Day 6 - Petra

Our morning in Jordan was still rough. Debbie had come down with an upset stomach and was up sick a lot of the night. She was still not feeling very well in the morning. We think the cause may have been a Coke Zero from a fountain at the Egypt airport. This would have had Egyptian water in it, which is very suspect. We got up and ate breakfast. It was nice because you don’t have to worry about the food and water as much as in Egypt. Amman itself is a very modern and clean city. We met our driver and tour guide, Salah, in the lobby. We started our three-hour drive to Petra. On our way out of Amman, our guide welcomed us to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He then told us about Amman and the history of Jordan. He really focused on the Turkish empire and the story of Lawrence of Arabia. He also talked about the two million Syrian refugees who live in Amman and the pressures they have put on Jordanian society.

Outside of Amman Jordan was more similar to Egypt. It was kind of dirty and the homes looked thrown together. Speed control was similar in Jordan to Egypt. They would have giant speed bumps in the middle of the road and we would have to slow down to almost a stop to get over them. Overall people were much more respectful of traffic rules in Jordan. Most areas of the drive were very barren. It honestly looked like we could have been driving in Nevada on our way to California.  While we were driving you would see signs of the history of conflict in the region. We would drive past a military Jeep with guys with machine guns standing in front of it. We would also drive by towns surrounded by thick walls with rolls of barbed wire on top.

We stopped at a place called the New Jerusalem Place to use the restroom and get some drinks. We found a Cola light for Debbie. The sun felt really good so we stood outside the store and talked to Omar, who owns the store with his father. He was very nice (everyone we met in Jordan has been very friendly). He told us about his education in Russia and running the store. His father lives in New York. We really enjoyed getting to know him.

We arrived at Petra about an hour after our pit stop. When you arrive you can take a horse, a carriage, or you can walk. Since Debbie still wasn’t feeling well she and Blake took a carriage. Alison and I opted to walk with our guide. It was great. Right from the get-go, there were interesting things to see. We saw these tombs called genie boxes (because they have no markings to say who is buried there) carved out of solid rock. We saw other tombs carved right into the rock walls. As we walked we entered a slot canyon. It seriously looked just like the slot canyons in Zions National Park. The rock and everything were so similar. The only difference is that the people who lived here built cities and tombs into the walls. Some of what we saw was pretty amazing. The Nabateans (people who built Petra) carved pipes into the rocks to collect and move water. They also built dams and large tunnels to protect the city from flash floods. The dark tunnel ran from the start of the slot canyon to a giant cistern at the back of the city where the water could be stored (probably a mile or more in length).

Blake and Debbie in their carriage

A genie box

A tomb carved into the rock

A tunnel carved in ancient times to help prevent flash floods

We wandered through the canyon and Salah would tell us about the different carvings on the wall. One of the most interesting was the camel caravan. In its heyday, Petra was a renowned trading post because it had frankincense and other valuable goods. Many camel caravans would stop at the city. Caravan inn was fairly dangerous so the traders would rejoice when they arrived at the city. The carving of the camel caravan commemorates the celebration. Much of the carving had eroded so it was hard to see until it was pointed out, but then you could really see it.  

Pictures showing the markings from the tools on the rock wall

The camel caravan

This niche in the rock was created to filter silt and other debris from the water

Ancient pipes carved out of the rock

A rock shaped like a fish - this was carved by erosion

As we continued through the canyon you came to a point where you can see the treasury through the canyon walls. Salah said that is the masterpiece. It is magnificent. It is the reason that people fly halfway around the world to hike through a slot canyon. There is a reason it is considered one of the seven modern wonders of the world. The site of the treasury is breathtaking. Salah told us that it took 10 years to carve the treasury and it was carved using hammers and chisels. There was a lot of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman influence in the architecture and figures found in the treasury. It has been damaged over the years. An earthquake knocked down one column (it has been restored), and some people shot the vase on top of the treasury because they thought it might be holding the Pharaoh’s treasure. Turns out the vase was solid stone. People also shot the heads off of the four eagles.

First view of the treasury

The Treasury

The eagle's heads and the pot at the top of the treasury were shot off. The pot was shot because people thought it contained gold. It turns out it was solid rock.

Detail on the treasury

Corinthian columns

As we continued through Petra we saw many more tombs. The tombs were carved into the rocks. The excess rock from the carving was used to build homes. These homes were destroyed over the years by earthquakes and people so only the tombs remain. There are some ruins of a temple, palace, and Christian church that are being uncovered by archeologists and somewhat restored. There is one free-standing building that has survived In Petra because they used wood in the construction between the rocks, which absorbed the shock of the earthquakes. We also passed by the Petra amphitheater. It is also built right into the rocks and is apparently the only amphitheater carved out of a mountain.

Tombs carved into the rock  

Tombs carved into the rock 

Tombs carved into the rock  

The amphitheater 

Tombs carved into the rock 

We got to the end of the trail we were on and ate some lunch. There was a restaurant with a nice buffet. We saw Debbie there (this is where the carriage dropped them off). She told us that shortly after they arrived Blake rode a donkey up the mountain to the Monastery. We were not at all surprised. Alison and I ate lunch quickly and started up the trail to the Monastery. We ran into Blake shortly thereafter. He took a donkey up and was on his way back down. It is a moderate hike up to the monastery. It consists of around 850 steps carved out of the mountain. It took us about 40 minutes. The Monastery is amazing. It is bigger than the Treasury and in good shape. There weren’t as many people up there. We took a few pictures and hiked around to some of the viewpoints around the Monastery. From one of these viewpoints, you can see all the way to Israel. You also get great views of the Monastery. On our way to one viewpoint, a puppy bounded up to Alison. It was a black and white sheepdog. It could tell Alison is a good person who loves dogs. It jumped up on her, but Alison did the responsible thing and did not pet the puppy.

This rock kind of looks like a dinosaur head

The monastery  

The puppy we saw near the monastery

On our way back down we bought a couple of items. All along the trail, there are merchants selling trinkets. This trail is a lot like angels landing in Zion’s if you can imagine angels landing with tons of merchants and people riding donkeys on the way up. Anyway, Alison saw a stone camel she wanted for our curio cabinet. The alleged Bedouin woman (our guide is skeptical if these people are truly Bedouins) wanted more than I was willing to pay. We offered 5 USD. She said no. We walked away until she decided $5 was a good offer. We are the proud owners of a stone camel. Alison also bought a neckless this lady asked what we were willing to pay. Alison started the bidding at $5 (which I thought was high). The lady wanted more but eventually settled on $5. I thought it was too much, but Alison told me she was happy with the price and she was the one who was going to wear it.

When we finished with the Monastery trail we wandered through some old ruins and the restoration of an old Christian church. The mosaic floor in the church was incredible. We wound our way around Petra over to some additional tombs that were carved into the rock. We climbed up and walked into these tombs (everything has long since been removed so they are kind of like empty caves). One, in particular, had the most beautiful ceiling because the rock had vibrant colors running through it.

Ruins of the only surviving freestanding building in Petra

Ancient ruins of a palace

Ancient ruins of a palace

So many tombs carved into the cliff face

Beautiful mosaic floor

The inside of a large tomb

After the tombs we were tired and it was getting late. It was kind of eery because so many people had left. We made our way out of Petra. We went back past the amphitheater and the treasury through the slot canyon and back to meet up with everyone at the visitors center. On our way, we stopped at some shops and bought a stuffed camel for our niece Skylee. We promised her we would bring a present back from our trip.

Then we drove three hours back to our hotel in Amman. We had dinner at the hotel and we called it a night.