Petra

Most people know Petra as the place where the holy grail was in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, but it actually has nothing to do with the Crusades or the holy grail. It was made by the Nabataeans in pre-Roman times.

The ruins in Petra are some of the most impressive that I've ever seen in my life. I went there with three other girls that I had met on a tour of Jordan on the way to Petra. Most of the facades where made as tombs, but there is also the treasury, monastery, and a few other buildings. The facades really are incredible, but unfortunately, unlike in Indiana Jones, the inside of most of the buildings are single small square rooms. There are a few great views at different points in the city and a couple great hikes. Particularly one to the "High Place", where you can see a sacrificial alter and a lot of the other ruins.


Some of these hikes can be a little far so there are people offering donkey rides to some of the locations. The group I was with took donkeys up to the monastery. This was one of the scariest experiences of my life! My donkey had a fetish for the edge of cliffs, and if he slipped, I was done. The guy that gave us the donkeys was like "Don't worry, the donkeys know the way." This gave me no comfort. All ended up being fine, and I would highly recommend the experience. Think of it like this, these donkeys do this everyday. If your donkey was prone to falling, he would have fallen a long time ago. (Sound logic...)

All throughout Petra there are a number of Bedouins trying to sell little trinkets. This can be a little annoying, but if you stop and try and talk to the Bedouins, they can be extremely welcoming. I ran into a number of travelers that were invited for tea and dinner by Bedouins even if they didn't buy anything. One girl told me that she tried to offer money for the dinner and they refused it.


I actually spent a little bit of time talking to a couple Bedouins. The girl in the picture got to hear a little bit of my Arabic. (I feel sorry for her too) While one of her brothers (assumed), stanched a bag of cookies out of one of the girl's in my groups hand. (After they had been offered) It was hilarious.

After our day at Petra, we went back to Wadi Musa, the city near Petra that people actually stay in, for a couple of drinks and sheesha. The little cafe that we went to served no alcohol for religious reasons so we had some really good tea. The no alcohol thing didn't surprise me too much because Wadi Musa seemed like a very religious place. During the evening prayers, it sounded like everyone in the city was chanting along. Anyway, while we were at the cafe a couple young (20 something) Bedouin guys talked to us for awhile about Petra and the tourist that came through the city.

Finally, the night ended with me going back to the hostel and meeting a girl that's spent the last three years of her life traveling to do humanitarian aid. I thought that was amazingly cool. What was most impressive is that she was only 19.

I know I'm still way behind on post, but I'm slowly catching up and should be good by Thailand.