Jordan - 2017 (Part 2)
Tuesday - Petra
Our guide was born in Petra, so this was really his homeground and I think it really showed. We had a great day in Petra, starting earlyish (about 7:30) to get into Petra before it got too busy. Even then, it had been open an hour and it was fairly busy in the Siq (as the gorge is known) and in front of the Treasury.
First temple you pass on the way down from the entrance
Into the Siq
On the way down, Ogler pointed out the ‘stations’ that visitors would pray at along the way and also the eroded figures of a man and a camel carved into the Siq wall, indicative of the importance of Petra as a staging post for caravans (not those annoying white boxes towed slowly around Europe by the Dutch!).
Wind and rain have carved "Elephant Rock"
Our group in the steep sided Siq (or Gorge)
Feet of Camel and man carved into the wall
I would say my expectation of Petra was sky high, but was still exceeded.
Our first glimpse of the Treasury in daylight
Treasury's facade incredibly preserved due to location out of wind
Facade towers above the ground
Another view from further away
It was pretty special to see the Treasury loom up at the end of the Siq, but what impressed me most was the sheer scale of Petra, with dozens of other tombs (for that’s what they were) as big or bigger than the Treasury (although it’s definitely the least eroded) and hundreds of smaller, cave tombs.
Panaroma of some of the many tombs in Petra
Many of the tombs challenge the Treasury for scale, but are more eroded
Smaller cave tombs
Climbing up, we got a better view of the tombs across the valley
and passed through a few small wind carved caves
Petra's Theatre
We also saw a Theatre (like those in Amman and Jerash) and the temple of the town of Petra, before carrying at a grueling climb in 40C+ sun to the ‘Monastery’ (another impressive tomb) at the top of 858 steps!
Glorious multicoloured sandstone - They sell bottles of it, like at Blackgang Chine in the Isle of Wight!
Gates to the town of Petra
The main temple in Petra
Starting the grueling climb to the Monastery (858 steps apparently, but it felt like more in the blazing heat!)
A small tomb on the way up
A view of part of the long climb up - Nearly there!
Once there it was a case of retracing our steps or carrying along a little trod path (but a proper one as witnessed by the workmen we saw repairing part of it along the way) across precipitous drops, but impressive desert mountain scenery. We chose, as you’ve probably guessed, the latter and it was remarkably quiet if not a little vertigo inducing at times until we reached a couple of 4WD truck which, very uncomfortably for those of us daft enough to climb in the open backs, returned us to our hotel, the Petra Moon.
Worth the climb, the Monastery is one of the best preserved tombs of all
One section of the rugged path back down the 'other' side.
This donkey took a liking to me and followed us for some time before wandering off to some other
donkeys
Yet another climb in Petra - Not a restful day!
We enjoyed a wonderful meal in the hotel rooftop restaurant that evening, after a few of us had enjoyed the rather chilly pool in the latter part of the afternoon.
Over dinner, Ogler suggested that, if we want to see Petra at it’s best, we get up really early and start trekking in around 6:30, so most of us decided, in for a penny, in for a pound, that’s what we’d do the next morning!
Wednesday AM - Petra & Little Petra
Lorraine met Mandy and I in reception at 6:30 and we were soon heading back into Petra.
Back into the twisty Siq, with no-one else in sight!
As we entered the Siq, there were a couple of young Arab tourists ahead of us, but they stopped to take photographs of themselves and we then had the whole Siq to ourselves until we entered into the area in front of the Treasury, where only a couple of tourists were around and a few of the local traders.
The early morning approach to the Treasury
Mandy and I in front of the Treasury
It was great to wander around with so few people (and while it was still relatively cool), but Mandy decided that her knee wasn’t up to a lot more walking after the previous day, so Lorraine and I continued on down the main path and then headed up to explore the Royal Tombs, which are larger than the Treasury and were surely the highlights of Petra before centuries of wind and rain took their toll. They’re still pretty impressive and the remarkable colours of the sand inside was something unexpected.
The Royal Tombs
The Royal Tombs
The Sextius Florentinus Tomb
After this Lorraine, too, headed back, but I decided to take on the climb to take me to a viewing point above the Treasury.
As the sun started to climb, it was hot work, but it only took around 15 minutes to reach the top of the climb and then another 5 to reach the viewpoint.
What I found was a small tent, perched on a tiny outcrop of rock. Inside were 5 young Americans and a load playful kittens. There were no locals inside, maybe they get there later in the day? Some of the Americans were sitting with their legs hanging over the cliff edge,but I’m not great with drops like that, so I clung to the rather flimsy looking structure, took a few photos and headed back down, pausing on the way in another hilltop (but less precariously so) tent to buy a cold Pepsi from one of the locals who sells cold drinks to thirsty visitors and had told me it was ‘5 minutes’ to the top as I’d passed him coming up.
The view down onto the Treasury...
...and the precipitous viewpoint it was taken from!
He pointed out Abraham’s tomb atop a distant mountain and a door in a nearby rock, which he explained was where he lived! It was worth the walk, but tiring after the long day’s walking the previous day.
View from the top of Petra, near where I stopped for a drink
I got back to the hotel, hot and tired, about 10:15, grabbed a quick breakfast with some of the other tour members (We’d been joined a couple of nights earlier by a few more people bringing our total to 16) and just had time for a shower and a change of clothes before we checked out.
After a quick stop in a local store, to buy beer (for those unable to go without it for just one night!) and water (and an ice cream for us!), we drove a few miles to Little Petra, which is what it says, a smaller scale version of the main thing, with its own temples and other buildings.
Tomb in Little Petra
Two storey building in Little Petra
Narrow valley of Little Petra
Like Petra, this had been a staging post on the Spice route and was well worth a short visit in its own right.
View into Little Petra