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Petra
Everyone made their way back to the hotel on their own and found a variety of ways to unwind after such an exciting and, frankly, exhausting day. For some it was a dip in the hotel pool, for others a walk into Wadi Musa for the experience of a Turkish Bath. Tomorrow it is back on the road as we continue south for visits to Wadi Rum and the port city of Aqaba. |
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Truth
be told, this is the day that problably more than any other convinced the
members of the group to make the journey to Jordan--and our day in Petra did not
disappoint. If you carefully scan our group picture, however, you are going to
find a few folks missing. The McPhies and Mays are nowhere to be found (but
relax; they're all fine). The reason they missed the group shot was because,
having been to Petra for a short visit once before, they decided to break free
of our guide (and the group) and strike off on their own in an effort to visit
the High Place of Sacrifice and its related sites as well as make the climb to
Al Deir (the "Monastery"). While the McPhies succeeded in the quest
(and consequently logged probably the longest distance, and without question the
most altitude change), the Mays had to turn back about half way up to Al Deir.
For
the rest of us our journey through the narrow Siq to the Khasneh (the
"Treasury"; see the picture on the "Jordan 2005" top page,
or the classic scene from "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" for an
idea of what that experience is like) was only the beginning of a day of
breathtaking sites. Because of the fame of the Treasury, many people who have
never been to Petra are surprised to learn that there are more than 600 tombs
carved into the sandstone walls of what was once a Nabatean necropolis. Not all
of them are as spectacular as the Treasury or the "Royal Tombs" shown
in this picture, but there is still something to be said for the impact of the
shear volume. Sometimes it seems that everywhere one looks one encounters signs
of tombs, niches for images of gods and goddesses, or some other kind of carving
dating back more than 2,000 years. But if you think such overwhelming numbers
would gradually make you numb to the experience, let us assure you that you
would be wrong.
Of
course, Petra did not remain a burial city throughout its centuries of
existence. It had become a thriving trade city even before the Romans succeeded
in capturing it late in the first century. Consequently there are also
impressive remains of buildings in parts of Petra as well, along with the cardo
street lined with monumental columns characteristic of Roman cities. Those ruins
were the last that we reached before sitting down for lunch within the ancient
city as itself. After lunch, the group disbanded with everyone going their
separate ways to form unique impressions and memories of this UNESCO world
heritage site.