BigBlueBugBlog: Jordan

Our flight to the Philippines from Israel had a layover in Amman. We did the good "Round the World trip" thing and got off the plane to see Jordan!

We planned our 3 day visit so we would spend Christian's *30th* birthday in Petra!!

Us on top of ZuZu the camel.

This is the obligatory "us on a camel" shot in the Middle East! Getting up and down off a camel feels like a roller coaster ride. They are quite tall, and when they go to sit on the ground, they bend their front legs first, so you feel like you are about to fall off over the head of the camel. Then they put their back legs down and you are level with the ground.

Petra was built by the Nabataeans about 2000 years ago. They were well off because they controlled some caravan trading routes that were not the famous silk route but equally international.

Most of the carvings that look like houses or temples in the rocks are actually tombs. The more ornate, larger tombs were for the Kings and rich people. The tomb style was influenced by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Some of the temples are an exact copy of a Roman Temple.

I (Laura) actually had visited Petra 11 years ago when Jordan first opened the border from Israel. It was interesting to see the changes in Jordan and at Petra since then. I remember a very dusty underdeveloped country with men in traditional dress hanging out on the sidewalks with not much to do. It felt remarkably more developed this time - lots more cars and pavement, people looking busy, dressed more in the Western style.

Petra itself was also a lot busier - a ton of tourists this time! There were a lot more tourist facilities in Wadi Mousa, the town next door that services the park. Adnan, our driver and tour guide, confirmed this saying there were 4 hotels 12 years ago. Now there are over 70! Everything looks a lot more modern - air conditioned taxis, etc. Amazing what 11 years will do! I can't say the hordes of people contributed to my enjoyment this time.

Petra remained undiscovered for a long time because it is hidden, fortress like, behind "al-Siq". Al-Siq is a long valley, or "wadi" in Arabic.

The Nabataeans were pagan idol-worshipers, and apparently their neighbors were too. In the walls of the wadi you could see depressions carved out, where visitors could place their "portable" idols.

At the end of the Wadi you catch your first view of the "Treasury" (not really a treasury).

The Treasury. This carving has been made famous by "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade".

Although the outsides look so impressive, the insides of all the ornate tombs in Petra are little more than rectangular caves.

The rock colors of Petra are just as spectacular as the carvings.

Laura, posing as a good Brown Alumni.

The "Monastery" or "Al-Deir".

This carving looks just like the Treasury, but I thought it was more impressive because it is HUGE.

Overlooking Petra and the Monastery, near sunset.

One thing that hasn't changed in the 11 years since I have been to Petra is the friendliness of the local Bedouins.

The Bedouins were living in the park as recently as 20 years ago, when they were kicked out to a nearby re-settlement town. One of them pointed out to us which ruin he used to live in when he was a kid.

Abed and his cousin were playing beautiful music on the hill at the far edge of Petra, near the Monastery. They camp out in the park illegally many nights and invited us to join them (we declined). We did stay to catch some enchanting Bedouin songs.