Petra: One for the Bucket List

Think of Jordan and you probably think of Petra. I doubt anyone goes to Jordan without visiting it; in fact a lot of people go there specifically for Petra alone, even day-tripping in from Israel or Egypt just to see it.

And no wonder: it’s amazing.

So when we arrived in Amman, Jordan’s capital city, we were already pretty excited. I’ve been waiting to see Petra for years but the timing has just never been right and I’ve always been…somewhere else.

We spent a day exploring Amman’s topsy-turvy network of streets and skinny alleyways where the shops and restaurants all seem to be built one on top of the other.

Amman has more than its fair share of Roman ruins, too – like the massive Roman Theatre built in the 2nd century AD, which dominates the modern-day downtown.

It was time. The next day we caught a bus to Wadi Musa, the little town that grew up around Petra. Wadi Musa is one of those places that has really capitalised on its convenient location right next to a UNESCO protected wonder of the world. Visitors who aren’t day-tripping in can base themselves in hotels ranging from basic guesthouses all the way up to major resort chains. It’s basically one long strip of mediocre restaurants and mini-marts, including options like a fast-food joint selling camel burgers and a store called the ‘Indiana Jones Supermarket’. I think you can probably buy the Holy Grail there.

We checked into the Petra Moon hotel, dropped off our stuff and went straight to the main gates. We bought two-day passes and headed for the Siq – a narrow canyon that leads to the ancient city’s entrance.

The walk through the Siq is 1.2 kilometers of sheer rock walls and anticipation. A glimpse of the iconic Treasury ahead – and then we arrived in front of it. We knew what to expect – who hasn’t seen a photo of the Treasury – but it didn’t matter. We stood there and looked up in awe.

So called because legend has it that an Egyptian Pharaoh once hid treasure here, the Treasury is actually a 2000 year old tomb.

Most of Petra that we can see today was carved out of the pink sandstone massifs by a nomadic tribe called the Nabateans, over a span of about 500 years starting in the 6th century BC. At one point around 30 000 people lived there but as trade routes gradually shifted the city’s fortunes waned and by AD 106 the Romans took over. They made Petra a provincial capital and added their own touches like the Colonnaded Street, a thoroughfare originally lined with marble columns right through the center of town. But the Nabatean city suffered a few earthquakes and by the mid 500s it was abandoned. Drifting into obscurity Petra became a forgotten city in the desert, hidden amongst the canyons and known only to local Bedouins…Until one day in 1812 when a Swiss explorer discovered it and told the whole world.

We stood and stared at the Treasury wondering how something this impressive was ever lost for more than a millennium in the sands of time.

We hiked up to the High Place of Sacrifice, a smooth platform once used for religious sacrifice as its name suggests.

There’s a smooth stone altar here and niches for storing statues, and drains to channel sacrificial blood.

More recent additions to the site include carpets and a refrigerator.

By the time we got back down the sun was dipping low in the sky, so we walked along the Street of Facades to the Royal Tombs to watch the light slide down over them as the sun set.

We aren’t early risers but we were up and out at 6 am for our second visit. This was one of those few cases where getting up early is actually worth it: we had the Siq and the Treasury nearly to ourselves.

And then before it got too too hot, we climbed way up around the tombs for another look at the Treasury from a different angle. It’s magical.

By 9.30 am as the crowds were arriving at the site, we were starving and enjoying a huge and well-deserved breakfast back at the hotel.

On our third visit, we made the long walk to the Monastery, probably the second most famous of Petra’s legendary monuments.

Despite its name, it is in fact another massive tomb (those ancient Nabateans really liked tombs). It’s also a steep 40 minute trek from the main part of the city and surrounded by viewpoints from where you can see all the way to Israel and Palestine.

Of course, because it’s me we’re talking about here, I managed to find a cat slinking around the High Place of Sacrifice (presumably unaware of the spot’s bloody history).

And Oyv found Petra beer (later on though, not actually in a tomb or anything).

All in all, we walked about 55 000 steps. If only the ancient Nabateans could see us now, tracking our visit to their city on fitbits, maybe buying a refreshing smoothie at the High Place of Sacrifice.

All the walking and climbing in the heat left us exhausted and it was a bit of a relief to exit the site on the third visit.

Afterwards, we went to the famous Cave Bar for drinks. At 2000 years old it’s the oldest bar in the world.

Today you can order overpriced wine there and listen to Despacito but this bar was once – that’s right, you guessed it – a Nabatean tomb.

Both of us had really looked forward to Petra – for a long time – and the Nabateans did not let us down with their incredible city.

We made plans to move on in the morning. We wanted to do a little snorkelling in the Red Sea – after all, Petra’s not all there is to do around here. But it’s pretty amazing.

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For more of my adventures (and misadventures) in Jordan, check out the rest of my stories from the road.