Petra, and a birthday like no other

There are more fascinating facts about Petra than we could ever discuss here, but here’s some to prepare would-be visitors. First, it is vast. The more you wander around its reaches, the more ancient sites you uncover; there are so many more than the ones we all picture. Just about everyone knows The Treasury and The Monastery, yet even those two are a hike and a significant climb apart. The truth is, the ancient hidden city covers a total of an incredible 38 square miles, and houses nearly 850 registered ancient sites; add to this the startling fact that archaeologists believe that only 20% of Petra has been uncovered, if so then there are many more secrets concealed by this amazing place.

It is, though, now a major tourist attraction with large numbers each day, and some of the hallmarks are present. One wonders about Burckhardt and his amazing discovery; if he could see the Indiana Jones gift shops, pizza parlours and plush hotels near its entrance, or the numerous hawkers and cafes even within its boundaries, he may well have decided to protect the Bedouins’ secret rather than share with the world! 

But, don’t be put off, Petra remains a miraculous spectacle which is without doubt one of the most incredible places we have visited anywhere in the World, it is truly wonderful, and awe inspiring. The Siq, the main entrance way even in Nabatean times, is in reality a split in the Earth caused by tectonic movement; splits which parted the Earth itself to form natural streets between towering cliffs. The Nabateans moved in and built these incredible constructions into those huge natural facades – and, 2,600 years later, they remain remarkably well preserved. It is a truly fabulous place to visit.

Our hike today is different, in that Ahmad drives us out into the desert, via a detour to see Little Petra, also well worth a visit, and then walks only part way with us. He then gives us directions and we hike alone, around the mountain path, till we once more enter Petra via a side door, sweeping down to The Monastery itself. Another absolutely awesome view.

And so we complete our tour of the major sites, visiting the tombs and palaces we missed yesterday, completing over 20 miles of mountain hiking over the two days. 

Then, into the afternoon….

Today is Phil’s birthday, Ahmad and his family know this and are having a Bedouin celebration for him, the meal is at 4pm, we are collected by his brother and shown to our mat on the floor. In the middle of the plastic sheet on the floor is a huge platter, tonight we are honoured to be served their national and celebratory dish mansaf. A huge amount of rice with chicken or lamb sprinkled with huge amounts of herbs and roasted pine nuts served with lashings of goats yoghurt and very thin bread. Ahmad eats this expertly with his right hand, we opt for the easy way and use a spoon, the food is delicious!  Bedouin coffee to follow, a bit too much like medicine for Michaela but Phil downs 3 cups of this strong thyme and cardamom infused coffee.  

More members of the family arrive and we are ushered into another room and plunged into darkness, apart from blazing candles on a birthday cake. Everyone sings Happy Birthday, they must have been practicing as other than Ahmad they only speak a little English.  The lights are turned back on to reveal a banquet of Arabic sweets which are served with the cake, baklava and a huge selection of other sticky treats. Another round of tea and coffee and it is time to leave, feeling like very honoured guests! 

We head back to Petra this evening to witness “Petra At Night”, a popular event around which we’ve read differing views. It is basically a tourist event, a candlelit gathering in front of The Treasury, where crowds sit amongst the lanterns and under the stars, and musicians play traditional Bedouin music whilst a modest light show illuminates the facade.

Walking through The Siq, itself lined with lanterns, amongst the excited crowd, is a pleasant experience in a cool atmosphere. The show itself is modest and a little contrived, but it is still worth a go, whilst here.

And so our wonderful visit to Petra, and Wadi Musa, is over, as we move on tomorrow. Ahmad and his family have been wonderful hosts and have given us the fabulous authentic Bedouin experience we were really hoping for. 

Sad to leave. Excited about what lies ahead.