Petra

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I’ve been wanting to see Petra for many many years and I’m finally in Jordan to see it!

My visit to Petra started with a 5:15am wake up call to get the 6:30am JETT bus directly to the site. Thankfully Andrew and Claire have children and Aramis wakes up at 5am so Andrew offered to drop me off.

I got on the bus and went to sleep. After an hour or so I woke up not feeling well. Up to then I had been lucky to not get sick, not even once for the 8months I’ve been traveling. I knew something was wrong and I tried to go back to sleep because usually sleep gets rid of motion sickness but this time I couldn’t, this time it wasn’t motion sickness. I looked around to set up a plan in case one was needed but I immediately knew I had no time! I saw a garbage can right next to me but I was too ashamed to use it right in the middle of the bus so I ran to the front and luckily there was another one and I really got sick!

I couldn’t believe it! The one day that I had to see Petra is the one I wasn’t feeling good!

I sat on the steps of the bus feeling sick and grateful for the bus driver handing me tissues. Luckily five minutes or so later we stopped and I was able to get some fresh air and walk. The rest of the bus drive I was fine but still afraid of getting sick again.

I arrived in Petra at around 10 and thankfully I was feeling better.

I started walking down from the entrance gate and was bombarded with offers of getting on a horse so they would take me down but come on! I have two working legs that take me everywhere so why would I go on a horse for 1km? Are people really that lazy? The worst part of the horse riding is that you go even slower than a regular person walking because one of the guys has to pull you down… zero sexy points for grown men riding horses down! They looked so silly!

I am not into the whole riding animals thing and found it interesting that there were many signs saying that people should avoid riding the animals but at the same time the petra ticket had a horse ride included! It meant that the guys harassing the tourists for horse rides were working for tips but why would Petra give free rides when they don’t want people riding animals? It made no sense!

I walked for about 15 minutes and I got to the beginning of the Siq, the amazing gorge that leads to the ancient city.

The siq is simply amazing! The gorge split naturally forming a way to the Treasury, the colors of the rocks are simply unbelievable, depending on the sun they look red, orange, yellowish… so pretty! The way down through the Siq is only 1km but it took me almost two hours to walk it since I was stopping and admiring the rocks, waiting for the groups to pass, listening to the many guides tell stories about Petra and the rocks in the Siq. I really got to enjoy my walk and took my time to take it all in and to take photos, after all I’m only in Petra once!

Since I had all the time I wanted I felt lucky to just be able to relax and listen to the other groups because I got a lot of information that I wouldn’t have know otherwise. Like this rock… If we see it from one side it look like…

An elephant!

And from the other it looks like…

A fish!

The most exciting part about the siq was the end, when I could see a glimpse of the Treasure in between the rocks!

Getting to the Treasury was crazy! It was crowded, there were carriages, donkeys, mules, and camels and the Bedouin guys (nomadic Arab people of the desert) don’t stop bothering you to sell you a donkey ride or a camel ride. I have not seen Bedouin people before but they look like pirates, or at least their teeth do! They have black eye liner (to match their teeth!) and bandanas on their heads and I think they think they are super cool!

I tried to avoid them as much as I could saying no to all the rides they offered but one wouldn’t leave me alone. Finally I said I wanted to be alone and I didn’t want to pay for any services but he kept insisting on showing me around. I literally stayed in front of the treasury for like an hour and always came back, he even asked me to give him my camera and that he would take photos of me. He showed me which rocks to climb to get a nice view and said he didn’t want any money, just somebody to talk to.

I generally don’t like people selling stuff to stick around but I couldn’t get rid of him, he even offered to take me to a hiking trail and even after I said I could do it on my own he insisted on following me.

I stayed long enough by the Treasury that I started to walk and the Bedouin guy (and his donkey) started walking with me. I felt a little uncomfortable and kept telling him I didn’t need his donkey, that I could do it on my own but he kept saying he was just going to walk and show me the way. In a way it was super cool because I would have not gone up the path if he didn’t guide me since it didn’t show on the english map.

The hike up was just so amazing, I walked between endless red mountains and saw beautiful views of Petra.

There he goes on his donkey!

On our way up we stopped for some tea with some of his Bedouin friends and as a girl walked by us I encouraged her to sit and have some tea with us.

