Thanks for visiting. This blog is a meeting place for anyone who has been or is planning to go to Petra in Jordan. Please feel free to send us your stories or photographs and we will reciprocate with the latest news and advice to help plan your next journey.
admin October 10th, 2007
This stunning photograph is part of a pool of images of Petra, Jordan which has recently been set up on Flickr, the photo-sharing site. It’s by Flickr user Yousea. We heartily recommend enjoying the rest of yousea’s photos as well as diving into the Flickr Petra pool - a group you can contribute to when you return with your own images of the Rose City.
admin October 10th, 2007
The blog may be called Where in the World is Sandra? but I think we know already - she’s in Jordan! And the intrepid Sandra has just visited Wadi Rum.
The desert scenery was amazing - huge rock outcropping and sand dunes against the dramatically blue sky. The area was inhabited by the Bedouin tribe (Arab nomads) and Lawrence of Arabia lived there for a short period of time. After exploring we stayed at a desert camp where we enjoyed a traditional meal (buried in the ground to cook) and a very starry night.
Nicely said, Sandra, although we presume it was the food which was buried in the ground and not your group while they were waiting for it to cook.
admin October 9th, 2007
Shahien, in his own words, is an aspiring journalist travelling the world, a journey which recently took him to Petra. Not content with just writing or taking photographs to capture the essence of the places he visits, Shahien also carries a video camera. Last week he visited Petra and, with his video camera, firmly attached to his right cheek, here is his report.
Unfortunately you will need to tilt your head 90 degrees to appreciate the glory that is Petra through Shahien’s eyes. Not a problem we’ve come across before with YouTube.
admin October 7th, 2007
Nancy is a twenty year old student at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego with a double major in political science and philosophy/theology. As a part of her political science degree she has been studying in Amman in Jordan.
One of the perks of this posting, she says, has been the chance to escape the city and enjoy the country’s tourist sights on leisurely weekends. One such break recently found her en route to Wadi Rum and, later, a sojourn to Petra. Here she underlines the advantages of getting to Petra bright and early:
By some stroke of luck… we walked through the long rock corridor early in the morning which meant that we were able to see and take pictures of the Treasury, of Indiana Jones’ fame, before any other tour groups were allowed into the park. Most of the sights in Petra are ancient royal tombs of the trader civilization that lived in Petra predating Roman times. We climbed up nearly 1,000 steps to a site called the Monastery with an excellent view of the rugged terrain that lies between Petra and Israel (and quite a big selection of Bedouins selling camel bone jewelry). In some spare time I also chatted with quite a few genuinely friendly “free spirits” that are part of the Bedouin tribe that maintains the park (including a seven year old local who through American TV and movies had a perfect American accent, in addition to the knowledge of several Bob Marley songs).
admin October 6th, 2007
Maria & Leanne’s Middle East Adventure seems to be coming along nicely. They certainly enjoyed their Turkish baths in Petra, though we’re not quite sure what to read between the lines.
Got into Petra last night & without a moments hesitation, signed up for a luxurious Turkish Bath where we got the full treatment (some women got a little more than they paid for from the male masseuse)!Spent a good 1/2hr in the steam room (crammed in there with about 25 others which was crazy as there was not enough room for us all to squeeze in but somehow we managed & had fun at it). Sweated buckets while having a good conversation with others before heading off to the scrub room to get a squeeky clean with a good scrub down. Sure wish he would have done my calluses on my feet! Back again to the steam room before going in for a great massage which sounded a bit like fireworks as my body cracked & cracked
Sounds like a perfect preparation for exploring the sights.
admin October 6th, 2007
It always pays to do a bit of homework before going somewhere new, particularly if you are visiting a site as interesting as Petra. Vances is probably the best-prepared traveller we have come across, recording the thorough research he has undertaken into the history and culture of Petra before setting off on his journey. In fact he calls it his Prelude to a Journey to a Journey.
My carefree forays around Petra began with the Nabateans, the people who built Petra. Ingenious Bedouin merchants, the Nabateans prospered by trafficking frankincense to European markets across a desert wasteland. Did I say ingenious? The glory of the Nabateans is yet another proof that brain power spans all ethnic groups.
We look forward to reading about your adventures when you get to Petra, Vances.
admin October 4th, 2007
We think it’s fair to say Candace was blown away by Petra on a recent trip to the Rose Pink City. We have seldom read such fulsome praise for the famous old site.
At night they had a “Petra by Night” tour where they line the path through the Siq (a HUGE gorge that leads to ‘The Treasury’ building) with candles and have a performance and tea waiting at the treasury. They ask that you remain silent for the walk so one can really take in the experience. I LOVED it. It might have been one of the most romantic things I’ve ever done…which is sad since I walked alone. Haha. The performance included 2 men sitting in the center of 100’s of candles in front of one of the main buildings, 1 singing and the other drumming. The other performance was a man playing the flute. He started playing inside of the building so that all you could hear was the echo and then came out and played around the people. I could go on and on..so really, you have to go
To sum it up: You must go to Petra! I can’t say enough good things about it. Oh! And, every meal I ate was a buffet. And a delicious one at that. So there it is, Petra is a dream.
