Day 9—Aqaba, Jordan

When we emerged from the Suez Canal, we sailed down the Gulf of Suez, the Western fork of the Red Sea, around the Sinai Peninsula, and then back up the Gulf of Aqaba, the Eastern fork of the north end of the Red Sea.  We arrived at Aqaba around 7AM or so, and were cleared to disembark about 8AM.

Heading into Petra (Wadi Mosu)

Aqaba (AH-KAH-BAH), is at the southern tip of Jordan, and means “obstacle”.  The city is surrounded by mountains on the northern side making it rather inaccessible to the land.  We boarded a mini-van and began the roughly two hour drive to Petra.  Actually, Petra is the “Western” name for the city, stemming from the stone from which it is carved.  But, to the Jordanians, it is Wadi Mosu.  Wadi is either a valley or a dry riverbed (we heard both), and Mosu is “Moses”.  So, it is Moses’s Valley.  

Tombs.  The "steps" at the top are to signify going up to Heaven.

Not so heavenly steps on earth!

The road in, shared with carts.

Incorporating Egyptian obelisks, Greek columns, and arches, triangles, and other elements
from other regions, this is intended to show all they are welcome. 

  The channels on the walls are aqueducts..

Theresa...in case you think these are someone else's pictures!

This scene was apparently used in "Indiana Jones".

Theresa.  Because, well...she's my rock?  (Awwww...)

The original limestone pavement and later
aqueduct with terracotta enclosure.

People lived in the old city for centuries (a few before Christ and a few after).   A few hundred years ago, the Bedouins moved in, and lived there.  They took the nicest places, which happened to be tombs, and they just moved the bones out of the “rooms” and set up home.  They saw the “Treasury” (the most grand structure) and assumed it must be where the money and gold was, since it was the grandest structure.  So, they tried to find the gold, destroying it in the process.  They shot up the columns, the statues, etc, trying to find something.  Of course, they found nothing. 

"Gorge-ous"

Petra is a city carved into the walls of a “canyon”.  Actually, in a broad valley, there are enormous stone formations, and they are eroded in a way that leaves long, narrow, deep aisles.  The people carved all of their structures into the sandstone, and built NOTHING with stones or blocks. 

Since everything is carved out of sandstone, any markings on the buildings are long since eroded away.  There were marble plaques, but those were long since taken away for use somewhere else, most likely.  So, there is little to use to reliably date the city, except the style of carving.  Since they have the Greek, Roman, and some Egyptian styles in play, we can gather than the people were in a time all of those groups existed.  When the area become increasingly Christian, the idols carved into, well, everywhere, was kind of hard to live with, so they moved out and settled nearby, keeping the traditional name of Wadi Mosu.

A look up from the walk.

Check it out!!  Nobody!!!

The scale of this place is incredible.

It's like sheets of BACON flowing down the rock!!

Man leading a camel.  Poor camel has feet, but no legs!

Ancient wedding spot.  Husband and Wife take either alcove,
and join hands with the priest (whose feet go in the little spots).

Steps, steps, and more steps!  But no handrail.

Gasp!!!

When we arrived, we were told we could either hike down and back, or hire a cart (pulled by donkeys and/or horses), ride a camel, or ride a horse.  The horses were only able to take us to the beginning of the old city, about a mile or so down.  We chose to walk.  On the way down, well, everything was new, cool, and interesting…increasingly.  Then it became a challenge to keep an ear out for the clop clop clop of an oncoming horse or donkey almost charging up the road we shared.  Oh, and keep an eye down, or, well, you were going to step in something both ancient and new!  As the walls closed in, and the path narrowed, it became almost surreal.  I am told the colors are amazing.  Sure.  Finally, we came around a bit of a corner and our guide directed our attention back, and up, having us look at the colors and rocks looking up and across the top, then down the side in front of us…where we spotted the “Treasury” through the slit in the canyon!  It was actually pretty funny, since none of us were expecting it, and it got our excitement up abruptly!

The "Treasury"

In front of the Treasury, there is a large opening and shops and markets were set up there by the Bedouin, where they sold trinkets, tea, drinks, snacks, etc.  It was a curious mix of authentic, ancient, touristy, and strange.  We explored a little bit then hiked on to view a few other spots. 

Structure below the facade of the treasury.

Close up detail of the Treasury.

Camels

He is in time out, I guess.

A very wealthy person's tomb.

Inside the tomb.

This is NOT how you play hide and go seek!

They even had a theater for 6000!  All of the seats were carved.

The rock is amazing inside!

Somebody's view!

The canyon opens up.

Bedouin market.

Finally we came to a spot where the canyon sort of ended and opened up into the valley.  There were two large structures, one of which was repurposed into an early Catholic church.  To finish it for the purpose, the early Christians made stone blocks and built it out a little, which looked bizarre in the context of where we were.  The three men in our party (minus the tour guide) elected to hike up and see the church, while the three ladies headed back toward the Treasury.  We met back up with them about 30-40 minutes later, and began the trek to the top.  It was becoming hotter, and the overcast sky was opening up.  The dust was raising a bit and of course the heat helped release the “aroma” of the droppings along the road.  Did I say there was no wind in the canyon?  Yeah, the smell lingered long!!  But not to paint a dark light on it, actually we were incredibly fortunate that almost everywhere we went, we beat the crowds, who seemed to arrive as we began to leave!

Spices.

Frankincense...from Yemen.

Myrrh is only grown in Yemen.

The place converted into a church.

The rock is pretty under this bland sandstone!

Inside the church.

The valley outside.

Two facades.

The Corinthian capitals are roughed out, but never finished.

Apparently no laws against being on your cell phone while riding!

Getting to the top of the hill, our party all checked their phones, fitbits, etc, and compared notes.  We hiked something between 7 kilometers (almost 5 miles) and 19,000 steps.  Either way, we were hot, tired, and ready for lunch (as it was after 2:30!).  We went to a restaurant with a buffet.  They had a nice selection of local foods, which we guessed what they were.  Some were good, some ok, and well, a few other selections!  One dessert was awesome!!  You can’t go wrong with coconut!

Beer!!!  Well, sort of.

We piled back into the mini-van and headed back to the ship.  One of the couples needed to make an ATM stop (to be able to pay).  While sitting there, I saw in the store’s beverage cooler what looked like a beer bottle!!  (I like to try the local beer everywhere I go, when possible.)   I asked and it was a malted beverage, pineapple flavored, but non-alcoholic.  Well, we were sitting there so why not?  It was actually pretty tasty!!!  So I had my “Jordanian Beer”.  We stopped again as one woman wanted to try the local sweet (still not sure what it was), but there were a few types, with almond, honey, etc.  She bought some and shared them. 

And overlook of Petra.  You would never know!

Finally, we stopped for an overlook photo along the way.  That broke up the 2 hour drive back!  Even though we were early, and arrived about 5:30, it was already dark as we boarded the ship.  We had a nice dinner, and worked a little bit trying to get the blog to take pictures, and then called it a night!