Petra and Wadi Rum

Monday, September 18, 2023
Wadi Musa, Ma'an Governorate, Jordan
We have wanted to visit Petra for a long time.
Petra is one of the new 7 wonders of the world (we have also seen2 others - the Colosseum in Rome and Chichen Itza in Mexico). 
Renowned for its charm and ancient cultural heritage, Petra marks the achievement of an impressive civilization, the Nabataean Arabs, who perfectly carved the city into its mountains. It was considered the most important strategic location as a link and point of convergence between the Arabian Peninsula to the south and the Levant in the north, to the far country of China and to the heart of Europe.
The Siq is the main road that lies between the city’s rose colored mountains, which stand at a height of 80m and reach up to 1.2 Km at the end of the Siq. After passing through the siq, it is astounding to see the sight of the Treasury, which represents the masterpiece of the ancient city with a height of up to 45m and width of 30m, all of which is carved into the mountain.
The city dates back to the first century AD and its design reflects the advance of the Nabataean civilization
On July 7, 2007 Petra was announced as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and has become a popular tourist destination.
We were at the site early (with a carpark full of coaches) to begin our journey into the ancient city. Some of our group got golf carts to the Treasury however we walked. The Treasury is the famous icon of Petra (and Jordan) that most would recognize, but the site is soooo much more than that. There are caves everywhere, a theatre, tombs etc and at the end of the journey, a 90 minute round trip up steep stairs to see the Monastery. Tim and a few others did this however I did not. 
There are cafes and bars deep in caves too!
It is not known precisely when Petra was built, but the city began to proposer as the capital of Nabataean Empire from the 1st century BC. By the middle of the 7th century Petra appears to have been largely deserted and it was then lost to all except local Bedouin from the area.
Words and photos do not do any justice to this place. It was just incredible and no wonder it has been listed as one of the 7 wonders of the world. That said, the walk back in the heat was arduous and my face looked like a beetroot when I returned. In fact, anyone who did the walk back looked the same - I did regret not getting the golf cart although they charge a small fortune for that! That little excursion was 15,000 very busy steps! (Tim did over 20,000 steps because of his journey to the Monastery)!
On the way back, I also saw Bernie, Joans’ friend from Newcastle who was on a donkey! 
We were covered in dirt, dust and sweat by the time we returned to our hotel, but Petra has to be seen to be believed.
We had a few hours to rest, shower, wash our dusty clothes and have a couple of drinks at happy hour before heading out on our night excursion. 
Our excursion was to Little Petra - a stunning location and a little Bedouin Camp where we sat around a fire and had tea and coffee - and a large buffet dinner. The location was a big tent and we had to take our shoes off, and sit on the floor to eat. It was a lovely and peaceful night, as we were all exhausted!
The following day we had a sleep in a we were not departing until 11am which was a nice treat!
We then drove to Wadi Rum. Wadi Rum (Lonely Planet) is everything you’d expect of a quintessential desert: extreme in summer heat and winter cold; violent and moody as the sun slices through chiseled siqs at dawn or melts the division between rock and sand. For most visitors Wadi Rum offers one of the easiest  and safest glimpses of the desert afforded in the region. 
Movies filmed in the area include Star Wars, Lawrence of Arabia, Indians Jones, Aladdin, The Martian and many more. It is like being on another planet here!
On arrival at our desert camp, we headed straight to the bar - it was very hot but the beers were cold! Our rooms were basic (a bed, lights, and en suite bathroom). After a few drinks we jumped on the back of some utes and were driven through the desert. There were massive sand dunes to climb, and then a spectacular sunset with camels everywhere. It was also incredibly dusty! We had a great time on the tour.
We returned to camp for a few drinks and dinner. The weather had cooled significantly and it was lovely to sit outside with the camp lit up. We then had a buffet dinner and a stargazing trip. We were again taken out into the desert to see stars and look through massive telescopes - we even saw Saturn which was just amazing!! 
We had a comfortable nights sleep and then it was time to leave the desert the following morning after breakfast. 
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