That’s telling ‘em.
admin October 2nd, 2007
Clara is spending a year studying in Amman. However this week she found time to visit Wadi Rum. She did it the proper way too, staying overnight so she could appreciate the glory of the dawn in this stunning landscape. Unfortunately she was a little quick off the mark.
The next morning, my tent-mate Paris and I got up at 4:45am to watch the sunrise. We walked out of the camp and climbed a good way up a nearby rock formation where we just sat and watched the desert. Little did we know, the sun does not really rise until about 6:30am, so we were sitting on the rock for about an hour and a half. However, it was just as beautiful as everything else in the area and was a wonderfully pleasant way to start the day.
Happily her journey to Wadi Rum was a success.
Before this trip, I didn’t really understand why almost all of the Jordanians I have asked respond that Wadi Rum is their favorite place in the country (it’s just a desert with rocks, right?). Now not only do I understand- I agree. It is perhaps the most beautiful place I have ever been. Wadi Rum has been added to my list of why Jordan is an excellent tourist location. Forget the white sand of tropical beaches- the golden/red/ivory desert sand just takes your breath away
admin October 1st, 2007
C and D (that’s what they call themselves) are travelling the world before they settle down to new jobs in New York. They have just visited Petra, taking some great photographs along the way, including this image of the view towards Israel in the distance.
We walked the length of the city and climbed up to the farthest point in the city to reach the Monastery (a serious 1.5 hrs hike from city center), which is similar to the Treasury but larger and less ornate. From this peak, you can look west over the Negev to Israel—pretty desolate but inspiring. Words like prehistoric and primordial come to mind. Just an amazing site and one that will not be forgotten.
admin September 24th, 2007
This Mom Knows is a great name for a blog. And this mom knows how to enjoy a trip to Petra. First, pick a handsome guide:
Our guide, Ahmed, looked like a cross between Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino - just darker. I thought he was quite handsome (although a bit on the short side)
Then enjoy a fun-filled camel ride:
I was not prepared for the way they stand up, first the front legs and then the back creating a steep and quick dip! It threw me off a bit but was really funny.
Then go star-spotting:
we ran across Donna Karan in Petra! How random is that?… My mom thinks she saw Madonna and Guy Ritchie…but we’re not buying it!
admin September 24th, 2007
Jamie, a seminary student at Saint Paul School of Theology, has written an interesting blog post about Petra. Rather than concentrating on the dry, but beautiful, rocky landscape, he has water on his mind, using the incredibly elaborate water technology of the ancient Nabataeans as a theme in one of his sermon series.
Enormous and elaborate tunnels carried water throughout the city. Reservoirs and chambers kept water sufficient for residents but design also accounted for and prevented flash flooding. Over 2000 years ago, the Nabataeans knew the importance of water as a source of life and constructed this amazing city with that in mind.
admin September 20th, 2007
Don’t forget to pack extra camera batteries if you are going to visit the magnificent scenery of Wadi Rum. The Princess Yaya blogger ran out - but, fortunately not before she had snapped what looked like a fun and eventful bus trip with family and friends.
admin September 18th, 2007
Gavin and Catkin are travelling to New Zealand the long way, the very long way - driving a LandRover from the UK. But not just any old LandRover. This one functioned as a support vehicle in the 1995 Camel Trophy event and still carries the distinctive Camel Trophy colours and markings. You may have spotted it in Jordan recently.
After a recent pit stop at Petra, they headed for the wild landscape of Wadi Rum and had great fun driving through that tough and barren territory.
We had a wonderful 3 days playing in the soft sand… I mean learning about how the car manages soft sand and improving our driving techniques. Luckily, in spite of our weight and skinny tyres, we did not get bogged down to the extent that we needed to get the shovel, or the sand ladders, or let out tyre pressure, or find a local to drag us out. Unlike one party of flash 4 wheel drivers who kept us entertained for nearly an hour as one driver managed to lose parts from his car in the sand and another got well and truly stuck.
Follow their continuing adventures on the CamelRiders blog (and yes, they rode camels too).
admin September 18th, 2007
John Stanko has just been to Petra and writes entertainingly about a donkey-back tour. It seems the experience of his steep descent, swaying precariously on the beast of burden became almost a religious one.
After we spent some time at the top (the monastery was bigger than the treasury, but was not as ornate), we decided to ride the donkeys back down the trail. It would not have been so bad if it was a trail, but the trail was littered with steep steps for most of the way down. I thought several times I was going over the cliff. I confessed sins I never committed and made vows to God I can never keep, trying everything I knew to do to keep that donkey on the path! My guide kept saying, “Relax!” and I kept telling him, “You relax! You’re walking and I’m about to die!”
Fortunately, of course, he returned to terra firma safely. Now we he has some promises to keep.
Thank you for voting Petra one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
