Jordan: A week in the Middle East
Petra
Our next stop after the Dead Sea, was Petra. The drive from Dead Sea was about 4+ hours and the first part was on the Dead Sea highway (No 65) along the sea. It was a pretty drive, with the calm deep blue sea on one side, and yellow mountains in varying patterns on the other. The setting sun was giving the water and the mountains many different hues.
There were many oasis located on the road which looked pretty - a small patch of green, surrounded by empty landscape around. There were small villages all along the way, with people in Arabic clothes going about their daily life. There were multiple places to visit on the way too, like Mount Nebo, Karak etc which we did not have the time for.
Also, interestingly the mountains on the other side of the sea are in Israel. During the drive, we droppef at a viewpoint known as the Dead Sea panorama where there are signboards saying that across the Sea, you can see Bethlehm, in Israel (where Jesus Christ was born).
After the Dead Sea highway, we took a different road (Road 60) through the mountains to connect to the Kings highway (No 35). This was the place where Google Maps again lost it and we were driving in the dark, across completely empty mountains with no idea on whether we were on the right track or not! The drive was scenic though, with mountains in pink hues, but it got dark soon, and we missed most of it:(.
Road 60 linked into the Kings highway at a village called [Al Latifah]. By that point we had become a bit scared that we were lost. The road had become completely unpaved and there was just one person on the road who did not speak English. We however crossed the village and reached Kings highway, when we felt better!
The drive thereafter felt beautiful, quaint little villages on hills, lights, and the stars above (and there were cars other than ours on the road, unlike the last two hours!). One interesting thing was that a major part of the Kings highway was lighted. There were street lights along the way which helped - at least we felt we were not completely off track! We finally reached Wadi Musa at night, driving through these villages and pretty scenes we could not see.
Wadi Musa is the town around Petra. It suddenly felt very commercial and touristy - loads of foreigners walking around and multiple eating places. We had a local Arabic dinner at a restaurant called Al Fandi. The waiter at the restaurant was a Syrian and he told us that he speaks Urdu! I found that pretty surprising, but apparently that’s because there are many Indians in Syria and Syrians see a lot of Indian movies.
We then checked into the Moevenpick hotel which was located right outside the entrance to Petra. The hotel also had Indian channels showing Hindi movies! (We saw Welcome, Race and Jhoom Barabar over the next 3 days. On a side note, I am impressed by the reach of Indian movies. I have met people in Tanzania, Jordan and Bali all of whom watch Hindi movies and know Shah Rukh Khan. Its very impressive especially given how tough it is to connect to people who don’t speak your language. But Bollywood has managed to breach these barriers with many cultures)
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| Petra of today |
The next whole day we explored the ancient city of Petra. Petra is a city from 100AD which was built in stone, by the Nabateans Arabs. It was a major trading city, located on some of the major trade routes. It must have been a bustling town in its time, with people coming and going all the time. Petra was then won over by the Romans, but multiple earthquakes thereafter destroyed it, and it was finally abandoned in the 1500s. It was re-discovered much later in the 1800s and since then has been the biggest tourist attraction in Jordan.
What remains now of this grand city of yore, are the still remaining structures which were carved out from the mountains. Most of the free-standing buildings are gone, but only the tombs and other buildings which were carved out of stone stood the test of time. All these buildings look pinkish (Petra is sometimes therefore called the Rose city), are mostly eroded but the outside facades remain. If you can imagine what it would have looked like in its age, it will fascinate you.
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| Petra treasury |
When you enter the gates to Petra, you need to walk for a mile or two to reach the Siq - a 1.5 km entrance to the city, flanked by 20m high cliffs on both sides! It is such a grand entrance to the city, similar to some of the visuals used in Game of Thrones. There are some sculptures in the Siq, remnant of those times. And then you come to the first view of Petra - the Treasury - a huge tomb carved out in stone. It appears pink in low light and is one of the most well maintained building in the complex. You can spend quiet some time just sitting in front of this marvel and imagining what traders travelling between Europe and Asia in those times would have felt like, when they took a break in this city...
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| Tomb facades |
Then you enter the city, walk through its streets, see some of the remains of those times - amphitheater, kings tombs, market place, colonnaded street, nymphaseum, an old temple and so on. Each building must have been grand and impressive at some time, but alas not much remains anymore.
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| Monastery |
We also did a short 3 hour trek to the monastery, a building similar to the treasury located on top of a hill. There is a viewpoint near the monastery too, to get a high-level view of the deserts and valleys around. The sun was too hot by the afternoon and so we came back to our hotel in the evening. Its advisable to wear a cap when visiting in the summer. Its very hot and sandy all around.
The entrance to Petra was 50 JOD for a day which I felt was expensive. Some sites suggest spending multiple days at Petra, but I would think one day is enough. Also, Petra felt a lot more commercial than Amman. From the start, there are people trying to convince you to take a mule ride to the site, and this selling does not end the entire time you are inside! Also, they treat the mules very harshly, this is definitely a place where animal cruelty activists need to make their voices heard.
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| Petra at night |
Anyways, in the evening we went back to Petra - to see the show called ‘Petra by night’. It happens at night, when the whole Siq is lighted up with candles; you walk through the Siq to the treasury where candles fill up the empty space in front of it. For the next 15-20 mins, a Bedouin plays the [harp], one plays the flute and one tells the story of the place.
I was hugely disappointed with it though. The concept seems brilliant - to see Petra at night all lighted up. But the whole show is so shoddily put up - the treasury isn’t even lighted. It would have been a lot better if they had lighted it up instead of putting the candles on the ground! Also, the whole effect is spoilt because everyone around is more interested in recording the event on their phone/camera rather than actually watching it live! Anyways, I think there is huge scope to improve it, but as of now, its completely avoidable!
