Jordan Pt 2 - Petra

Petra, or rather the picture of what is called "The Treasury" (it was actually a tomb) is about all most people know about Jordan. It is one of the "new" Seven Wonders of the World. Six out of Seven "old" Wonders of the World were destroyed along time ago so I guess it was time for a new list. 

So of course, Petra was on our list of things we had to see, but seriously, in no way, were we prepared for Petra. Most people go to Petra for a few hours and go back either to Aqaba or the capital city Amman. Some people combine it with a half day in Wadi Rum. What?! All in the same day? I guess if you've only got 8 hours to spend you have to make some hard choices. We went in for two days in Petra and were sad we didn't have more time. (3-4 days is our recommendation.)

Quick history lesson. People had lived in the Petra are for 1000 before they really settled in and started making permanent settlements in the rocks. They really got going on the stuff we can see today about 300BCE. So about 2300 years ago. After a few earthquakes that destroyed most of the city and a redirection of the trade routes, Petra ended up being completely abandoned by around 600CE. 

Petra is beautiful and unfathomable in its complexity, but what we weren't prepared for was the scope. The campus is massive. It just keeps going and there are so many structures and tombs and caves that it would take weeks to see everything. And around every corner tucked behind some rocks there are cool ancient caves or carvings that no one cares about because you can't kick a rock without hitting something carved 2000 years ago for many square miles around.

One of the cool things about Petra is that the entrance is up near town and it's a 30 minute walk downhill to get to the first stop. They have donkeys, horses, and a few golf carts to get everyone down so it's pretty accessible.  

The walk through the canyon feels like going back in time. It's the same way visitors have been entering the city for thousands of years.

It's between 2500ft and 4500ft elevation so it's a little chilly.

Oh wait! What's that...?

First stop is the thing everyone is here to see. The Treasury.

It was never used as a treasury. It's a tomb. They called it The Treasury because they found a lot of valuables in there. It is worth it's reputation. Wedged in this canyon, it feels HUGE. And in great condition to for being a few thousand years old. It doesn't look like it was made yesterday, but the corners are pretty sharp in some spots. It was featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and they really milked that for all it's worth. They sell whips in the gift shop. (No Guthrie did not get a whip as a souvenir.) 

Like Wadi Rum, the Bedouins are solely responsible for all services and tours inside the area. They have shops everywhere inside Petra and they are always available to offer camel, donkey, and horse rides. 

There are definitely a high percentage of people who come in to see The Treasury, check it off the list and head out. But once you walk a little further down the canyon it opens up on the real spectacle of Petra.

Here's an amphitheater built around 100CE that could seat 5000 people.

There is a whole walk you can do that takes you past tomb after tomb carved into the rock.

Lots of stuff for sale everywhere. Hey, the camels are cute!

There was also a hike you could do that would take you to a spot where you could view The Treasury from above. It took a while and it meant climbing stairs. A LOT of stairs. The good news was that we saw very few people on this part.

We still took time for some breaks to enjoy the view.

It was getting late, but there was no thoughts of turning back. None. Seriously, how could anyone have even thought about not pushing all the way through to see The Treasury from above. Heh. Only a fool would have even considered it. (But it was a long way up.)

And finally, the Instagram shot we worked so hard for...

Worth it. 

Ok. Like I said, it was getting on in the day. And I also mentioned that we were going to spend two days in Petra. So let's chat about our accommodations for the evening. One important fact needs to be stated first. There are a lot of signs at the gate saying that it was completely illegal to sleep inside Petra. Clearly they had some issues that needed to be handled by making sure no one tried to sleep within the site. There was a hotel in Petra at one time, but they shut that down in 1995. I say all this with the caveat that what we did was completely sanctioned and 100% legal. No funny business for us. 

Remember back in the previous post when we talked about how the government was trying to lure Bedouins out of certain areas (national parks and historic sites) with free houses, health care, and schools? Well, Petra was home to many, many Bedouins for as long as Petra has been around. But when Petra got designated a World Heritage site and tourism was beginning to boom because the Middle East quieted down, the Jordanian government made a hard sell to encourage Bedouins to resettle just outside the site. (This was at least a more humane way of moving local people than anything the US has every tried.) Most Bedouin families took the deal. 40 families refused to move out and live in Petra to this day.

And because of the landscape, these families live in caves. Caves that have been inhabited for thousands of years. So one guy decides he is going to Airbnb one of his caves so tourists can get the authentic Bedouin experience. He even has a deal set up with the park rangers that he tells them how many guests he has in the cave and they approve the visitors for overnight. And the JL crew, plus Jess, thought this sounded like the perfect place to spend the night.

