Petra in Jordan

Petra is one of those places that need no introduction.  It is considered one of the new 7 Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The area around Petra was settled as early as 7,000 years ago.  For 2,000 years only the local Bedouins knew of its existence.  Then in 1812 a Swiss traveler, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who converted to Islam, and disguised himself as an Arab, found the lost city.  Today most westerners heard of Petra or seen images of it from the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

We arrived in Petra in the afternoon and after checking into the Petra Boutique Hotel, was given a quick tour of the town.  We were asked whether we wanted to go see "Petra by Night" a light show presented in the middle of Petra itself.  Many raised their hands but after dinner, I was the only who wanted to go.

Petra Boutique Hotel

The hotel is located about a 5-minute walk from the entrance to Petra.  The night show was supposed to start at 8pm and costs $30.  After dinner Mohammed took me to the entrance of Petra and helped me buy a ticket.  When I walked inside the road to Petra it was pitched dark.  Luckily, I met a couple of young British guys and walked with them for about a mile and a half before we saw a crowd.

The show was ready to start at the Treasury Building.  It was a LED show with some commentary.  The show lasted about 30 minutes and was quite impressive.  

The next morning after breakfast, we gathered in front of the entrance to Petra.  Mohammed gave us a talk about the history of Petra and what we are about to see.

Entrance to Petra

Plaza in front of Entrance

Map of Petra

Mohammed explaining the layout of Petra

We first visited the museum before walking into the grounds of Petra.

Museum

Walking the road inside

Ruins on the way

Toilets along the way

We walked inside a narrow passageway between the rocks.

Mohammed explaining the water collection system

More walking

Carvings on the sides

As we walked through a narrow passageway, it finally opened up.  We have arrived at the highlight of Petra - the Treasury Building.  There was a big crowd in front of the building.

Narrow Passageway

Finally, the Treasury

There is more to Petra than the Treasury.  This area has been settled by many tribes and people.  What remains today show the different people who lived  here.

After lots of walking in the area some of us were ready to take the golf carts out of the canyon.  It costs $15 to take one of those carts.  Before we leave Petra we had a final group picture in front of the Treasury Building.

The group with Mohammed squatting

It was a long and exciting day.  Many of us signed up for this pre-trip just to visit Petra.  We were not disappointed.  Seeing it in person and experiencing the surroundings made a big difference.  We are now ready to travel to Egypt to see more historic sites.

Amman to Petra Jordan - Mount Nebo and Madaba

Today we'll drive on the King's Highway to Petra.  It's an all-day trip, stopping in many historical places along the way.  The King's Highway is a 5,000 year-old trade route.  We see historic sites, picturesque villages and a scenic route through the mountains.  Our first stop is Mount Nebo.  This is the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promise Land before he died.  Here you can also see the West Bank, across from the Jordan River, and sometimes on a clear day, Jerusalem.

This Christian church from Byzantine times was visited by Pope John Paul II in 2000 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.

Our location

This serpentine cross structure is symbolic of the bronze serpent invoked by Moses in the wilderness and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.  Created by Gian Paolo Fantoni.

From Mount Nebo we traveled to Madaba, where we'll visit St. George's Church.  The 19th Century Greek Orthodox church contains many historical information about the early days of Christianity.  

St. George's Church

We had lunch at a local restaurant before heading to Petra.

Local restaurant where we had lunch

Our location on the map

Amman Jordan

I started my trip in Amman, Jordan.  I flew from New York's JFK Airport to Istanbul, had a 4-hour layover, then flew to Amman.  I arrived a little past midnight in Amman.  I was met by Karim, the OAT representative, as I deplaned.  Karim had all my paperwork filled out and obtained the Jordanian visa for me.  I was a little nervous about this process because I thought I'd have to do it all by myself.  But OAT and Karim had this worked out.  

I thought my luggage would be one of the first to arrive at the luggage carousel since I was flying business class on Turkish Airlines.  Instead we waited and waited until all the luggage were delivered.  Karim checked and found out that my luggage was being detained because they found a binocular in my suitcase. The security took about an hour going through my binoculars - brand, power, etc.  Apparently, Jordan does not permit binoculars that are above a certain power into the country because of military reasons.  Nothing was explained to me.  I did not arrive at the Crowne Plaza Hotel until 3am that morning.

Since I arrived a day early I had the day free to myself.  I was told that the museum in Amman may be worth visiting.  I took an Uber to the museum, about 15 minutes away in downtown Amman.  

Entrance to the Jordanian Museum in Amman

The museum gave a history of the origins of the Jordan people.  It is a small museum.  I walked through the museum in less than an hour.

That evening we met our tour leader Mohammed.  We also met other travelers and had a nice dinner at the hotel.  There were 10 of us and all of us were to continue with the trip to Egypt.  The next morning after a buffet breakfast, we met to hear Mohammed explain about our Jordan trip and then get ready to explore our first trip in Jordan - to the Citadel and Roman Theater.

Our group, with Mohammed, at the Citadel

Roman Ruins

Amphitheater

Abu Darwish Mosque

Amphitheater

More Roman Ruins

After visiting the Old City we traveled to the older section of downtown Amman.  Here we walked through shops and narrow alleys and ate at a local restaurant.

Walking through narrow streets

Eating Jordan food

At a local restaurant

Kitchen staff

Preparing our meals

We walked through the busiest part of Amman, where the traffic is very busy and there are many types of shops catering to the locals.

A fabric shop

An open-air market

Spices

Nuts

The next day we explore Jerash, one of the best-preserved and complete Greco-Roman city built in AD70.

Later we stopped at a place where they make all kinds of ceramic pieces:  plaques, tables, cases, etc

That night we had dinner at a local Jordanian family.  We talked about what their lives is like living in Jordan.  The conversation was lively and the kids were eager to hear more about America.