Petra and Wadi Rum, Jordan |
The Jewel of Jordan.We began our 6 hour journey to Petra with thirteen students, three university employees and two bus drivers. If that doesn't sound like a long chaotic bus ride, wait until the ride back. We arrived in Petra to a resort with the most amazing view. There were a lot of foreign visitors and everything was ridiculously overpriced. Those minor annoyances did nothing to dispel our excitement with the amazing resort and seeing Petra in the am. After a long incident involving the youngest member of our group and alcohol, we settled into our queen sized beds with custom pillows. After waking up at the freakishly early hour of 5:45, we were excited to head to Petra. Walking through the Indiana Jones canyon was ridiculously cool, and the heat was not unbearable at all. As we headed into the main area of Petra, we were greeted with an amazing sight-the treasury. I thought this was what we came to see. Alas, there were millions of undiscovered carvings and viewpoints within Petra. As we started early in the day, there was minimal heat and we were ready to explore. After climbing 850 steps, Petra became a hot, sticky adventure rivaling that of climbing Table Mountain. At least there was shade in South Africa. I don't know how the Jordanians manage that heat. There was minimal shade, and the sand becomes impossible to walk in. In the end, the pictures were worth it. At the time however, I wanted nothing more than to climb aboard the donkey and be carried around. As one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, Petra lived up to its reputation. However, I would suggest a nighttime tour where the sun is not beating down upon you and the sand is not forcing a treacherous walk. Our next stop was Wadi Rum. Lawrence of Arabia was filmed here. There was a sandstorm the night that we were there, and this impaired our ability to see the magical sky that we were promised. The Bedouin men were interesting, they forced us to dance with them, and the tents were miserable. I would suggest skipping Wadi Rum entirely. Sand is only so exciting. |