Monday October 5, 2015 – Petra and Petra by Night

We got up at 5:30 am.  We dressed, had breakfast in the dining room with the Australian couple and then met our guide, Ashraf, at 7 am.  Ashraf is the son of one of the most famous guides at Petra and he was trained by his father.  We feel lucky to have him.

We headed straight to Petra to get there before most of the tourists.  Petra is commonly called the “Red Rose City” due to the rose colored stones and sand.  Ashraf told us a different story - it is the Red Rose City because tourist go in white and come out red rose colored!

We started our walk on a very dusty and rock path.  Ashraf pointed out many tombs along the way.  We walked to the siq instead of taking the horses that are included.  We got to the siq and started a long walk of almost 40 minutes through a narrow path with huge rocks on both sides.  The siq was created by an earthquake many years ago that separated the rocks to form the valley.  There were idols and things to see all along the way.

The early morning mist over Petra from the Marriott Petra

And we start the long dusty walk into Petra

Tombs in the rocks all along the way before we even get to the siq or city

Large carved "blocks" - used as tombs

Beautiful walk down, and down, and down

Many tombs along the way

An elaborate tomb carved into the rock

Interesting formations.  People lived in these tombs later

A royal burial place

The walk in was beautiful.  The former inhabitants were water management experts - they built dams, reservoirs, and channels to capture and move water which was a precious commodity.  They even had an interlocking system of piping to move water in their elaborate system.

A culvert carved out of the rock to move water where they needed it at Petra

At one place we saw where people were married - a cut out in the rocks, one for each person to stand in.  They stood here and then they were married - easy as that.

The long walk down into Petra through the siq, formed many years ago by an earthquake

Places carved along the way for idols

Water was precious and water management was a specialty - they built gutters and "pipes"

Beautiful scenery at every turn on the 30-40 minute walk into the city

The strata on the rocks was stunning

Wide places and narrow spaces on the walk into Petra

Our guide Ashraf helped take pictures of us along the way

More altars carved out of the rock along the route into Petra

Beautiful walk through the siq

More places for idols

And lots of pools, dams, and culverts to route the water where they needed it

The "wedding rock" - stand inside and you are married!

And we finally arrive at the Treasury - just through the crack in the rock behind us

We got to a narrow point in the siq and Ashraf told us to walk close to the wall on the right.  He then quickly told us to turn around and look behind us.  "Do you see it", he asked.  We saw more of the same, but then he laughed and told us to look the other way and there was the Treasury , seen through a small opening in the siq.  Magnificent.

The Treasury at Petra

Lots of camels, horses, mules and donkeys available for rides through the site

All of this was carved from the mountain - not assembled

We stood in awe of the Treasury and had a Turkish coffee as we took it all in

Many tombs and other structures in the main square at the Treasury

And we head further into the city with fascinating structures all around us

We marveled at the Treasury for a while and had a Turkish coffee.  Ashraf explained the architecture and the speculation on how the Treasury was built.

We then walked well into the complex and met our donkey driver and donkeys.  We mounted up and started about a one hour trip up the mountain to the top to a lookout from above down onto the Treasury.  My donkey was "Shaquira" - and she always liked to be in front.  Didn't matter what was in her way, we went to the front.  It was a bit unnerving at times, but we made it.

On our donkeys headed through the city - lots to see

Petra as seen from the cliff up above - even more magnificent!

Ashraf provided a great commentary on Petra and took great pictures

Panorama of the Treasury from above

There was a small hut with rugs at the top and we relaxed and Ashraf explained the view from the top.  It was really special and amazing.

Enjoying the view from the little hut on the cliff above the Treasury

There's Shaquira at the front of the pack, waiting patiently for me!

We then got back on the donkeys for a short way and then we dismounted for the walk down.  Apparently it is much more dangerous going down than up in places.  It was so hot and tiring at times.

We rode the donkeys to a refreshment place.  I had mint honey tea and Tim had a fruit drink.  It was surprising how tart mine was and his was so sweet.  After a short rest, we took the donkeys and began our journey up to the Monastery.  Now talk about a harrowing experience.  There were lots of people walking up and the donkeys didn't care.  Shakira almost knocked this old lady down who was in front of us.  Shakira wanted to be first.  There was one place where we had to duck our heads down to the donkey's neck as the pass was so low.  It was an unbelievable ride.  So glad we did this.

We went to the highest lookout point and our donkey driver made us tea,.  Ashraf started talking to a Japanese girl and I thought he was trying to pick her up but he was just having fun.  She spoke little English but he was discussing "love at first sight" with her!!!

Beautiful views of the valley and mountains

Resting along the way back down from the Treasury lookout

Rock formations were fascinating - we saw "things" in them all over

Colorful strata

The stairs carved into the rock were extensive

The Royal Tombs as we got back to the valley

Tim on his donkey

Shakira leading the way - she had her way

And we started up the next mountain to head up to the Monastery

Tim and Ashraf as we head up to the Monastery

Panorama of the valley

Taking a well deserved rest at the Lookout on top of the mountain past the Monastery

Beautiful scenery - we could see Israel from this Lookout

Ashraf talking to us "about life' while the donkey-driver cooked the galotte

Us enjoying the galotte under the shade of a tree

A 16 year old Jordanian woman visited us - she wanted us to buy from her shop

The donkey driver cooked us lunch of galotte under a tree and we ate it heartily with fresh bread.  Then he made us tea.

We took the donkeys back down – and this was the most unnerving part!  Narrow, slippery stones and rocks and more tourists that didn't seem to understand that they needed to get out of the way.

We arrived back at the bottom of the wadi and then started up the hill on the donkeys to the back entrance to the Petra site.  Firas was there waiting for us with the car.  We tipped Ashraf and the donkey driver and headed back to Petra.

Firas took us to the bank so we could get some more Jordanian dinar and then we returned to the Marriott.  We showered and rested a bit and took a short but well-deserved nap.  We had drinks outside to see the sun setting over Petra.

Still high in the sky but making beautiful colors

Enjoying the outside from top of the mountain at Petra

The sun dips behind the clouds as it sets over Petra

 

Firas picked us up at 7:50 so we could go to Petra By Night.  He had already purchased tickets for us so I paid him and we set off for the long walk in again but this time with candles in bags lighting the way.  Because it was night, there was not much to see, but the walk was pretty and the candle light had a good effect.   The light was so dim, none of our pictures of the "effect" turned out.

When we reached the Treasury, they played a couple of musical pieces and gave us hot tea to drink.  We sat on a rug on the ground and took in the experience.  A bit surreal1

We left quickly when the program was over and walked out ahead of most of the people.  We went to Mystic Pizza just outside the Petra site and had pizza for dinner.  Firas picked us up when we finished and took us back to the hotel.  We were really tired after all of the excitement and exercise of the day.

We went straight to bed and to sleep.  We need to meet Firas at 8 am tomorrow.  We decided to forego another donkey ride to the highest mountain in Petra to see Aaron's tomb (brother of Moses).  Instead we are going to explore some of the other sites on foot.  Tim wants to climb up to the high altar.  We'll see!