I have been going to do this for awhile, share past trips. As travel long distance seems even further away I decided to start the series.

This first article is on Jordan – specifically Petra. The next one will be on the Dead Sea.

In May 2013 a friend and I headed to Jordan, the aim to go to Petra and the Dead Sea. It was already starting to get pretty hot in Abu Dhabi where we lived, so we knew it would be hot in Petra but we were determined to go.

I arrived late evening into Amman which means I didn’t get to see much of the city, next time was the thought. Early the next day our driver meet us to take us to Petra. The drive was fascinating and our driver provided interesting facts along the way. We saw ruins over a 1000 years old. Learnt that this was once part of the Turkish empire, Olive groves, Bedouin tents, goat herders and a country that is beautiful in its diversity of scenery. (Having lived in Abu Dhabi for 10 months, you really noticed when places were not flat and sandy, and if they were green.). The trip took most of the day.

Next day we went to the ruins of Petra, that we have all seen glimpses of in movies especially Raiders of the Lost Ark. At this time of the year it is starting to get hot, max temp around 30C with low humidity – thankfully my friend and I are both early risers so we were at the main entrance/starting point by 7.30am. One of the best investments is to pay for a guide to take you in and explain the history of the place and the things that you are seeing. We were lucky that our guide was brilliant, a wealth of knowledge. We opted to walk in as it still wasn’t too hot. When you go to places like this that are ancient and full of history, if you stop, don’t talk and listen, engage your imagination you can get a better feel for those who lived there in the past. Walking in through the narrow passage was interesting, there are shrines carved in the rock wall along the way. Seating has been added but its like walking through a passageway to the past, and then you round a corner and the Treasury is there.

Petra is more than that one iconic image we have all seen, there is so much more to see. All in various degrees of ruin due to earthquakes and raiders, there is the theatre with possibly the first corporate boxes, rock hewn dwellings, burial chambers, temples, donkeys, camels, cats and goats roaming around. A tree that is hundreds of years old if not more. Its an experience I am so glad I got to enjoy.

If you like what you have read, don’t forget to like and follow to find out more about my travels, food, books etc both recent and past. Looking forward to continuing to share.

#pasttravels, #Petra #history #Jordan #thingsthatmakeyougowow #Ilovehistory #fortheloveoftraveling