotel (JD25 per night if you stay a minimum of 3 nites with breakfast included).  My hotel was within easy walking distance of the site entrance and many shops and restaurants are located nearby.

In Madaba I stayed at the Mariam Hotel which I also recommend highly, and in Amman I stayed at the Palace Hotel – both are great budget options with friendly people and clean bathrooms!

Check out my photos using the link on right of your screen.  A picture can say so much more than words!