Having tea with the Bedouins

After tea I kept walking up and the Bedouin guy and his donkey kept walking with me too. Some of the Bedouin people with shops on the path said to me “Oh! you have a very nice guide with you” but I didn’t want a guide!
We got to the top and he brought a cushion for us to sit but then it felt more uncomfortable so I told him I would keep walking on my own.

I walked by myself and tried to figure out a path because it was very unclear and at times I had to backtrack and find another way. The views were still super beautiful, at times I passed some ruins and I was glad I took a spanish map since that one showed some alternative paths and names of the ruins.

I see my shadow!

I knew it was going to get dark soon so I had to hurry up and was glad to see that there was still some action going on around me. Most of the people I saw on my way were Bedouins gathering their sheep and goats and once they even showed me the way.

As I walked on my own the same guy I walked with before passed by and said “You made it”, I smiled and said “I did.”

Then, another Bedouin guy started talking to me and once again I had to be clear that I didn’t need his donkey services (he corrected me by saying “Mule, not donkey”) but he said he had already made money today so he just wanted to walk with me and talk. Once again I felt a little uncomfortable just because I do not trust people, even less so people that make their living off of tourists. As a woman sometimes it is very tricky to trust men just because I think we are more vulnerable to be in harms way than a man would be. This guy, Asad, started talking and making conversation about how tourists see Bedouin people and how hotels tell tourist not to trust them because they are dangerous blah blah blah and he said he was glad I was talking to him because most tourists unless they are getting on his mule don’t stop and talk to them. I didn’t know if that was pity talk so I would stick around or he was being sincere! I kept looking at my phone to see which way we were going and he said I didn’t trust him… of course I didn’t! Why would I? Also, it was getting dark and I was alone with a complete stranger! Of course I would double triple check my phone to make sure he wasn’t going to murder me in the middle of Petra!

Anyhow, we kept talking and he asked if I would like to stop for tea and then go to town and go to a hostel. I was in the middle of Petra not knowing where to go so I said OK and double checked the plan. On the way up he asked me to go on his mule, I refused and said no way that I could walk but then it was a long way and after refusing 3 times I finally said Ok and then pretended to be scared of the mule and got off because I didn’t want him to be in charge of the mule and take me God knows where.

We got to the top of the hill and he “parked” his mule, Soso, and by parked I meant he “tied” it down to a tiny bush! He then went to gather some wood for the tea and I just prayed that he was coming back!

He came back and started making a fire for the tea. Once the fire was going he asked me for my water and started preparing the tea, he put A LOT of white stuff in it… I almost died when I saw it was sugar! That much would give me a heart attack! And I prayed he wasn’t going to poison me!

Wadi musa in the back

When the tea was ready he said we had to share the one cup because he only had one (I threw up a little bit in my mouth! I hate sharing! Even more so with someone who seemed not to have brushed his teeth for the last 15 years! He said I should drink first and gave me the cup, I pretended to drink and said “It’s really hot”, your turn!

Well, I needed to make sure he didn’t poison the tea so there was no way I was going to be the first one to drink. Thankfully he drank and then I knew it was safe but I so not wanted to touch the cup that he was drinking from but I just gently cleaned it every time.

As we sat on top of the hill drinking tea he started telling me about his couch surf experience and invited me spend the night at a Bedouin cave. Mmmm… I didn’t think that was a great idea so he showed me his profile on couch surfing and all his references were good and there were many from girls who had couch surfed with him at both his house in the village in Petra and in his cave.

After reading the reviews I felt a little bit more comfortable but I said I wasn’t sure and that I would think about it.

Once we finished the tea he convinced me to get on the mule since we were far away so I jumped on the back on the mule and I was so tense! I couldn’t relax, somehow it felt a little weird.

We arrived in the village and it was such a cool and crazy experience! All the Bedouins were now living their regular lives, not hassling tourists, and in every street there were camels parked by the houses! So cool!

We went into his house and he got us dinner. I didn’t want to get poison so I asked “How do you eat this?” and asked him to show me how to eat a vegetable stew! haha

By then I was more comfortable with him, he even put a bedouin scarf on my head and I had added him on couch surfing so in case anything happened I had a way to trace him back! Oh! and I also put a star on the map location of his house! He then said that he was going to the cave and that I could go or get a taxi to Wadi musa and go to a hostel. I thought about it over and over and over again. On the one hand I could have the experience of a Bedouin cave in Petra (with a stranger) or go to a hostel. I decided to go to the cave but before I just wanted to clarify that it was a couch surfing exchange.

