Monday, November 16, 2015
Petra, Jordan
We've all seen Indiana Jones run out of the Treasury Structure at Petra being chased by the bad guys. I thought that's all there was to Petra. I was wrong!!
Also known as "The Rose City,"because of the color of the sandstone rock cut architecture, Petra is Jordan's most visited tourist attraction and has been a UNESCO site since 1985. Tourism used to be Jordan's main source of income. However, tension in the middle east has halted that.
Our hotel, Movenpick Resort, is walking distance from the entrance to the Lost City of Petra. Tourism is off 80%. Seven 5 star hotels have closed in Jordan. Sadly, these folks are suffering because of the acts of bat shit crazy muslim extremist groups. Jordan is flanked by Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria, all hotbeds of terrorist groups.
The Siq, a 3/4 mile long canyon leading to the city of Petra, is the holy entrance to the city. The astonishing erosion carved rock formations along the way are beyond belief.
This entrance not only served as a natural defense, but was used as a greeting to visitors, with beautiful statues and reliefs carved along the way. There is an area carved out which was used for wedding ceremonies.
Our guide explained how a typical marriage was performed with a bride, groom, 2 witnesses and the official who performed the marriage.
If the tour ended here, after the walk through the Siq, I would have been dazzled. But wait! There's more. Much more. The Siq opens up to The Treasury. This is where scenes from Indian Jones were filmed.
Who dreams this stuff up? It took years to chisel these buildings. The Treasury's imposing facia leads into a very simple tomb.
Here's the part I didn't know. After taking a good look at The Treasury, we turned to the right and found an entire city carved out of this limestone.
These folks didn't have jack hammers. And no fancy scaffolding. They would first carve stairs to the top of the mountain and then begin whittling away at the stone until something beautiful had been created. I'm stunned at their determination.
We toured the ancient city for a couple of hours. At one time, over 30,000 people inhabited Petra. Around every corner, there was another beautiful tomb facade. Clusters of "homes," which were really just small caves about the size of a bathroom, dot the mountainside. This was the residential section. Ok kids. You think you've got it tough? How would you like to have to carve your own home out of a mountain? How long do you think that would take in this new world of instant gratification??
The natural colors in the sandstone were exquisite! I climbed inside a typical home. It was kind of like being in New York ... fascinating, but I wouldn't want to live there!
In the center of town, an amphitheater was carved. Believed to be the only amphitheater in the world that is actually carved from stone, others are constructed using stone.
Vendors were hawking their goods while camels and donkeys waited for tourists to load up for a ride. NatGeo treated us to either a donkey or camel ride. Let me say this about that ... if Jeff had offered free camel rides to customers at the dealership, he could have charged a LOT more for cars. Gotta tell you. It was not the most comfortable ride. Today, I actually have a saddle sore butt. Thigh muscles that I haven't recognized in a long time are aching from clinging to the beast. The Jordanians make this look easy!! NOT. Especially when your camel begins to run. Which mine did frequently. About the time I felt comfortable enough to snap a photo, Abdul or Airhead or whatever my camel's name was, would leap into action to catch the cute little camel in front of him. As Gail would say, "camel ride ... check."
Our camels dropped us at The Treasury and then we walked out through the Siq. The way the light hit the canyon walls, it looked like a totally different route than earlier this morning. According to the folks who took the horse drawn carriage out of The Siq, it was a hair-raising experience likened to the jet boat ride down the Shot river in New Zealand. The rocky Roman road was bumpy, the walls of the canyon very narrow, the buggy was uncomfortable and smelly, and flies were busing around the horse, all the while wheeling wildly at crazy speeds through the curvy canyon road. The drivers were anxious to get people out quickly so they could return for more unsuspecting passengers.
The Siq is so narrow at some points that it's difficult for people to walk side by side. When these carriages met head on at warp speed ... it got interesting!! The drivers would shout to the other in Arabic to move until one of them would back up to let the other through. I'm sure glad we opted to walk out.
We were scheduled to have dinner under the stars tonight in "Little Petra" about 8 miles out of town. But the weather forecast predicted rain and flash floods. Since Little Petra is located in another Siq, the NatGeo people "called it" and instead prepared a desert oasis in the courtyard of the hotel. They did this with 3 hours notice. Unbelievable. The entire atrium was draped and tented, tables and chairs brought in and a typical Jordanian dance crew entertained us.
We managed to close the party AGAIN. This late in the trip, we've managed to corrupt a few others, so our group of hooligans has grown.
Time to get back to my room, organize my "closet" (more on that later.) and get ready for a jeep ride through the desert tomorrow to visit to a Bedouin village.
