Entrance to the 'siq'

As we approach the entrance to the siq, there are groups of Bedouins plying their services here, pony rides into the park or horse and cart rides. They take people from inside the park to this area and return again to find more customers. The sound of horses' hooves are heard all the time.

Obelisk tombs

The tombs on the top has an Egyptian style, very similar to an obelisk and therefore is being referred to as the 'obelisk' tombs. The tombs in the lower part is referred to as the 'triclinium', presumably containing chambers used for memorial feasts to the dead. Today we don't celebrate our dead like they did in the days of pharoahs and the Nabataeans.

Djinn blocks

These are carved blocks of rocks near the entrance and are known as 'Djinn' blocks. Djinns are malevolent spirits in the Arab culture. They are probably Nabataean tombs of an earlier period. Most of the monuments are so huge that one can't miss them.

Petra

From the entrance to the start of the 'siq' is this long stretch of dirt path. It's a fun walk at the start of each day but at the end of the day, it is a tiring walk. That is why it is important to stay as close to the entrance as possible. If one is staying further out in Wadi Musa, one might have to take a taxi to the hotel at the end of the day. There are lots of Bedouins plying horse rides along this path or horse carts. Not everyone who visits are young and fit. A lot are elderly and older and less fit and these means of transportation are a godsent.

Wadi Musa

The village serving Petra is called Wadi Musa. It is a hilly village that is nondescript, filled with little restaurants, little hotels, stores that sell souvenirs. The bus from Amman stops at a station near the entrance to Petra and if you are staying at a hotel near the entrance, you won't have to bother with the rest of Wadi Musa. There are a lot of buses between Amman and Petra. Many hotels in Amman offers day trips to Petra. The Express bus is the JETT bus. Just take a taxi to the JETT depot before 6.30am every morning, buy a ticket and be in Petra in 3 hours. It leaves everyday at 4pm from Petra for the return trip to Amman. We took this bus but stayed 3 days.

Come and have tea

I did not climb all the way to the top though I could and should have. I was a little scared. There was nothing up there, just a beautiful view and a cute Bedouin little girl. She can't be more than 10 years old. She greeted us and yelled to us to 'come and have tea.' Her accent and the maturity of her voice was impeccable. It's was fascinating to realise English isn't their language and they don't go to school. They just learned it from the tourists. 'Come and have tea..... I insist', she hollered. Majenica did go up to have tea. We stayed below.

Lots of climbing

There was lots of steps to climb. I was rather tentative on my first day. I have memories of falling down on the last 2 of trips. I fell in Cappadocia, slipped over some loose gravel, fell on my behind and slammed my left elbow on the rock and cut it opened. I fell last March in the Peloponnese, rolled down a little hill. I was fine after our first day.

The gate at Little Petra

The entrance to Little Petra is short and rather tight unlike that of Petra. Little Petra is a very small area and is free to visit. Most people do it when they have time left over but we did it first.It was a good interlude to whet our appetite for Petra.

Friends

 Sophie, Majenica and Meredith.

We met Majenica and Meredith, a father and daughter, while on the JETT bus from Amman to Petra. We didn't have any hotel reservation and ended staying at the hotel where they had their reservations. The La Maison Petra was very nice and inexpensive. It was closed to the entrance of Petra. Here we were frolicking in Little Petra. There were some frescoes in the upper chamber and Sophie and Majenica climbed up to see it. I, on the other hand, stayed below with Meredith. Sometimes we do meet people who were willing to travel with us even for a day or two. It's always nice but not always necessary because our traveling style is so different and our pace is different too. Sophie and I are always putting ourselves down for not being as agile as the younger people but compared to a lot of older folks we are still able to hold our own. This trip, we climbed and hiked like the young ones. I'm so pleased.

Little Petra

A few kilometres away is Little Petra, dubbed Little Petra because it is a smaller version of Petra. The main Petra is a huge area but Little Petra is a much smaller area and takes just one hour to view everything. There's no entrance fee except one does need to hire a taxi to take you there and wait for you and then take you back. We left Amman very early on our first day. While there are mini buses that can take you to Petra, we opted for the JETT bus that leaves its Amman depot at 6.30 am every morning and returns to Amman everyday at 4pm. So it is possible to visit Petra as a daytrip, we stayed 3 days. We arrived at 9.30 am and decided to go to Little Petra. When we finished we realised we still have time for Petra. So we hurried back to the village, had lunch, bought a three day pass for Petra and started our afternoon in Petra. The cost of a one day pass is 50JD, 55JD for a 2 days and 60JD for a three day pass. JD is for Jordanian Dinar as opposed to the Saudi Dinar. The JD is stronger than our US dollar. It's 1JD to US$1.45. While it takes more US$, the costs of living in Jordan is much lower and your JD's do go further. We met another traveling duo, a father and daughter and we sort of traveled with them the whole 3 days.