I talked myself out of being nervous but as we got on the mule and left “civilization” I just started to get very nervous and felt like I did make the wrong choice. I couldn’t relax, a million thoughts went through my head and I couldn’t help but wonder about the worst case scenario in this situation! My back started aching, negative thoughts invaded my mind, my heart started racing, I wanted to cry a little, why did I make this decision? As we rode the mule on the very dark mountains of Petra I just wanted to turn around and go home (or anywhere but the cave! haha) To calm myself down I started making stupid small talk but that didn’t help with the nerves. I got even more and more nervous as I saw that there was no way in hell I would know how to get out of there on my own in case something happened so I just prayed! I prayed in 30 minutes more than I have prayed in the last 30 years! I prayed, and I prayed, and I prayed, I kept saying “God, if you are with me, nobody is against me” (or something like that, I do all my praying in spanish!)

We finally reached the cave and I was actually impressed with the cute little cave! There was enough space, mattresses, and blankets. I was beyond tired and my eyes were almost closing so he said I could sleep outside looking at the stars or inside. I said outside and then he said “Oh! There are only two blankets so we will have to sleep together!”…. WAIT… WHAT?… That doesn’t even make sense! I think Bedouins don’t go to math class! Two blankets, two people… mmm… there isn’t even math needed for that one! I said that absolutely not and that I had enough clothes to put on me so I wouldn’t need a blanket. He then asked me to get closer, and if he could hold my hand, but… the only hand he would ever feel is the one I would punch him in the face with! But… I couldn’t… I wouldn’t know where to go after! haha

So I set my boundaries and told him what couch surfing was all about and reminded him that we talked about me teaching him some spanish to use with his spanish speaking customers! haha

Inside the cave

By then he was mad, but I was madder… at myself! Because I knew this was a bad idea from the beginning so I just kept praying. He even said he would leave me alone in the cave and he would go somewhere else since I had hurt his feelings and rejected him! It was hard not to laugh but I wouldn’t let him go. Not because I was afraid of being in the cave on my own but because the cave had a freaking huge metal latch on the outside… what if he locked me out? Plus, he was playing victim and he was stupid enough to think he could play mind games with me. I told him I would go if I knew how to get out of there and I got mad and I think he saw that there was no way that anything would happen so he calmed down and gave me the ice treatment! Fine with me!

He set up a mattress outside and I laid down to watch the stars but I think in less than a minute I fell asleep! I woke up and said “I haven’t brushed my teeth!” haha but the caves don’t have bathrooms, nor water, and he had used most of mine for the tea! That night I also prayed for the sugar bugs not to eat up my teeth!

While I was snoozing I woke up by him talking on the phone and he said “A friend is coming over, is that ok?” and I said “I am not ok with it, I don’t know him and it would make me uncomfortable” but that didn’t matter! The friend came and I was kind of freaking out inside! Two men and me… I prayed a whole lot more that I would be safe! Deep down I knew that the Bedouin community is small and if anything happened I had enough information to do something about it (unless I was dead!) and I knew that a lot of the guys knew I was with him, including the guy from this afternoon.

Once back in the cave miraculously a third blanket appeared! haha and when I went it I went into a corner and set up a mattress and took my blanket, laid down, and kept praying. Both of the guys went down on a mattress in all opposite walls so I was relieved! This was probably my worst night in the last 9 months, I couldn’t really sleep, I kept waking up and making sure they were still there and I wasn’t locked up. I kept looking at my phone to see the time but it felt like an endless night, my gps couldn’t find my location… I just prayed to God to keep me safe!

By 5:30 am I saw light coming through the small window of the cave and decided that it was time to get ready. Quietly I put on my shoes and took off the layers and tried to wake up Assad to just let him know I was leaving. His friend woke up first and screamed to Assad and I said thank you and left.

His friend opened the door and I was amazed at what my eyes were looking at! I was in the freaking middle of Petra! It was beautiful! It was magical!… I had no idea how to get out of there!