Tuesday, November 7th, 2015
On the way to the airport this morning, we stopped at Wadi Runn for jeep rides into the desert to visit the amazing mountains and petroglyphs. Wadi Runn has no hotels, only camp sites. It ranks as the 2nd busiest tourist attraction in Jordan.
The sandstone mountains have been naturally etched by the elements over the years creating an amazing effect. Some looked like Sanskrit writings. Others looked like chocolate dripping off the mountain. These formations jut out of the otherwise flat desert sand. This is the area where Lawrence of Arabia fought battles against the Turks to liberate Arabia.
The "jeeps" were all individually owned by the local Bedouin people and NatGeo arranged to find 30 of the finest cars available, which isn't saying much. In the car business, we refer to these as "beaters." But they served the purpose. We had a great time.
I should mention, when we arrive in each country, NatGeo arranged for us to see and do as much as possible. There was never a dull moment. They didn't want us to miss anything and gave us every opportunity to see and do everything. Every day has been filled with opportunities to experience the best that an area has to offer. This Jeep trip was an example of that. They cram a LOT into each day and each location.
How is it possible for each place we've visited to be more remarkable than the site before. Every country has been phenomenally special with it's own unique character and beauty. This world of ours is pretty special. I know it sounds trite to say, but we should do a better job of preserving it's beauty for future generations to enjoy.
We drove through the desert for miles until we happened upon a Bedouin tent where the people offered us tea and cookies and showed us an area deep within a crevasse decorated with petroglyphs telling stories of how the ancient civilizations lived.
The herbal tea, made of sage and marjoram was quite tasty, so I bought a couple of baggies filled with the herbs. This should be interesting to try to bring back to the U.S. It looks like it could easily be a nefarious product.
After exploring the desert, it was time to head to the airport to board our jet and take off for Morocco, the last country we visit on this journey.
I've been remiss not mentioning how we have been traveling with all of our gear. We were each allowed to bring one large suitcase and NatGeo provided a carry on bag that has been dubbed "The Wheelie Bag." Many of our destinations have allowed room enough for only the wheelie bag. So we leave the large bag on our jet. The large bag has become our "closet" of sorts. We switch out our clothes as needed for the different climates and activities. Most nights, after a full day of touring, we stumble in for cocktails and dinner bleary eyed and wearing the same clothes we've been in all day. Had I known, I could have left more than half of the things I brought at home!!
Next order of business is to figure out how to get all of my international treasures home. Each country we've visited, NatGeo has a special gift native to the area waiting for us in our room. To name a few, a beautiful hand painted boomerang from Australia, and a Tibetan Prayer Wheel from Tibet or an inlaid marble plate from India. It's been so much fun to check in to the hotels and see what treasure awaits. Between those lovely gifts and the things that I've accumulated along the way, It's going to be interesting getting it all packed up to take home! Good thing we've got a big jet.
Tomorrow ... Morocco!
Petra, Jordan
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| Flight track from Africa to Petra. |
We've all seen Indiana Jones run out of the Treasury Structure at Petra being chased by the bad guys. I thought that's all there was to Petra. I was wrong!!
 |
| Pat and I walking from the hotel to the Siq to explore Petra. |
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| The "other" Bruce, Yvette, Gail and Bruce as we walk through the Siq entering Petra. |
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| The people in the photo give you an indication of the vastness of the canyon. |
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| The Siq walls tower above us. |
The Siq, a 3/4 mile long canyon leading to the city of Petra, is the holy entrance to the city. The astonishing erosion carved rock formations along the way are beyond belief.
 |
| The Siq entrance. |
 |
| A typical wedding ceremony at The Siq. Jan, Smitty, Gail and Jessie pose with our guide. |
If the tour ended here, after the walk through the Siq, I would have been dazzled. But wait! There's more. Much more. The Siq opens up to The Treasury. This is where scenes from Indian Jones were filmed.
 |
| The Treasury, built as a tomb, is the first structure to greet visitors as they exit the Siq. |
Here's the part I didn't know. After taking a good look at The Treasury, we turned to the right and found an entire city carved out of this limestone.
 |
| The structures wrap around the mountainside. |
We toured the ancient city for a couple of hours. At one time, over 30,000 people inhabited Petra. Around every corner, there was another beautiful tomb facade. Clusters of "homes," which were really just small caves about the size of a bathroom, dot the mountainside. This was the residential section. Ok kids. You think you've got it tough? How would you like to have to carve your own home out of a mountain? How long do you think that would take in this new world of instant gratification??
