“How can I possibly decide between the 5,000 photos I took of the same thing?”
If I don’t post about Petra now, it’s not going to happen. And I really should, because it’s a place that truly deserves a chunk of your tourism budget. Unfortunately, I continue to suffer from what I term the “toothpaste dilemma”- ça veut dire, trop de choix. When I walk into a supermarket- usually in search of a tube of toothpaste- I am always paralyzed by the thirty different varieties that I must pick from (yes, ice cream parlors give me the same problem). I find this brand of commercial decadence paralyzing, and more often than not I’m happier to turn around and walk out, sans toothpaste.
But this blog entry isn’t about toothpaste. It’s about forcing you to visit Jordan. So without further ado, I present to you an onslaught of sandstone:
[CliffsNotes on Petra: Greek for “rock”. An archaeological city dating from the sixth century B.C that was built by the Nabataeans. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, and absolutely amazing; you should click here for more information. ]
Your journey starts with wide open sandy roads that slowly close in like so…
You still don’t know what to fully expect, so you snap pics of “neat” stuff like this. You don’t yet realize that these small carvings are not so impressive…
The video above shows the Treasury. It’s not a treasury, but instead got its name from the Bedouin belief that pirates hid ancient pharoanic treasures in the tholos (the urn shown here). In an attempt to release the treasure, Bedouins periodically fired guns at it and you can see their genius handiwork to this day. Nice work, guys.
Photographs really can’t do monumental accomplishments like this any justice- but isn’t that always the way?
Apart from the blazing sun, the only irritating thing about Petra was all the Bedouins asking, “Hey lady, you want to ride camel/horse/donkey up to the monastery?” They are pushier than the women selling jewelery on Goree Island.
These dudes followed us for a good 400 meters. Really, riding a donkey is not on my bucket list.
A German tour group was in front of us as we passed this area. I understood nothing except the words, “Champs-Élysées”. So there you have it- as far as I am concerned, this was Petra’s version of commerce and prestige.
We had to hike uphill, 800 steps, in the snow, both ways, to get to this “building.” Really, what do you call these- they are still rocks, after all. I’ll just call it what the donkey guy called it, the monastery. I’m pretty sure I had heat stroke (yes, again) by this stage. Good thing I had a t perilous 30 minute downhill return trip.
The descent back to the main area. Here’s genius Megan, walking and snapping photos. I don’t know how I don’t trip more often…
I can’t seem to stop posting, but I know I need to wrap this entry up…
On our way back out again, after a long but unparalleled day. There’s a pound of sand in my shoes, and I had a protective coating of dust in my lungs as well. But that shouldn’t deter you- after all, you don’t see this kind of craftsmanship everyday- or every millennium.
P.S. I have to post this last creation, courtesy of my imaginative brother-in-law. Once he realized that the place depicted at the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was real, he got inspired to devise his own plan for retrieving the Grail. No coconuts or African Swallows required:
