Into Jordan + Petra
We were handed off to two men in an SUV. I’ll never forget the welcome we got from our guide once settled inside, “On behalf of King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, and all of the Jordanian people, I welcome you to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.” We pulled out of the border checkpoint and were on the road to Petra!
An immediate difference that I spotted was the complete insignificance of road markings. Or complete lack there of. It’s not frightening though, it’s normal for these drivers. It was just such a sharp contrast from Israel!
This was legit desert and it was dusty. The dust was making for a hazy horizon. Our guide, who’d been schooling us in Jordanian history since his welcoming speech, described this dust as a weather phenomenon that they track in the same way we track thunderstorms. He also spoke at length about the sedimentary rocks that jutted up from the Earth along the highway. This geological talk was a constant with him throughout the day, which I was thankful for. The Jordanian Highlands include an absolute WALL of mountains at the boarder with Israel. They tower and are completely impenetrable. The border essentially needs no guard posts for >100miles, from what my naked eye could tell. Our guide told us all about the fault line and weather patterns of the area. He also taught us about the Bedouin people. These are an ancient nomadic people who lived inside the desert to this day. Many of them, in modern times, have settled on the edges of town so their children can attend school while they continued to graze their camels and sheep. Others have completely moved into towns after, as our guide explained, King Abdullah worked hard to supply every Jordanian with a house. Our guide would often point out Bedouin camps off out along the highway. The special mark of a Bedouin camp is their black canvas tents. We also saw several lone shepherds (male and female) leading herds through the sand on our route.
We headed north to Petra. One stop to potty, and we immediately knew the deal. Our guides clearly have an arrangement with the roadside shop, the deal wasn’t concealed by either party. This was where I was introduced to authentic Turkish coffee, an introduction I will forever be grateful for <3. The shop overlooked an insane view of the mountains and sandstone structures of the area surrounding Petra. The shop had thousands of items in stock, from carpets to paintings to prayer rugs, bandanas, and camel sculptures. Dad bought a knife made of Damascus steel (which is apparently all the rage), it was dull enough that everyone was sure if could fly without issue. I bought my momma her little tea spoon.
We continued down the road, stopping only once more to chat quickly with our tour company. The next two days were decided upon. Tomorrow we’d do a “hike” that everyone agreed wouldn’t be too difficult. But the whole time I honestly didn’t understand our plans at all. I was just trusting my life with these people.
As we pull up to Petra, our guide handed us a bottle of water and began to explain what we should expect from the Bedouin souvenir salespeople within the park. He explained that they all speak English, but that many will specifically speak to only him in Arabic to tell him to get us to buy their items. He explained that he has an obligation as a guide to ask us, he must maintain his relationship with the people in the park. He told us to be very firm, not to say “maybe later” if we weren’t interested. He asked if there was indeed anything we’d be interested in buying (I said yes, incense) and if we have any interest in riding camels or horses (we said no!), saying we should consider this now and stick to our decisions. Haha it was really a pep talk. He laid out his obligations, and the position he was in having to care for both us and the native people making a living in the area. I told him I understood.
Petra is one of the 7 Wonders of the World, the third I’ve been able to visit. It was constructed by the Nabataeans, who I’d never heard of. The Nabataean Kingdom was established in the 3rd century, and their capital, Petra, was constructed in the middle of freaking nowhere circa 300 BC. These guys were water geniuses, they could move water great distances and store it in ways that allowed them to thrive in the harshest conditions. That’s what Petra was all about. Entering the park, you follow the water line. This was a deep winding crevasse (Al Siq) where the Nabataeans carved paths to route rainfall to their city. They carved curves and conduits into the soft sandstone that directed water together and then led it straight down to the main living areas. We followed this narrow canyon until we hit the main event, the key facade of the park- the Treasury. It barely peaked through the sandstone crevice until we stepped out into the sun beneath it. Then it towered, loomed above us. The structure wasn’t at all a structure, it was a carving in the shape of a structure, with huge pillars, statues, and architecture that was reminiscent of Roman buildings. We grabbed a few photos, but were advised by our guide to move along because the sun would be better and the tourists would clear out after lunch- making for a better experience and better photos. He was taking care of us.
At the Treasury, we were hit with the first Bedouin assault. This assault would last the remainder of the excursion. It was a constant, undying hum of English and Arabic voices asking if we wanted to buy souvenirs. Some shouts, some flirts even. Men and women and children all hoping for a sale. ALL so charismatic. All clever. All fishing, chasing a bite. (They were also all so pretty.) It was immensely entertaining for me, but probably remarkably annoying for some. Some salespeople made me laugh out loud, some couldn't take no for an answer. All with perfectly pronounced English syllables. Especially the men and boys wanting us to ride their donkeys/camels/horses. They’d shout “Taxi!” and rush over to us with their animals. Every salesboy, after being denied would say, “later?” I mean every single one. “Maybe later?” And I’d have to say no. “Later!” “You buy later?” It was a song on repeat, a code word, a mantra. I’d always say no because our guide pre-warned us about this word!! It was spinning into some funny bits too though: After we’d hiked up a tall trail to see another facade, we came back down the same souvenir-lined trail and passed all the same folks. One lady, laying in the shade under her sales tent, said in perfect English- “I remember you, you said later! I trusted you!” This was said with a slightly sarcastic whimper and it made me giggle for so long after because I thought it was so clever, and so did she.
One thing I didn’t realize about Petra was that it wasn’t just the Treasury. Two weeks before the trip I thought Petra was literally just that one building. But no, the city sprawled and sprawled. We did quite a bit of hiking! Our guide explained the tombs, the customs, the religious importance of carvings. All kinds of facts. “Fact onslaught” was basically the theme of this whole trip!
The place at one point was conquered by, you guessed it, the Romans. They slapped a cardo right in the middle of the town. We walked on it after our touristy buffet lunch.
We hiked for over 5 miles, was a mild doozy on the feet. If you like rocks, visit Petra.
The only souvenir in Jordan that I got was a gift for Brooke, genuine myrrh.
Our driver came to get us, he took us to our camp. All I knew was that we would be in a “Bedouin camp.” So I like genuinely didn’t expect to have a shower and honestly wondered if I’d be sleeping snuggled up with goats on a haystack. But, as it turns out, we were in for a night of luxury!!
Yes, it was technically a tent. But it was air conditioned, electrical, and WiFi-ed. The landscape was insanity, the food was delicious, and I was just so thankful to be adventuring.
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