His friend peaking out of the cave

The outside of the cave

The mule's cave!

There was no path so I just decided that going down was the way to go but it was very confusing!

Which way do I go?!?!?!?!?!?!

Five minutes or less after I started walking out of nowhere I see a guy come out and walk, I followed his way with my eyes and tried to memorize his path so I would get out of there easily. I can’t help but think that God put him on my way to guide me out of that mess. I was so thankful!

My gift from God!

Finally I made it to the main street and started my hike up the 956 steps up to the Monastery! I had Petra all to myself! It was so super cool!

The walk up was very nice, I saw donkeys on their own being sent up and down by their owners so I just had to step to the side to let them pass by.

Donkey crossing

I arrived to the Monastery and it was so beautiful, it is amazing to see how men carved a whole building in a rock! I stood in front of it mesmerized by its beauty and being so thankful for the opportunity of seeing such a beauty (and thankful for being alive!)

I started walking around, taking pictures and then climbed up some rocks and sat there for about 45 minutes until I wasn’t alone anymore. A couple was walking up and I just screamed “the view from here is amazing” and just like that I was joined by Ivonne and Mike.

They walked up carrying two lunch boxes and they were kind enough to share their breakfast with me! I had some sandwich, fruit, and even cake! So kind!

We started talking and I think I needed to process my horrible night and Yvonne was very supportive and said that at my age she probably would have done the same!

After a long time of seating and admiring the Monastery from the rock we decided to get up and take a look at the beautiful viewpoints around the monastery. The views were just incredible, no picture can show the grandeur of the place! We could even see Israel from there!

Yvonne, Mike, (their dog), and myself!

My favorite spot... A little shack to rest with a beautiful view!

Life sure is beautiful!

From then on I stuck to Yvonne and Mike, we walked from the monastery to the great temple were we sat and rested a little bit. It was sad to see all the working animals of Petra, these people are just being lazy and not walking for 20-30 minutes! There is really no need for animal labor in this place! It just breaks my heart!

Walking through the any vendors

That Camel doesn't look happy!

Then we walked through the colonnaded street and made our way to the Royal tombs that were also very very impressive!

View from the Royal Tombs

Picture of the king is everywhere! Good thing he is good looking!

View of the theater from the Tombs

Man selling broken pieces of stuff! All they sold in Petra was 100% junk!

Peace Dude!

From the tombs it was all the same so we just kept walking up, but we just had to stop to see the treasury again!

Yvonne and Mike in front of the Treasury

That afternoon I took the bus back and the driver (same as the day before) was very happy to see me, he pat my back, and was glad I wasn’t sick anymore! I was glad to be going back!!!

My time in Jordan was fabulous! I really enjoyed it and even though it was short I felt like I accomplished to see what I wanted.

On my way back to Israel I took a bus to the border and noticed that from Amman all the way to the border there were military man throughout the road, there was a guy with a machine gun every 100meters and every couple of miles they were tanks… Super scary sight!

The border crossing was somewhat easy but I got detained at both ends! Jordanians officials questioned me a lot... again! about my travels, asking me the same questions! And the Israeli did the same! My question is... Why on earth they question me for forty minutes, write down all the stuff on the computer to ask me the same freaking questions again?!?! I do get it that they are paranoid and I could be a threat to their country but really it makes me want to get out of their country and never come back again!

I see a soldier at the top of the hill!

Scary!

About Post Author

Andrea

Hi! It's me... Andrea! In 2016 I decided to drop everything and take a year to enrich my life and travel around the world. It turns out the world is just too big for 12 months! Still on the road and sharing my experience as a solo female traveler around the globe!

4 comments:

CatsailorApril 21, 2017 at 9:35 AM
So cool to be in your blog. I don't know if this is correct but Nidal, our guide who is a Bedouin told us that the people in Petra are not Bedouins but are gypsies. I must admit, the Bedouin in Wadi Rum did not look piratical like these people. �� We loved sharing breakfast and the BEST viewpoint. Keep enjoying all that life gives you.
UnknownMay 3, 2017 at 7:31 AM
Sounds like you had quite the adventure at Petra! Awesome stuff, and glad you made it through the night in one piece! Can't wait till I get to see the beauty of Petra and your photos are amazing!

Petra

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Andrea

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