On every tour guide's or travel group's list of Places to Visit, Petra rates near the top of the list. What these guides and groups fail to tell travelers is that one has to walk one and one-half miles to the entrance through the winding path carved out of the caverns and under the blazing, unforgiving desert sun in 105 degree temperature. To give Princess Tours the credit it deserves, all the literature that we received from the ship stated that it was a strenuous walking tour and one of the most active shore excursions that was recommended for only those passengers who were physically fit. Both Sara and her friend Sue from Las Vegas had wondered the day before if they were capable of completing the trip. What amazed us when we all gathered in the Cabaret Lounge at 7 a.m. was how many physically fit passengers were on the ship.
Ten buses were assigned for this tour, the largest number to date. When we were in China, we learned that eight is a very lucky number. Being assigned to the Red 8 bus, along with Sue, was very fortunate for us. Our guide Soli grew up in Petra, was an archeologist who worked on the excavation of the two drivers and two camels in Petra from 1996 to 1998, taught history in the secondary schools and was now a full-time tour guide. (For all our friends who are, or have been, teachers, Soli preferred giving tours to teaching students. We thought it was because tourists gave tips rather than complaints!) Soli's favorite piece of advice was, "Feel free to be free!"
Petra, which is probably tied for the title of the world's most dramatic lost city along with Machu Picchu in Peru, has been lauded in both the Bible and the third entry in Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark movies, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. So it had to be something special. On our two-hour trip from Aqaba to Petra, we learned that Aqaba means difficult or hard because it is surrounded by a chain of mountains while Petra comes from the Greek word for rock. We passed many small villages whose colors blended into the mountains. In this arid country, little vegetation exists with only small patches of greenery.
Petra was built by the Nabataeans during the time of the Roman Empire more that 2,200 years ago. The Nabataeans chose the site for its natural springs, its natural fortification and its location on the ancient trading routes, which also made it a target for attacks by the Romans, who absorbed the kingdom into the Roman Empire in 106 AD. Petra and the Nabataeans continued to flourish and prosper until a large earthquake in 363 AD destroyed many of the buildings and crippled the water management systems. Changes in the trade routes eventually left Petra abandoned and lost to the memory of all, except the Beduions who traveled through the area and camped there. In 1812, the Swiss explorer Johannes Burchhardt set out to rediscover Petra. Disguised as an Arab scholar, he convinced a Bedouin guide to help him infiltrate the lost city.
Today tourists from all over the world marvel at the structures these ancient societies built. We learned that the two ways to get into the city are on two feet or four feet by horse to the entrance the Siq, the long, winding sandstone canyon, or by horse-drawn buggy through the Siq down to the Treasury. Deeming ourselves physically fit, we chose to walk with our guide, who provided detailed commentary at several spots. Highlights on the Siq included the remains of the terracotta pipes built onto the sides of the canyon to carry water, the section that was ridden through in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the five steps of fertility carvings on the rock walls, Nemo the whale who changes into a winking elephant with one eye on the front of the naturally created formation, and the two camels and two drivers that Soli helped to excavate.
At one point, Soli asked us to stand on the right side and then walk across to the left side. He then directed us to turn back the way we had come and close our eyes. With our eyes still closed, he played the theme song from the Raiders of the Lost Ark movies on his cellphone and then commanded us to open our eyes. As soon as our eyes opened, we viewed the jaw-dropping grandeur of the Treasury, the picture-postcard view of Petra. The two schools of thought are that this building was either a tomb for a master king or a temple for a master king. The building was carved from the top down in three stages for the protection of the workers. It was one of the most impressive structures that we have ever seen. According to legend, pirates left treasure in the urn that sat on the top level. Treasure hunters first tried to climb up to the urn and then tired to shoot at it as attested to by the bullet marks on the urn. However, they found nothing because the urn was solid rock.
The craftsmen added eagles to the Treasury, which are the symbols of undertakers escorting the souls to heaven. A horse was on each side representing Castor, the good twin, and Polax, the evil twin. Castor's horse faced east to represent the new day while Polax's horse looked west to signify death.
We walked with our guide through the Street of Facades, the name given to a row of Nabataean tombs carved into the cliff. The higher the tomb and the more elaborate the intricate carvings, the wealthier the family. Carved into the side of the mountain by the Nabataeans in the first century AD was the theater, which could accommodate 4,000 spectators.
Our guide then gave us an hour on our own. Ken decided that we should climb up numerous flight of stairs cut into the rock to the High Place of Sacrifice. Once we reached the top, we were rewarded with a spectacular view of all of Petra. This High Place of Sacrifice was used for important religious ceremonies honoring the Nabatean gods and for funeral rites. What amazed us was that vendor stands were open at the top of our climb and that two tourists were smoking cigarettes inside the temple at the top. On the way down, Sara stopped at one of the vendors and purchased a silver pendant that was part of the Queen Noir project to help residents make a living. According to our guide, the young woman from the United States who became the fourth wife of King Hussein had made a great difference in the lives of Jordanian women, who represent 60 percent of the country's population. She is friendly with the current King Abdullah II and his wife Queen Rania, named one of the most beautiful women in the world, who also is involved with the education of Jordan's women.
Walking up through the Street of Facades and the Sig was much more strenuous than walking down. Here was where many of our fellow travelers fell behind. They tried, often unsuccessfully, to engage the horse-drawn carriages that were already rented by other travelers at the bottom of the Sig. We came upon some friends about half-way up the Sig, allowing Ken to go ahead, passing all other tourists while Sara stayed with our friends. After getting Ron and Judy in a carriage and Neilly on a horse, she and Bob walked the distance to the visitor's center where they caught up with our fellow travelers.
We were hot, tired, sweaty, thirsty and covered with dust but content. Petra was truly magnificent and worthy of its rating as one of the must-sees in the world. Our guide Soli was one of the best trained guides we have ever encountered. Now Sara wants to plan a trip to visit the lost city of Machu Picchu. Ken, just accept the fact that you are going there!
What a fabulous report of your trip to Petra. We are on the WC in 2011 and Petra is a must see for us. We will be seeing Machu Picchu in Jan 2011 so it will be a good year to see Petra. Thank you, we can't wait!
ReplyDeleteCheers