Petra

 

Today we are in Petra. The town is built on the side of a bare hill. It is hot and dry but pleasant in a desert sort of way.

We left the hotel at 8.30 and walked to the world heritage site. Our tickets were valued at 50 Dinar or 75 AUD. It sounded a lot but we considered it good value, especially as it was included in the tour cost. Also included in the ticket was a horse ride to the beginning of the canyon.

It was Anna’s first time on a horse as an adult and she was just a little unstable. She was glad to get off. My horse shared her feelings when I got off.

The canyon begins immediately. It is a narrow river gorge that is deeply carved into the sandstone. The downward angle is fairly shallow so I found it hard to get my head around the depth of the erosion.

Originally it was a “Roman” road but has now been rebuilt and it is a very pleasant stroll along its 2km. The sun was not high so the light was perfect. Around every bend was something new. The colours were intense.

 

I guess most everyone has seen pictures of the Treasury.

Let me assure you they don’t do it justice. It is breathtaking. I took 30 photographs and could have stayed all day but there is more, so much more. Eventually Anna dragged me kicking and screaming further into the centrum.

 

 

 

 

 

As you move on from the Treasury the canyon widens and there are several huge tombs of kings on the eastern side. We stopped for a coffee which we shared with a scruffy tomcat who wanted cuddles. From the size of him I think he might have wanted some food too. Pity. I left the cans of Whiskas back in Australia.

 

We found ourselves on the main drag of Petra.

It is a Roman road compete with flag stones and columns.

 

 

 

 

 

Here we picked up Donkeys for the trip up 602 steps to the Monastery ruin on top of the escarpment. Donkeys are tough little blokes. They took my 100 kg without complaint. But they are not like a horse. You move around a lot, especially when the stirrups are too low and don’t quite fit your shoes properly. Anna gave up at the first stair case. I continued on despite the handler telling me I should wait for my wife… so he could pocket the money and go back.

I continued until half way. Let me tell you, it was terrifying. The little animal was amazing but took a route very close to the edges of the drop. I could not help but think if anything goes wrong there are many outcomes and they are all bad. By halfway it was clear that the poor animal was struggling.

The likelihood of a fall was increasing as he kept scraping the stirrup against walls to dislodge my feet so I gave up and got off. I kept thinking of the prediction in my previous entry. I was sweating profusely from the strain and the need to cling on.

I shared a tea with a Bedouin lady who had a pot on a tiny fire. She was a sweaty. So was the tea. Anna came about 5 minutes later and we sat for a while before deciding that we were only half way and it was all too hard.

 

 

 

We went back down for a cooling drink at a restaurant in the valley.

We then started the long haul back. The touts were everywhere offering us donkey, camel or horse rides but we toughed it out and made it back up without drama.