Antonia, Bobby-Joe, Qua and I headed into to town around 8:00p.m. for dinner at the "Sandstone Restaurant" where I ordered a lamb-tomoatoe dish recommended by our waitress. After an enjoyable evening at the "Cave Bar," an old Nabatean tomb converted into a wonderfully interesting place to have drinks with friends, I retired for what was to be an early morning wake-up call and long day of hiking and exploring.
Unlike last year, I actually woke up in time to take the short walk to the gates of Petra with the group. After paying the very affordable entrance fee of 1JD for students and locals (it's 90JD for foreigners), we made our way down to the sandstone corridor (known as the Siq) which winds through the mountains leading to the first and most well-known monument in Petra: The Treasury. The passageway is lined with cool little decorative niches in the walls, and an intricate series of dams and aqueducts that the Nabateans used to prevent flooding and transfer water. If the Nabatean engineering is not enough, then the geologic nature of the sandstone surely impresses even the most skeptical of visitors. As we rounded the last bend of the Siq, I was once again blown away by the beauty and scale of The Treasury. Pictures cannot do this place justice. It's label as one of the "New Seven Wonders of World" is surely deserved, if only for this magnificent structure. But the real wonder of Petra is the monument known as Al-Deir in Arabic (The Monastery). Before making the grueling hike up to Al-Deir, a few friends and I explored the Urn Tomb, one of the many Royal Tombs that gets its name from the urn-like structure at its apex.
After a few photos, and a brief time inside the dark, empty tomb, we headed down Colonnade Street towards the base of the mountain where Al-Deir is located, perhaps one of the greatest structures known to man. I did not make it to the site last summer, and am so very thankful that I had the privilege this year. I am still in awe of the design and scale of what awaited us at the top of this mountain, and cannot for the life of me figure out how they Nabateans carved these monuments out of the mountains with such precision. Al-Deir was well worth the long hike. A short climb up a hill at the top provided us with what the sign called: "The Best View in Petra." I would say it lived up to its name... the panoramic view of the Wadi-Arab desert and mountain ranges on the outskirts of Jordan and Palestine was breathtaking.
After such an eventful and fulfilling day, only the long hike back to our hotel stood in our way. We complained, sure, and by the end of it I could barely walk, but I wouldn't give up the experience for anything.
That afternoon, we loaded the bus again for our short trip to Aqaba. Petra may have been amazing, but I was looking forward to spending time lounging on the beach and swimming in the large pool of the 5-star Intercontinental Hotel. A vacation spot, indeed, I spent the night in the company of friends and woke up to a breakfast of fresh squeezed OJ, American Coffee, pancakes, and real bacon (my first taste of pork in over a month). You can imagine, I was a happy camper. After an early check-out, we got a bit more time to spend on the beach before we departed in the late-afternoon for Wadi Rum.
I wasn't that excited about our return to the desert camp of Jabal Rum, but actually ended up having a great time. Literally the minute upon our arrival, we were shuffled into the backs of two 4WD Toyota LandCruisers (the vehicle of choice for desert-dwelling Bedouins) and sped off into the desert to catch the sunset. We were taken to a neat double-bridge rock formation, then got to climb a large sand dune before running down it full-speed-ahead. It's a lot of fun, if you've never tried it!
After sunset, we were served a dinner including Mansaf and an assortment of dips and salads. The meat was prepared in traditional Bedouin-style: underground in make shift ovens using oil drums and coal. The party after dinner included lots of dubka (the popular Arab dance style, something akin to river dance without the fast foot movement) and a mock wedding. It was fun, but sleep overcame me so I went to bed early.
The next morning, after a light breakfast, we made our way back to Irbid and arrived in the early afternoon. School started again today, and I realized that I only have three weeks left before our final exams! I'm excited about learning as much as possible in my last few weeks, but am definitely ready to get back home and see all of my friends and family.
Hope all is well. Keep in touch!
Salaam,
-Alex
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