Bedouins

Ever since the discovery of Petra, visitors have traveled to the area with Bible in hand. So much in Genesis happened in and around that area. Jordan is also called 'the other Holy land', mostly because a lot of the events mentioned in the Bible happened on this side of the river Jordan and the Dead sea. Aaron, Moses' brother is supposed to be buried here. Moses was supposed to have struck the rock for water on this side. The Edomites who lived here were later replaced by the Nabataeans and it was the Nabataeans who built most if not all the beautiful monuments that we see today. The Bedouins of Arabia began migrating into this area and today they are found all over Petra. Also known as 'Bedu' or nomads, today, most of them have more or less settled. Their 'goat hair' woven tents are mostly for display. They live in ramshackle huts all over the rocky area, they ply their goods and services to the tourists. Some still tend to their animals, the rest just sell kitsch, hire themselves out as guides, offer donkey, horse or camel rides. They can be aggressive in plying their wares and services but mostly they are friendly and hospitable. The invitation to have tea is always there. One cannot walk or hike or climb anywhere in Petra without bumping into a Bedouin family. I'm almost glad because some parts are so deserted that it feels good to know that someone is always close by, whether it be women and their children or this lone old lady.

Petra, Jordan

A land, harsh and inhospitable but was settled from very early times. The land of 'Seir' as indentified in the Bible. Deuteronomy Chapter 2 : 4 ' You (the Israelites) are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir.' The descendants of Esau were also identified as the Edomites. The Horites lived here first but were replaced by the Edomites. Deuteronomy Chapter 2 : 12 'Horites used to live in Seir but the descendants of Esau drove them out.' Esau was the older brother of Jacob. The biblical name is Seir but its Greek name is 'Petra'.

I'm back

This was a nice little hotel, close to the entrance to Petra. One needs to stay near the entrance. It's a long walk from the entrance to the 'siq' and the 'siq' is another long walk into the whole area. At the end of the days, the track back to the hotel is long and arduous. I've just arrived back from the airport after having travelled a whole 24 hours. We spent 5 days in Jordan. Our Cairo trip a few years ago was 5 days also. That's all the time I have and we managed to squeeze a lot in. It was cold and wet, raining almost every days. I wasn't dressed quite warm enough but I didn't care. The first hotel in Amman had no heat and no hot water. That was tough. The next hotel in Amman had both heat and reliable hot water and a lot more services and cheap too. Jordanians are a very warm and friendly people. We met a lot of tourists while there, even in this kind of weather. That was quite heartening to know.

Whistlestop

I shall be away in Petra, Jordan for a very short visit.

Lots of eggs

Lots of local farm eggs and a ton of butter from Brittany or Normandy goes into the making of the very delicious omelettes at the restaurant La Mere Poulard.

Lunch @ La Mere Poulard

The restaurant, La Mere Poulard in Mont St Michel, their famous omelette with lobster and potatoes with truffles. Mmmmmm it was so good but Sophie had intestinal problems after eating lunch here for days. It wasn't a good memory for her. The lobster wasn't fresh and wasn't reheated through. The picture is pretty though.

French pastry

We arrived on a rainey morning at Mont St Michel. After looking at pictures of the fabled church for so many years, we were finally at its foot. The bottom of the place was a shopping mecca with most visitors staying here longer than at the top where the church and abbey is. It's no wonder because of the tantalising display of foods and kitsch they have for sale. Here is a peek into a pastry shop window. I think I see some of the famous French pastry called 'kouign-amann'.

Orange blossoms

Orange juice, orange blossoms...... memories of both keep flooding back. In winter, there is nothing interesting in the market. Soon the Orange blossoms will come back and we will enjoy fresh oranges again. The grapefruit tree in Sophie's backyard is clean of fruit. Over the holidays we raided the tree and turned all the fruit into juice. It tasted so good. I am reminded of the incredibly sweet orange juice so readily available all over Morocco. It's worth it just to be in Morocco to drink its orange juice. These orange blossoms were at a stand in Fes. We bought some just to smell it.

Breakfast on the rooftop

This wasn't some 4 star hotel or the Hilton. It was a local family run place, they were new and eager to please. I promised I'd write a good review on them in Tripadviser which I did. I forgot the name of this place. Breakfast consisted of freshly squeezed orange juice, the OJ in Morocco is legendary, it is so sweet and cheap and available at every corner in the country. There's the hard boiled egg, local bread, local jam and honey. I think we got coffee as well.