Little Petra
One of the more technical and exciting parts of the trail came on our way into “Little Petra,” where our donkeys and guides left us and we had to scramble down through and over rocks on narrow ledges and high cliffs. We rested for lunch in a clearing at the bottom, in the shade of the cliff and some trees, surrounded by delicate desert wildflowers that were blooming because of the recent and unseasonable rain.
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| Desert Wildflowers |
Climbing up into little Petra felt like a scene out of Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider, climbing roughly hewn stone steps into a narrow passageway. I can imagine how crazy and exciting it must have been to “re-discover” this area - although, caveat that the local Bedouins were quite aware of Petra well before white people “found” it. Today this mysterious staircase emerges into a gift market, which was surprising and not just a little jarring after days of being in the wilderness.
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| Discovering Little Petra |
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| Bedouin Craftwoman in Little Petra |
Little Petra is filled with transient shops set up by Bedouins in the passageway, selling scarfs and other wares to tourists. We stayed that night in a camp in little Petra run by Bedouins, our first night out of a tent and in a bed and also with people outside of our group. It felt strange to be among other people again, we had gotten so used to our relative solitude.
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| Bedouin Camp at Little Petra |
Petra
The next morning we made the ~2.5 hour hike from little Petra into the back of Petra. I would highly, highly recommended this entrance to anyone physically able to make the walk. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, the enormous Monastery emerged from the rock cliffs we had been walking through.
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| The Monastery Emerges among the Goats |
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| Pausing for tea and picture on the way into Petra |
Petra is a very large site, which I did not realize, previously only having seen pictures of the famous Treasury. However, it’s a whole city which spans quite a large area. Petra was created by the Nabateans and was at its height in the 1st century BC. Unfortunately, the Nabateans did not record anything about themselves or their history, so all that is known about them is from contemporary historians. The Nabateans ran a flourishing trade route through the crossroads of Asia until the Romans ran them out of business by diverting trade to Egyptian ports rather than the lengthier ground route through the desert.
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| Hirable Donkey Guides |
All the names in Petra, such as the “Monastery” and the “Treasury” come from the nicknames the Bedouins had for them, but they’re not accurate to their usage. The “Monastery” for example was called such because there were crosses carved into the wall, but archaeologists believe it was used to prepare bodies for burial. However and like the entire complex, theories on its usage are educated hypotheses that can’t be confirmed due to the lack of records.
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| The Monastery in Petra |
I recommend entering Petra via the Monastery rather than the Treasury because the Monastery is all the way at the other end and after a long, steep uphill climb that would be punishing in the heat. It was punishing enough going downhill, which is what we did. The Monastery is stunning and worth seeing. It’s less ornate, but larger than the more famous Treasury, and far less crowded.
Walking through Petra is surreal. While nearly all of the freestanding structures that existed are ruble now because of earthquakes, the facades carved into the stone are stunningly well-preserved. It’s nearly unfathomable to contemplate their age, well before the time of Jesus. Our guides explained (and it’s self-evident) the skill, artistry, planning, and engineering that went into each structure. They are carved directly out of the rock, perfectly proportioned and symmetrical.
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| Facades in Petra |
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| The Treasury in Petra |
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| Cats of Petra |
We returned to Petra in the cooler evening for “Petra by Night”, a music show, story, and light-show. Our group of skilled professionals and consultants was relentless in its critique and recommendations for ways to improve the experience (all valid). While the production itself was underwhelming, it was special to walk in guided by the candle-lit luminaries that lined the Siq (the long, narrow slot canyon entryway), and simply sit in front of the Treasury in the calm and cool of the night.
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| Petra by Night |
Wadi Rum
After spending the morning exploring a little more of Petra, we departed for Wadi Rum, a protected desert wilderness reserve. If you go to Jordan, you must include Wadi Rum on your itinerary, and I’d recommend at least a couple full days. It’s almost impossible to describe the scale, beauty, and impact the place has. It’s been used as the setting for foreign planets in movies such as “The Martian” and the new Star Wars series because it’s absolutely otherworldly. One of our guides was an alien extra in the newest Star Wars in a scene that was shot in Wadi Rum.
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| Wadi Rum |
We raced into the desert on what they called “jeeps” (pick-up trucks with bench seats) and it felt like a scene out of Mad Max. We climbed up a sand dune in bare feet and felt small. We posed for silly shots on a natural rock bridge and watched a soft sun set over the dunes, and finally headed to our camp on the reserve.
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| Wadi Rum "Jeeps" |
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| Group Shenanigans in Wadi Rum |
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| Strike a Pose |
The Dead Sea
On our final full day, we headed back to Amman, but stopped at the Dead Sea on the way for a few hours. What an odd sensation! Floating in the Dead Sea is what I imagine it might feel like to be submerged in gelatin. It’s impossible to sink. Our entire group did the self-service mud treatment, where you slather yourself in thick, dark Dead Sea mud, let it dry (“bake” in the sun), and then rinse off in the sea. It’s supposed to have all sorts of rejuvenating qualities, but at a minimum it was fun and my skin and hair felt very soft afterwards.
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| Dead Sea Spa Treatment |
Wadi Mujib
On my final day in Jordan and after the official end of the trip, I visited Wadi Mujib with some of my new friends. “Wadi” means canyon. I was a little on the fence about going; my thought process: “Eeeeh, more hiking?” But it was supposed to be a pretty cool water hike through a canyon. I had no idea. This was one of the highlights of the trip, and I almost didn’t go! We went early in order to be the first to arrive (which turned out to be a great idea), and kind of laughed when they made us wear life-jackets.
Due to the recent rains, there was much more water than normal. It turned out to be a canyoning, rock-climbing, swimming obstacle course! We hiked up against the current, which was so strong we had to use ropes in some places to pull through against it. I led the group through some of the most challenging parts, problem-solving the best path and best technique to get through. I can’t remember the last time I’ve enjoyed myself with such a childlike joy. The hike ends at an impassible waterfall, then you turnaround and go back. There were some great stretches where we were able to just ride the currents.
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| Wadi Mujib |
Amman
For my last sunset in Jordan, I visited the Citadel, an archeological complex sitting on the highest hill in Amman. I wandered around in the golden light, marveling at the effortless juxtaposition between ancient and modern, being thankful for this beautiful experience and for being exactly where I was at that moment.
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| Amman, Old and New |
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| The Citadel in Amman |
