We arrived in Wadi Musa two days ago and have had some time to explore the nearby wonder of the world known as the City of Petra. I was first introduced to Petra on the big screen when Indiana Jones went there to find the Holy Grail. Ever since then I put it on my bucket list of places to see.
The above picture is known as the treasury and is one of many places carved out of the solid rock walls of this amazing place. This rewarding view is revealed after you wind your way through a kilometer of twisting rock walls on either side of you (this pathway is called the Siq). There are several spectacular places to see after the Treasury, including the Theatre, the Royal Tombs, Colonnaded Street, and the Ad-Deir (the Monestary).
In Jordan it tends to get a tad hot around this time of the year so we have had to go twice a day. We come back to our hotel during the hottest part of the day which is somewhere in the +40C range. Going in the morning and evening has afforded us some pretty unique views of this ancient city.
Tonight we went to an event simply called Petra at Night. Lanterns light the way from the visitor center, through the Siq and end in front of the Treasury. DawnO and I completely nailed it by going really early and watching them set up. We were fortunate enough to get some great photos with no people! Once the crowd arrived we sat around the candles and listened to Bedouin artists play music, sing songs, and tell stories about Petra and their way of life.
We are heading to Wadi Rum tomorrow and rumour has it that we may not have internet access for a couple of days. So don’t panic, moms. We are safe and alive and will send a message when we can.
WOW!!
Thanks for the warning! Mom O
Thanks for the warning about no news for a few days!