At night when we came back to our hotel, we heard singing and dancing on the road below and went to take a look. There was a group of about 20-30 local men who were dancing next to the main road and singing along. I am guessing its part of the local traditions, but it was fun to see. Simple movements being done in tandem by all the men, as if they do it everyday.
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| Little Petra painting |
The next morning, we took a quick trip to Little Petra, about 15 kms ahead of Petra. These are the remains of a little settlement from the same time as Petra, which looks like a resting place for traveling merchants. There are similar rock cut structures here, the only difference being that one of the rooms has the original painting still preserved from that time! It was pretty to see, though not much remains. After this quick stop, we were off to Wadi Rum which took about 2 hours, through the desert highway.
Accomodation + Food
We stayed at the Moevenpick hotel which was located just in front of the entrance to Petra. The whole Wadi Musa area is completely touristy, so there are enough restaurants there to eat and hotels to stay. There is a Marriott and Moevenpick located about 10-15 kms from the town, which offer a great view of the valley below, in case you would prefer that. We preferred being close to the entrance though, especially when you come back dead tired after trekking!
The terrace restaurant at the Moevenpick is pretty. It provides a panoramic view of Wadi Musa and the mountains around and is a great place to spend a nice evening after walking around in Petra. They also have an open pool which is refreshing and a very well decorated bar.
In terms of food, we ate at a couple of local places, Al Fandi and mystic Pizza. All offered good tasty food and were relatively cheaper than the hotels. Vegetarian options are there, though limited. So hummus became our staple diet for everyday.
Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum is a huge desert spotted with huge stone mountains. It is almost completely bare, with limited vegetation and dotted with camels and goats. There are about 8 Bedouin villages within the protected area. Its beauty comes from the colour of its sand and mountains - all look yellow in the light. Also, the mountains come in myriad formations due to wind erosion over the years, which give it an exotic feel.
We reached Wadi Rum after about 2 hours drive from Petra. Part of the drive was on the Kings highway and the rest on the very quick Desert Highway - one of the two main roads joining the North and South. The whole landscape in this area is scenic - pretty views on every turn. Its tough to describe what all we saw, but driving in Jordan is really one of the very different drives I have ever done. We drove through many villages in the first half and they seemed to be very well off villages. The houses were all yellow, well constructed and definitely better looking than Amman. Also, all villages had multiple cars parked around.
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| Bedouin camps in Wadi Rum |
At Wadi Rum, most people choose to stay in Bedouin camps - which are tented accomodation run by the local Bedouins, to showcase to tourists how they actually stay. We were staying at Obeid's camp, and his son met us at the Wadi Rum Visitor Center. He drove us to the camp is his own 4X4 jeep, as normal cars cannot drive in the desert sand.
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| Sunset |
We spent one day at their desert camp. In the afternoon, the tents get very very hot, and there are flies around. So we sat outside where there was some breeze and felt cooler. In the evening, the whole weather became better, and the scenes around pretty - with sunlight playing shadow games with the mountains around. We walked to one of the mountains nearby to get a good view of the sunset, and the rest of the evening was spent in taking in the feeling of being out in the desert.
The sky looked mesmerising at night - clear and full of stars. The sand became cool, and the rocks awesome places to sit and take in the surroundings. It was all so quiet and serene, you could see lights far away and hear the sounds of insects. The feeling of being so close to nature is something we miss a lot in our city lives. I loved the few hours we spent there after the sun went down and all was quiet all around.
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| Wadi Rum landscape |
The next day, we took a jeep ride to explore stuff nearby. The guides take you to buy local stuff, see some sand dunes, do sand boarding, climb a mountain, see inscriptions in the stone from 2000 years away, visit the house of Laurence of Arabia and so on. My suggestion though would be to wake up early morning and climb one of the (easier) mountains yourself. The whole area looks so much more fascinating during sunrise - everything in shades of orange rather than yellow of the day!
It was very very hot when we were there, so my suggestion would be that if you are not up for it, the best idea is to reach Wadi Rum in the evening, explore the place the same evening and next day morning and then leave. Doesn't make sense at all to spend an afternoon there, when you won't be able to do anything or go out.
Also, a warning but apparently there are lot of touts at the Park gate who try to ensnare tourists to their camps. So don’t trust what people at the gate tell you, sometimes they try to give the wrong information. Book a Bedouin tent beforehand and go with them only!
Accomodation + Food
Before entering Wadi Rum, we had lunch at Bait Ali lodge, which is located slightly outside the reserve. It was a lot of food, and one of the cheapest we had while in Jordan. Also, I would recommend it as a place to stay for people who may not want to stay in the Bedouin tents, as they have AC rooms there too, for 50 JOD per night.
Obeid's camp was a great experience - there were 3 people of the same family working at the camp. They chat with you, tell you about their way of life, serve you local food, and loads of tea (!). They also arrange all your tours around. The food was great, and they even made Indian rice (basmati) for us! We went in May when its not peak season, and turned out that we were the only ones staying at the Camp. But otherwise, its fun to interact with other people who are visiting the area. And then in the evenings, the Camps also arrange cultural programmes for the tourists which are fun.
The tents were very simple, just a room with a mattress. They are made of goat hair and become very hot during the day - its actually better to stay outside during the day. But at night they stay warm, much more than outside. An interesting thing about the tents is that not a speck of light comes into the tents at night (or the day for that matter). I don’t know how they do it, but its really scary! Also, staying at the tent made us realise that all you actually need from hotels is just a bed! The rest are all extra luxuries:).
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