 |
| These openings in the sandstone show homes of the wealthy people in Petra. |
The natural colors in the sandstone were exquisite! I climbed inside a typical home. It was kind of like being in New York ... fascinating, but I wouldn't want to live there!
 |
| This typical home overlooks the amphitheater that seats 8500 people. Door?? |
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| Exploring inside a small home. |
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| These are the colors in the natural sandstone. |
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| Pat wheeling and dealing with a local Jordanian Merchant. |
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| Pat is the best bargainer EVER! |
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| By the way, I never trust a guy wearing eye makeup better than mine!! |
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| Look Mom! I bought a table cloth. |
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| This merchant was sitting high on top of a hill at the entrance to the Urn Temple. That's not a Koran. It's an iPhone. These folks have not let technology pass them by. |
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| This guy looks like a movie prop. |
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| View from the Urn Temple. |
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| Security Guard in Petra. |
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| It's all fun and games while he's parked on the ground! Hang on Bruce! |
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| Gail is a natural on a camel. Look at her texting and driving. |
 |
| Horse drawn carriages ran up and down the Siq. |
The Siq is so narrow at some points that it's difficult for people to walk side by side. When these carriages met head on at warp speed ... it got interesting!! The drivers would shout to the other in Arabic to move until one of them would back up to let the other through. I'm sure glad we opted to walk out.
We were scheduled to have dinner under the stars tonight in "Little Petra" about 8 miles out of town. But the weather forecast predicted rain and flash floods. Since Little Petra is located in another Siq, the NatGeo people "called it" and instead prepared a desert oasis in the courtyard of the hotel. They did this with 3 hours notice. Unbelievable. The entire atrium was draped and tented, tables and chairs brought in and a typical Jordanian dance crew entertained us.
Time to get back to my room, organize my "closet" (more on that later.) and get ready for a jeep ride through the desert tomorrow to visit to a Bedouin village.
Tuesday, November 7th, 2015
On the way to the airport this morning, we stopped at Wadi Runn for jeep rides into the desert to visit the amazing mountains and petroglyphs. Wadi Runn has no hotels, only camp sites. It ranks as the 2nd busiest tourist attraction in Jordan.
 |
| We ran across these two camels while driving in the desert. |
 |
| This desert landscape is amazing. 80% of the movie, The Martian was filmed here. |
 |
| Paint peeling off the hood, tattered seats and an ashtray FILLED with cigarette butts, away we went |
I should mention, when we arrive in each country, NatGeo arranged for us to see and do as much as possible. There was never a dull moment. They didn't want us to miss anything and gave us every opportunity to see and do everything. Every day has been filled with opportunities to experience the best that an area has to offer. This Jeep trip was an example of that. They cram a LOT into each day and each location.
How is it possible for each place we've visited to be more remarkable than the site before. Every country has been phenomenally special with it's own unique character and beauty. This world of ours is pretty special. I know it sounds trite to say, but we should do a better job of preserving it's beauty for future generations to enjoy.
We drove through the desert for miles until we happened upon a Bedouin tent where the people offered us tea and cookies and showed us an area deep within a crevasse decorated with petroglyphs telling stories of how the ancient civilizations lived.
 |
| Inside the tent where we had our sage and marjoram tea. Yvette, Julie and Pat. |
 |
| Bedouin Tent where we had tea and cookies. |
The herbal tea, made of sage and marjoram was quite tasty, so I bought a couple of baggies filled with the herbs. This should be interesting to try to bring back to the U.S. It looks like it could easily be a nefarious product.
 |
| This sandstone looks like chocolate melting off the mountain. |
 |
| Photos cannot capture the real beauty here. |
I've been remiss not mentioning how we have been traveling with all of our gear. We were each allowed to bring one large suitcase and NatGeo provided a carry on bag that has been dubbed "The Wheelie Bag." Many of our destinations have allowed room enough for only the wheelie bag. So we leave the large bag on our jet. The large bag has become our "closet" of sorts. We switch out our clothes as needed for the different climates and activities. Most nights, after a full day of touring, we stumble in for cocktails and dinner bleary eyed and wearing the same clothes we've been in all day. Had I known, I could have left more than half of the things I brought at home!!
Next order of business is to figure out how to get all of my international treasures home. Each country we've visited, NatGeo has a special gift native to the area waiting for us in our room. To name a few, a beautiful hand painted boomerang from Australia, and a Tibetan Prayer Wheel from Tibet or an inlaid marble plate from India. It's been so much fun to check in to the hotels and see what treasure awaits. Between those lovely gifts and the things that I've accumulated along the way, It's going to be interesting getting it all packed up to take home! Good thing we've got a big jet.
Tomorrow ... Morocco!
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