An Early Morning Walk Through Petra

I woke up very early this morning in hopes I could visit Petra entirely alone, away from the many other tourists visiting each day. At 5:30 am, the air was already hot, heavy and still as I walked past steep hillsides dotted with limestone houses, horses, goats and sheep. A little boy tended his herd of goats, singing a local melody at the very top of his lungs while a couple of young men rode by on Arabian horses, their horses prancing and fidgeting. It felt nearly biblical.

After I entered the gate to Petra (the first to arrive I was told), an elderly man offered his horse and walked me down to the entrance of the slot canyon -- all the while proudly telling me about his ten children (5 boys and 5 girls), all by his one wife. "Truly a good wife!" I said.

Many of us have heard of the Treasury at Petra -- that amazing building carved out of the side of a cliff -- but what I didn't know was that Petra is a massive city carved into the steep sandstone hills. It  is a full 58 square kilometers and features an amphitheater, houses and tombs. And the local Bedouin actually lived in these buildings right up until the mid 1980s.

I entered it through a long slot canyon, sometimes just 4 meters wide, that showcased wall carvings, small slots for oil lamps, and a cobblestone-like road. It must have been amazing to enter this city at its peak, to the light of oil lamps. The canyon walls glowed red, mustard, maroon and white, with years of erosion giving an appearance that they were melting. I walked the length of the canyon alone - magic - all the way to the opening at the Treasury. No words can describe what it is to see that massive building carved right into the cliff face. I'll share pictures of it as soon as I'm able!

From there, I walked around this city of rock, passing local Bedouins on the way to their shops (by donkey) and camels and donkeys staked around the canyon base. Little lizards zipped out of the way of my feet, stopping occasionally to lift their tiny feet, each in turn, off the hot sand.

I continued along to a 40 minute hike up to 'The High Place' , an ancient altar for sacrifices, to the music of bird calls, donkey brays, and the local Bedouins calling out to each other - something to transport anyone back in time. Alone, I stood at the peak of the High Place looking at the most spectacular view of all of Petra, imagining how amazing it was that this was built by human hands.

Comments

[Rick]

I am speechless after a desription like that. I have been so busy this week and then i finally get a chance to catch up with your journey. I look forward to your pictures that warrant such a descriptiive entry!

[Heida]

Thanks to http://www.petrablog.com for linking to these stories and pictures of Petra! Check them out for more pictures, sounds and stories.

Heida