Finally figured out how to get the room cool, as the ac clearly isn’t on, or doesn’t work. Nor does the TV but that I don’t care about; heard about the Notre Dame fire through my medical insurance/rescue company who sends an email about major international events…. I’m glad I’m not here during real hot weather…..Call to prayers at 4:30 a.m., but I’d managed to eke out another half hour in my sleep so awake only slightly before.
The usual hotel buffet breakfast is followed by a gathering in the lobby to leave – there are identified habitual latecomers now… We walked to the entrance of Petra, guarded by police, and went through a security check before heading down a dusty path with lots of other tour groups (gates open at 6 a.m., we are starting about 8:30). Several info stops later we are the the Siq, the entrance to the canyon which is decorated with period dressed Roman style soldiers. We shuffle along the Siq exchanging picture ops with other groups and getting good info from our guide. At one particular prime stop (the first view of the Treasury through a slit in the canyon) someone appeared to be taking a panorama, then a video, then ? – thought he’d never move on. Through all the crowds there are trotting donkeys which you need to get out of the way of or risk your trip ending suddenly, and donkey pulled carriages which are even more lethal (the latter looked quite uncomfortable bumping along the uneven parts of the Roman Road).
But the Treasury was stunning. Obligatory picture(s) done, including a group photo, history lesson completed we moved on from the camels and donkeys lined up to take you further on, and into the main area of Petra. It was as we learned immense, with the Treasury being the best known and perhaps best preserved but by no means the biggest or only facade. Caves punctuated the area, a sophisticated watering and water collection system, and lconsiderable investment in tombs, with that real estate being by far the most elaborate. Ingenious use of the rather inhospitable albeit beautiful coloured rocky countryside.
Throughout all of this magnifence is spread souvenirs stalls, Bedouin managed; as agreement for being moved out of the historic site where they were still living in caves, a village was built at the far end to house them and free passage, no tax in the site decreed. As the Nabeatans were traders, probably not different from the situation in the real city though I suspect there wouldn’t be stalls on the paths to the tombs, nor juice stations at the site of the best photo op overlooking the Treasury.
Suffice it say we walked, and looked, and took pictures, and walked and looked, and took pictures….. We had pre-ordered lunch boxes of falafel, yogurt, cheese (bologna type meat for the non-vegetarians which was fed to the mewing cats) and then set off on our own. I partnered with another solo traveler from upstate New York, a lovely girl studying in London and we climbed the 800 steps to the Monastery, (the biggest edifice in the site),passing the rest of our group on the way down – a well travelled route with donkeys going up and down as well. After a long water stop to wait for the rest of the group we eventually gave up and headed out for the Treasury overlook view which was billed as “hard” as well but half as difficult as the Monastery. The steps there were steeper, beautifully carved out in the triple coloured rock of the region, but it seemed much harder than billed… and including one of those annoyances in hiking, a loss of altitude once over the top to gain the destination. The viewpoint was occupied by a “cafe” which consisted of a fruit press (see pics) that looked like a torture instrument from the Middle Ages but was very effective, and carpets and cushions laid out in an open tent on a ledge at the best photo op overlooking the Treasury. Rasta music was playing in the background, and various young things were sitting on the edge of the ledge dangling their legs over the abyss getting their picture taken with the Treasury in the background. Quite an eclectic spot and have to admit the freshly squeezed pomegranate juice was excellent.
Having decided our lives would still be complete without hiking the 400 stairs to the high sacrificial point which we could see across the valley (similar hiking time) Natalie and I headed down (rather up, annoyingly, first) and encountered much of the rest of our group wondering how much further it was and was it worth the effort? We reassured them it was and all agreed it was a more difficult hike than the Monastery – in truth I counted the steps on the way down and although some of them were discretionary, with a conservative count I got to 541 by the time we were at the bottom. We headed out to the Siq, more distance away than we’d remembered, then found the trip back through the Siq was both longer and more definitely uphill than we’d remembered……. the dusty road seemed fairly endless – though happily in this section there was a divided horse lane so one didn’t have to dodge the chariots and galloping donkeys. Natalie was pretty much toast by now though kept up a good pace as she wanted to get back to the hotel to rest before dinner….. We parted ways at the gate as I wanted to look at the “cave bar” advertised as being in a Nabatean cave. I pictured a cool sit down with a beer, but found an open cave with a bar blaring music and it was quite stuffy with a nauseating perfumed smell so high-tailed it home for an awesome soak in the tub to rejuvenate my aching legs and feet. Fortunately it was perfect weather- threatening clouds at a couple of points making me wonder how unpleasant the steps down (some on inclined rock only) would be in the wet with all the masses…. but it didn’t rain and never got too hot though we mostly had lovely blue skies.
Stunning site, with too much to see in one day, and if ever I return ( with control of timing by myself) I’d get up earlier and go in earlier to get ahead of the crowds. Lineups at WC’s also slowed us down (women’s WC of course – the men sail through).
Dinner a la carte (TG, I am getting buffet PTSD) and then back to bed. A very discourteous tour group has moved into our wing (ours is spread out throughout the hotel) and at 10 p.m. last night when they had their second group meeting (apparently) outside my door at top volume I stuck my head out the door and asked them to move on – due to the volume it took ages to get someone’s attention. They sound Italian and the first looked at me blankly but when I came out of my room in my nightie and tapped on their shoulder someone in their group with an English accent apologized and the noise moved down the corridor. Really, people, have your meetings in the lobby or the restaurant…. the person in the room across seems to have trouble shutting his door so it bangs several times at full impact before he manages to get on top of it. And the cacophony resumed at 6 a.m. today, full volume voices with absolutely no consideration for anyone else. Bloody tourists…
Memories of the day: steps…. braying donkeys….. “Buy lovely gift for only one dinar (Jordanian dollar)”, incredible archeology.
