Choosing wisely in Petra

We finally left Amman and made our way to Petra!

On the way, we visited Mount Nebo where Moses supposedly saw the Promised Land before he died. This viewpoint, 30km south of Amman, allowed us to see the Dead Sea from afar. According to the landmark information, on a clear day, you can see up to Jerusalem but, unfortunately, it was rainy and foggy that day.

The drive to Petra took an additional 2.5h through a flat and rocky desert, with a few cities lost in the middle of nowhere.

We passed by the Shobak castle and the so-called smallest hotel in the world, which is basically just a bed in a small car. 

We also had the chance to visit Little Petra under the rain! It was an unexpected treat because the water was going down the Triclinium (Little Petra's version of Al-Khazna) making the rocks resemble cream puffs covered in melted chocolate.

After spending the night at Wadi Musa, the main city next to Petra, we left early to enter the Siq. This winding road that goes through the bottom of the extremely tall and impressive canyon, almost makes you feel like you are being engulfed by the Earth. 

Near the end of the Siq, you start seeing the canyon slowly opening to reveal the Al-Khazna, also known as the Treasury, the most recognized monument in Petra, pictured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. This 40m facade is grandiose and we spent a good amount of time admiring it and replaying the scene where the old knight says “We chose wisely” to come so early and avoid the crowds.

Continuing down the trail, we discover other superb remains of the Nabataean civilization who had Petra as their capital during the first century BC: facades, a theater, temples, tombs, just to name a few, until we reached the stairs going all the way up to the Monastery of Ad Deir. 

The 850 step climb was hard and we had to resist the urge to accept the donkey rides multiple times but, once we reached the top, the incredible 48m tall Monastery of Ad Deir definitely made the 1h climb worthwhile.

After a much deserved break, we started making our way back down but this time, as we were not completely out of breath, we were actually able to enjoy the beautiful landscapes and we almost started appreciating the constant smell of donkey poop (which is everywhere and you have to zigzag your way through the steps to avoid all of the extremely fresh donkey poop).

Once back at the bottom of the canyon, we decided to start heading back to the exit. We had been walking for 5h and only covered the main trail that goes from the Visitor Centre to the Monastery. 

To be continued…