03.01.23 (catching up from personal blogs)
Feb 14, 2023: Jerusalem: Petra, Jordan, part I
They don’t call Petra one of the Seven Wonders of the World for no reason: it is beyond magical. It is beyond jaw-dropping, and every type of exaggerated expression you could come up with.
Our journey started at 0730 on morning one, as we were picked up in Jerusalem and headed southeast to Jordan. The trip started rough since we spent about five hours at the border crossing and we initially didn’t know the cause. It was a simple human error as one of our fellow tourists fell asleep on bus #1 and was not awakened at the border to exit! He finally did, and even so, the process of border crossing was one of the most challenging ever, since we had to pay a FEE to exit Israel ($52 per), and another to ENTER Jordan, as well as leave a day later ($70 for both). That involved two different stops, but we lost half of day one, which made everyone, including our Jordanian guide, a bit testy…
We stopped along the way at Mt. Nebo, which was, according to the Bible, where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land before his death. The views were beautiful and the ride up to it was staggering and windy, which really brought home how mountainous the country is, as well as having a lot of NOTHING desert. Another side trip to the city of Madaba was next, and their claim to fame is their Byzantine mosaics, especially the 6th century map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Since we still had another three plus hours ride to our overnight camp, most of our bus was anxious to get on the road.
How do you visualize a “Bedouin camp?” Kat and I each had our ideas, and because we arrived in the dark, we weren’t able to fully appreciate it until the next morning. But we got there about 8:00 pm, had a nice dinner, and were shown to our “room,” which was a cabin/tent with enough room for a bed and one side table. Oh, and it had no heater, which did not thrill us, with 35 degrees (F, about 2 degrees C) outside temps, not enough to freeze water, but enough to make those five layers of blankets quite necessary! After dinner we went to a nice entertainment room, a much larger “tent,” with cushions and pillows strewn about, and we hung out with some new friends, a family of three plus a friend, and we all had a chance to enjoy some much-needed rest and some terrific tea. The camp had several dozen rooms, including some which were geodesic domes, and it was nestled into an amazing mountain wall with lights all along the face. They were like little fireflies which made the cold tolerable, and the experience memorable. Along with no heater, we also had no bathroom, but I’ll not share the joy of an overnight visit to THAT room!
An early (leave 0700) morning followed, and we were just 12 minutes from the Petra entrance along a road that was so curved and hilly it even had me worried! But it was worth it as we got to Petra and started our tour just as the sun was coming up about 0730. And to see the sunrise glowing against the illuminated rock faces was something I will always remember. We had all of six hours to enjoy what can take several days, but we made the best of it.
Those next six hours takes a whole focus, so will have that posted tomorrow, and I will share the majesty of the Nabataeans who built Petra in 3000 BC, plus our donkey ride through half the park, the 850 steps we did on the backs of them, plus Kathleen’s amorous male who lit out for a cute little filly!
Feb 15, 2023: Jerusalem: Petra, Jordan, part II
W
ords cannot do Petra justice, nor can photos; it is truly something you must see to appreciate, how a tribe of what we now call Bedouins, which we originally called Nabataeans, built this thousands of years ago. They do not know exactly when the construction started, but it prospered about 1000 BC and was a major trade hub of frankincense, myrrh, and spices, the same gifts we think about when referencing The Three Wise Men who came to visit Jesus’ birth. Later it was taken over by the expanding Roman Empire, and was significant until 363 AD when it was severely damaged by an earthquake. That, plus trade routes that went through alternative roads, caused the city to flounder, and by the 7th century it was mostly abandoned. For 1100 years.
In 1812 a Swiss explorer found it, but it was off limits to “outsiders,” so he masqueraded as an Arab and thereafter shared the city with the world.
The sandstone rock is quite soft which makes it easy to carve, but also prone to damage from wind and water erosion, and as you enter the park it is mostly flat with a few carvings on the rocks. The “Siq” is where the fun starts, which is a narrow gorge about a mile long, and over the centuries it has been flooded and carved into. Channels run along much of the length, as well as damns, which slowed down more water entering the narrow alleyway. With every 100 yards the views change, and we had our guide for this first part, as he explained the history behind it. Towards the end you can see just a view of something BIG, which is the Treasury.
It is spectacular at 40 meters/ 131 ft high, and intricately carved, and includes six pillars with lots of different figures and symbols. Rumor was that there was a treasure inside, but that has never been proven either way. The large area in front is a mega bazaar, with camels lounging about, just waiting to be ridden or have their photos taken. We were told of the possible routes to take from there, and generally they recommend going to the Qasr al-Bint, which is a huge almost square monument, with a still-standing archway. From there you have a few options, but the most popular one, is up to Ad-Deir, also called The Monastery. And that is almost straight up 850 mostly natural stairs, carved into the rock face.
When we were told this we had to decide: do we walk it, ride it on a donkey, or not go. We opted for the donkey, and we were introduced to Abdollah, who told us to call him, “Why Not.” He went on ahead to the stable where we had to pay, and he cautioned us that we would be solicited by others offering the same service and we should just tell them we are “with Why Not.” Cute. It’s a name you cannot forget.
Getting on the donkeys was awkward since neither of us were experienced in donkey riding, and fortunately the first several hundred yards was mostly downhill, so it was just a matter of keeping our balance. All was well and good until we got to the bottom of those 850 steps, and we asked, “We aren’t going up on the donkeys, are we?” and the answer was, “Of course!” So picture this. Steps that vary in height, width, and smoothness, with a deep ravine on our right side. With each step we got jostled and were told to lean forward. Faith, baby, we had to have faith, that these animals know this path and have done it hundreds, maybe thousands of times. With each step we held on, Kat’s bridle actually broke on the way, so Abdollah had to twist the wires together and do a jury-rig repair on the slope. (It’s in the video)
From there it was up to the top, The Monastery, which was larger and more impressive than the Library, and we hung out there for 30 minutes or so, then had to make a HUGE decision. We took the beasts UP the steps; do we take them down?
Honestly, I said NO, I was not comfortable, but Kat wanted to try, so I joined her. That lasted about 8.5 minutes when both of us decided that the DOWN was much worse than the UP. Our guide waited at the bottom of those 850 steps and we got back on, ready to exit the park and join our group. I had in my mind that I wanted to interview a Bedouin, so I did that, side by side, donkey to donkey, with him sitting side saddle. And then, another dose of excitement!
Kat’s donkey decided to take a side trip, thinking he was going to “The Church,” another stop, which we did not have time for, and she was several yards along that reverse path and heard the Call of the Wild, in this case a female donkey braying at the top of that slope, with her ride responding. Like any healthy male, he took off, with My Lovely hanging on for dear life. “Pull back,” I cried out, but Abdollah took off up the hill to save them both. She was shaken, stirred, but carried on until we had to leave them both.
From there we joined our group, had a delicious lunch, and started on our too long trip back to Jerusalem. We had more, but different problems at the border (our bus and driver went to the wrong place!), but made it back, a bit tired, a lot sore, and glad for the experience.
Feb 18, 2023: Jerusalem: Petra, Jordan
This was probably the most unique and fun interview I have ever done! Please enjoy, especially Kathleen’s runaway love struck donkey. Interview with a Bedouin
And feel free to share: https://youtu.be/LUUmNh0Olwo
