Petra, Jordan from Aqaba port
Today, November 4, 2012 I took my first visit to the country
of Jordan and to the famous archeological site of Petra.
Our ship docked at Aqaba, a booming resort town, known for
its gulf’s colorful reefs, is considered one of the best diving destinations
worldwide. What’s most interesting is
that it is situated at a crossroads between Asia and Africa. In fact, from the upper deck of our ship in
the Gulf of Aqaba, you could clearly see Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Eliat,
Israel. They are so close you feel you
can reach out and touch them. I
meditated on the peaceful panorama of twinkling evening lights among lands of Arabs,
Egyptians, and Jews.
Departing from Aqaba, Jordan’s only seaport (in an otherwise
landlocked nation), I took a private tour to the ancient city of Petra,
declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1985.
Of note, Petra is considered to be a symbol of Jordan and is its most
visited tourist attraction.
Petra
Background
Established possibly as early as 312 BC, Petra is a historical and archaeological
city in Jordan that is famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit
system.
The site remained unknown to the Western World
until 1812, when it was introduced by Swiss
explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. It was described
as "a rose-red city half as old as time". Recently, Petra was chosen
by the Smithsonian Magazine as one of the
"28 Places to See Before You Die."
Our private tour leader, (Peter Roos, who I met online) arranged
for two mini-buses and six taxis to transport us all to the site, located
approximately 2 hours away from the port of Aqaba, Jordan. Our first stop was
to a local currency exchange office to exchange $71 for 50 Jordan dinars. The
entrance fee to Petra is only payable local currency.
Next, our driver, Amnett gave us a brief rest-stop break in
a large well-organized, store with a beautiful assortment of local crafts,
souvenirs, clothing, perfume, and more.
We had been warned that Egypt would spoil us with its bargaining
practices. Here, they were only willing
to reduce prices by about 10 or 15%. In Egypt,
we experienced the opposite, where you could end up paying only 15 or 20% (or less)
of the original asking price. I was not
tempted to buy anything.
On the drive to Petra, I observed mountains and beautifully
colored desert dotted with Bedouin camps, complete with camels, donkeys and
tents, and very few fertile patches fueled by irrigated water from the Red Sea.
Amnett contrasted Egyptian versus Arab culture specifying
the differences between their way of life, income levels, shopping, practices,
etc. It was clear he feels that Arabs
look down upon Egyptians as inferior beings. He is proud to be an Arab and not
a North African. OUCH!
We arrived in Petra two hours later and formed two tour groups.
Before we entered the site of Petra, most of our group elected to take the 10
min. horseback ride up until we reached the entrance of the famous site. Allergic to horses, I chose to walk alongside
our guide, Adnan, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Jordanian. He explained to me that he found French
customers to be the most difficult because they are very knowledgeable about
history and often challenge much of what he shares.
Americans, in contrast, are the easiest because they don't care about
history and all they want to do is take photographs of things they know nothing
about. Sadly, we proved to fit the
stereotype. (Karla included).
We entered the famous sic, the long, narrow two-mile
passageway, surrounded by spectacular 300 feet high rose-colored rock
formation, that lead to the ancient city of Petra. Adnan pointed out numerous shrines, temples,
cave dwellings, statues, and carvings along the route. We shared this narrow
pathway with numerous horse-drawn carriages carrying passengers to and from the
city at a rate of $30 per couple. We had to dodge horses, carriages, and
donkeys throughout the two-mile walk. It took us approximately 40 min. to walk
through.
The buildup for the main site was Adman suggesting we stay
to the left and prepare ourselves for the feast that was to come. And
there it was – –the spectacular, piece de resistance: the Treasury. This well preserved structure, 140 feet high,
90 feet wide and carved out of solid rock, held treasures of the ancient
culture. In front of it were a flurry of
crowds of excited tourists snapping their cameras; souvenir- filled shops;
beautifully decorated camels for hire; camel owners recruiting passengers; and
more. It was awe-inspiring-- simply spectacular.
Next, we continued beyond the Treasury through the vast
unpaved ancient city. Yes, we were
mostly walking in sand as we marveled at the towering temples, royal tombs,
carved Roman theatre, burial chambers, paved streets, large and small houses
and public buildings.
We fast-walked for 45 minutes, in the hot sun, non-stop,
back through the busy sic to our meeting point.
Our leader suggested this. I
don’t know HOW I kept up with the group.
It’s a wonder I did not pass out.
That was likely the best exercise I had in more than 10
years!!
Because the ship extended our stay in port by 1 1/2 hours,
we considered adding a visit to Wadi Rum (where the Indiana Jones films were
made). In the end, we opted to head back to the ship, not risking missing our
sail away.
It was another great day of learning and exploring!
