Pilgrimage 2.0-11 : Pretty Petra
Morning mass was celebrated in the hotel function room. Then we set out to Petra. Halfway there we had a toilet stop at a souvenir shop that sold really pretty trinkets, intricate mosaics, and furniture. Then we had a short visit at Wadi Musa, purportedly where Moses struck a stone with his staff and water gushed forth for the thirsty Israelites. The spring was enclosed in a small building, and it was extremely cool inside. Locals come to take water from it. Not too sure about the cleanliness though... I spotted rubbish in the spring.
Our lunch stop was at Silk Road Hotel where we had typical Middle Eastern fare with flatbread. From there we headed
out to Petra Visitors Centre on foot. Our priest and several who were unfit, stayed back at the hotel.
When we arrived at Petra Visitors Centre, the sun was shining brightly. We patiently waited for Sami to settle our tickets which were at USD50 a pop. Petra is actually a large archaeological park, but we only had time to get to Al-Khazneh (the Treasury) and back. Al Khazneh is the most recognizable face of Petra being featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I walked the whole way in, while mum went on a short horse ride that covered a fifth of the trek. The way into Petra is called al-Siq, a natural narrow gorge. At some points along the way are eroded Nabatean sculptures of caravans, and votive niches. Some parts of the al-Siq are actually paved with stones. The walls are worn smooth and are really beautiful. Because of its beauty, it took unusually long to get in because we were constantly stopping for photos. Left, right, front, and back. Beautiful no matter how you take it. Along the way, we had to watch out for the horse carts (listen for the clopping of hooves) and of course horse dung.
Al-Khazneh was really as amazing as I imagined. Because of its location at a junction, the wind regularly stirred up sand giving me a mouthful of sand. In the sandy plaza were camels, and dogs. There were also several souvenir shops hugging the canyon walls. Spotted Petra Pete there admiring the ruins. Took us long enough getting there, the return journey wasn't much faster because we still had photos to snap. Mum and I were among the last to get back to the bus.
Once again, we had a long drive ahead of us, only stopping to break fast at a rest stop. Before long, we we entered Amman, but traffic was kinda sluggish. Our arrival at Grand Palace Hotel was a little late, so our dinner was like an early supper.
Our lunch stop was at Silk Road Hotel where we had typical Middle Eastern fare with flatbread. From there we headed
out to Petra Visitors Centre on foot. Our priest and several who were unfit, stayed back at the hotel.
When we arrived at Petra Visitors Centre, the sun was shining brightly. We patiently waited for Sami to settle our tickets which were at USD50 a pop. Petra is actually a large archaeological park, but we only had time to get to Al-Khazneh (the Treasury) and back. Al Khazneh is the most recognizable face of Petra being featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I walked the whole way in, while mum went on a short horse ride that covered a fifth of the trek. The way into Petra is called al-Siq, a natural narrow gorge. At some points along the way are eroded Nabatean sculptures of caravans, and votive niches. Some parts of the al-Siq are actually paved with stones. The walls are worn smooth and are really beautiful. Because of its beauty, it took unusually long to get in because we were constantly stopping for photos. Left, right, front, and back. Beautiful no matter how you take it. Along the way, we had to watch out for the horse carts (listen for the clopping of hooves) and of course horse dung.
Al-Khazneh was really as amazing as I imagined. Because of its location at a junction, the wind regularly stirred up sand giving me a mouthful of sand. In the sandy plaza were camels, and dogs. There were also several souvenir shops hugging the canyon walls. Spotted Petra Pete there admiring the ruins. Took us long enough getting there, the return journey wasn't much faster because we still had photos to snap. Mum and I were among the last to get back to the bus.
Once again, we had a long drive ahead of us, only stopping to break fast at a rest stop. Before long, we we entered Amman, but traffic was kinda sluggish. Our arrival at Grand Palace Hotel was a little late, so our dinner was like an early supper.
Comments
In terms of scale, it can't compete with the Grand Canyon.