Petra

The city of petra or at least the treasury is one of those iconic places that are stock in your head (at least in mine) since I was a child,  and I have seen the photo one million time, like many other iconic places such as machu picchu or the angkor wat temples.

The first time that I walked through the Sic and see the Treasury was my first was “Petra by night” but I prefer to talk about this experience at the end.

It was around 6:30 when we were passing the control to get inside Petra,( be aware that you have to get a ticket even if you have the jordan pass, so go first to the ticket office ) and there were already people. But we were able to walk almost 2km till the treasury on our own. Althougt the Siq is beautiful was not not so impressed, it might be because 2 day before I was doing the wadi Ghwueir.

Once we get in the Treasury we spent around and hour taking pictures and observing this amaizing place, and the live that te sqare gets with all of the turist, and locals,  and the buggys comming from the SIq every few minutes (they only cover the distance between the entry and the treasury, about 1,5-2km).

We found the perfect spot to take a picture of us like the square was empty, even if it was not…

The square it self is not so big, and after an hour, around 8 it was pretty crowded so we make our way to the High place of sacrifice.

After the Street of Facades there are on the left on the left there are stairs that wind up the mountain. This trails runs parallel to the Main Trail and gives you the best broad views over the ancient city below.  It ends near the start of the Monastery Trail. 

It took us like an hour to get up to the place os sacrifice.There is no significant ruin but the view of the landscape and of Petra are stunning. Once there I realize how big is the petra area and how many toms are there. After spending a good hour taking photos we start to descend via Wadi al-Farasa probably my favorite trail in petra, not too many people and fantasticas views.

We descend visiting some toms and the Garden temple complex, The Renaissance Tomb…and going into some of the Tomb that be found in our way.

 After finishing the Wadi al Farasa trail  we look up to the restaurants that are an the end of the main trail but they are really expensive. We ended up having a santwich for 5jd  in a shop in front on the Facades just before you turn right to go back to the treasury.

On our second day we decide to visit Litle petra in the morning and from there walk til the monastery, we read that it was not so complicated. The first thing we show when we arrived was a couple of tourist that wanted to start the way to petra, but the beduings where stoping then and not allowing then to go without a guide. There is at the beginning of little petra a hut and a beduing with a west of petra, not sure if it was fake.

We start to visit little petra and a child asked me for help to carry some bags with suveniers till ther family shop. It ended up that his family shop was the very last one. we talk with him and he offer to work as our guide till petra, we think about for a while but so early there were no one more there so we accept, we pay him 30 JOD and he only come with us till the check point where the look for your jordan pass with is half way through the trek, we felt completely  cheated.

We visit Little petra for about 20-30 min and then we started to walk. The track starts at the left of the cars park. From there the track goes out into the desert following jeep tracks, and you pass by Bedouin tents, goats. the way is all flat and the most interesting thing for us was that that day was a horse ride event. 

Once you pass the checking point ( when our “guide” leave us) is when the Climbing uphill starts, the track is really well defined and stairs have been built into the path. The views are stunning and allow you to see across the canyon and the dessert. 

After the stairs end, walking a little bit more you have the first glimpse of the Monastery (see that little urn/spire in the photo above). why the Nabateans choose this location to build the monastery, I have no Idea, but it is treaky to get there from all directions.

We spend at the monastery one hour just sitting in front of it. 

The descent of the monastery is challenging because all of the donkies that bring people up.

They were whipped hard and often, and you have to get out of their way. After dencending the 800 steps, I was glad to visit the monastery from little petra, the way, and the views are way better.

 After a short break in the same place as the day before we visit the Tombs, starting with the main ones, but also visiting others that are a little bit further in front of the theater which for me were more interesting.

In this cave (photo below) there was a really old beduin, be bought something to drink and try to start a conversation with him, was not posible because his English was really limited, was a bitty.

After a another long day, we said goodbye to petra, walking for the last time the Siq (which get really hot in the afternoon because it is narrow and there is a lot of people walking)

Once we get out we thing about to drink in the Cave, but 10€ for a beer was to pricey.

What we did, and I highly recommend was get in the Petra museum, was really interesting specilly the part where they explained how the Nabatean design the Petras water system.

This ‘spectacle’ is run 3 times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 20:30 and 22:30, and it costs 17 JOD. The ticket hast to be bought on the same day but any hotel could arrange it for you.

I was not sure about this one, but the people that I was traveling with wanted to do it so…I did it the fist day that arrive to Wadi Nusa, so it was my first view of the Six and the treasury

We start to walk the Siq around 19, and it is completely dark, well is lighted with candles but , better if you bring a lamp.

After walking the 30 minutes, I stop and the end of the Siq to try to get a good picture (a tripod is needed), after a while I get inside the “square of the treasury” and it was completly full of peple, while I was trying to get a good pic a man was playing a flute and then another man tells a story, but it was sooo grouwded that I was just feeling  overwhelmed.

I was not able to take great pictures of experience, a put here 3 pictures that are "ok" and the 2 more to see the amount of people there was the day I went.

Did I enjoyed? Not at all

Do I thing is worthit? same answer as before.

The idea is good, but they should limit the number of people.

• Take 2 days to discover the city .
• Wake up early ( petra opens at 6 am)
• Leave the main trail, and discover petra walking other trails (wadi al farasa was one of my favorites)
• Trecking shoes are a good idea
• There are inside plenty of places to buy water, don't worry,
• Walk from little petra to petra, the views are amaicing and you will not have to go up through the 800 steps
• As I said, for me petra by night was not worth it at least for me