While they did scan my knapsack 5 times upon entry into Israel, it was still a surprisingly low tech border crossing, and nothing compared to Jordan. They had digital photos accompanied by electronic thumb printing – guess they are quite protective of their antiquities, and so they should be.
Jordanians ooze pride when they highlight that Petra has been voted one of the “new” Seven Wonders of the World. We shared a cab for the 5 hour drive south of the capital Amman to Petra, through the various desert canyon lands and valleys, sprinkled with medieval forts, oases and archeological sites.
Arriving around dusk, we then learned of the recently introduced “Petra by night” available three nights a week (and tonight was one). Beginning at 8pm a group of about 200 followed a candle lit path through the main entry 2 km long slot canyon only to emerge at the instantly recognizable “Treasury”. The area was illuminated by flittering candles within sandbags set about the entrance. We were provided straw mats for seating and tea for refreshment, all a prelude to a haunting musical performance on recorder and Rababa (a single stringed upright fiddle - “hillbilly-like”). The cavernous surroundings provided spectacular acoustics adding to the spiritual ambiance.
The night affair having provided such an outstanding overture, we were ready for the main event. Arriving at 8am (I know – another anomaly for me), we were well ahead of the tour crowds (day trips from Amman and Southern Israel) we pretty much had the run of the place. We repeated our steps from the night before – this time marveling at the now visible contours and colours of the canyon walls, only interrupted by the odd horse-drawn carriage carrying the well-healed crowd. This time the “Treasury” revealed its full splendor reminiscent of those ubiquitous photos from every Jordan tourism ad and, of course, featured in the third installment of the Indiana Jones movie series (The Last Crusade). What we did not realize was how much more to the site there was beyond (helping to justify the hefty $75 entry fee). After an exhausting one hour continuously uphill hike into a hidden side canyon, yet another unrivalled structure reveals itself. The sheer magnitude of the five-story ”Monastery” carved into a solid rock cliff face is an engineering marvel, made all the more impressive given the obscure and hidden setting.
We were in awe and spent eight hours that day examining every Petra nook and cranny. We didn’t want to leave but we had a date in the desert with a Bedouin!
This time we dispensed with the camel in favour of a 4WD, and spent the day checking out the rocky cliffs, arches and desert landscapes of Wadi Rum. Many of the areas attraction do not have Arab names, but rather are humourously named after “Lawrence of Arabia” (although fictional – there is now “lore” built up around Larry’s rock house refuge, an oasis, and well/bath). The lack of any ambient light at night offered a view of the starry sky only experienced in a planetarium back home. After dinner and some traditional music, we bedded down Bedouin style in our sand sheltered tents.
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