Our guy's name is Feras, but he had a few loose ends to take care of so he send his brother to meet us and show us the way to the cave. His brother was home from university for a visit. He studies electrical engineering, but loves coming home to Petra and helps out with the family businesses. He told us we had to walk a ways and it was up a hill and behind some mountains. But don't worry. He brought a donkey. Guthrie was freaked out, but Wally was up for a little relaxation on the mountain paths atop a donkey.

But wait. Did you know donkeys are incredibly strong. Chris was told that a donkey could carry three of him, but Chris was with Guthrie when it came to riding animals. He told the brother he was a vegetarian and he said "You don't eat him! You ride him!" But lookee here, who else wants a ride?

And off they went.

We walked for a while. Up and around the backside of a mountain away from tourists. Feras has 11 brothers and sisters. His father had four wives, but divorced wife #1 and wife #3 a while ago. They all live in a series of caves further along the trail. They have internet, bathrooms, showers with hot water, kitchens and all kinds of sitting rooms. They have camels, donkeys, a horse, and several trucks. We didn't get to see all of this, but it sounded way more luxurious than many hotels we have stayed in over the years. 

We finally got to our cave. Pictures of the outside would have to wait till morning as it was getting a little dark. But we did go and put our stuff down in the sleeping room. 

Everyone was a little nervous about being cold, but we were assured that with the blankets we would be quite cozy. But hey, it's been a long day. Time to relax in the sitting room. And enjoy some hot tea. 

Tea time was delicious and we sat and chatted while we waited for dinner. There was a nice bathroom, a big screen TV, wifi, and all the chargers you could ever want. Chris hung out in the kitchen for a bit while dinner was cooking.

In the middle of the room was the heater. As we all know, little boys love fire. And bigger boys like to be warm.

We hung out for a long time talking with Feras and his cousins. They were all so kind and we drank tea and covered lots of topics of conversation. It was warm and relaxing and chill. The men (not including Chris) smoked hookah, or shisha all night long. 

The best part by far though was exchanging riddles with the guys. It started with Jess who has spent a lot of time at summer camp playing camp games. You may know the games by other names but think of things like "Black Magic," "The Green Glass Door," and "Johnny Whoop." Then Feras started asking riddles and the kids got really into it. All three kids asked Feras and his cousins every riddle they could think of. We did this for hours. It was just this perfect moment. We couldn't be more different or from further apart. But there was so much joy in the room. Laughter and teasing. Triumph. We went late into the night before we finally got to dinner. This picture is one of my favorites. Wally and Guthrie really have Feras stumped on a riddle and the boys are just loving it.

Off to bed after dinner. And yes, it was a lot warmer than you expected it to be. Chilly, yes. But not too shabby. And then this is the view in the morning...

And as long as there was hummus and pita, which there always was, Guthrie was happy. What's not pictured in the breakfast spread below is the scrambled eggs. Pita, eggs, and yogurt made for an amazing breakfast.

Here you can see a better view of the sitting room which is like a front porch to the cave. It does hang off a cliff with quite a drop.

Group pic at the door to our cave. Feras is on the far right. He is a joyful and genuine soul. He loves everything about being Bedouin and living in Petra. And he really wants to share real human experiences with people from all over the globe and teach them about his home.

Yes. It is call the Indiana Jones Cave. It needs a new name. There have to be better options than that.

After breakfast and goodbye's we really wanted to do one more big hike before it was time to head back to the ship. On ship time was at 1600 so we needed to be a little bit mindful of time to get back.

Feras helped Wally tie his headscarf correctly for the hike. 

We were heading to a place called The Monastery. And it was another climb. More steps than yesterday, but ultimately a shorter distance.

And at the top...

The Treasury gets extra cool points for being in a canyon. But this place looks and feels bigger. And you have to work for it. No golf carts take you to this place. 

And so that concludes Petra. And our time in Jordan. The hike back down from The Monastery, and all the way back across the whole of Petra, and up and out of the canyon took a while. But it gave us a chance to take it all in one last time. Truly, it's hard to get your head around. The scope, the centuries, the details. It is unlike any place we've ever been to. And Petra happens to be surrounded by this completely amazing country. And there are so many more places to see and things to do in Jordan. Feras listed off another 25 things we could have done with our time. Who knows if any of us will ever get back here. The future is wide open. But at the very least, if you ever get to Jordan and experience the culture, the landscape, and the sites, you won't be able to say "No ever told me this place was so cool!" 

(Guthrie loves Petra too. He's just "sooooo tired of walking!")