Day 9

Only one thing on our schedule today. That was the ancient city ruins of Petra. It is mentioned in the Bible in 2 Kings 14:7. Petra is the biblical city of Sela. This is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and we’re excited to be able to see this.

We were up at 5 a.m. as we had to be on the bus to leave by 7 a.m. The sun was just over the horizon when the alarm went off. The drive to Petra was about 3 ½ hours so we had to leave as early as possible. After we all made sure we had plenty of water and everything we might need we drove out of the city of Madaba. One thing we failed to mention in yesterday’s blog that we have a tour guide and a member of the tourist police on the bus with us. Apparently it is the policy of the country of Jordan that each tour bus must have both on them. The tour guide is Mohammed. Although he speaks English, with his accent he isn’t very clear sometimes while talking. I don’t know our policeman’s name but he is young and very nice. He just sits in the front seat of the bus and doesn’t say much. But we have noticed that when we reach a security check point he leans forward enough to be seen by the tourist police at the check point and we are just waved on through. We’ve all felt very safe everywhere we’ve been and we’ve not seen anything that would concern us.

Part way through our journey today we stopped at a store for a rest and break. This store apparently is owned by a relative of Mohammed’s. It is large and very nice. A lot of souvenirs and a small café. After our break we continued on our way. We passed through a small dust storm and a great amount of desert. We had been traveling briefly on the King’s Highway and then on the main highway through the country of Jordan before turning off toward Petra.

Soon we began to see trees and began a descent into the city surrounding the ruins. Our guide told us that Moses’ brother Aaron is buried in the area somewhere and a rock with water flowing out of it, thought to be the one Moses struck to produce water, is right next to the road. We were unable to get a picture of it due to traffic and the fact that the bus doesn't stop for every interesting site along the way. The streets of this city are quite steep. We are soon let out of the bus where our tour guide arranged tickets for our entrance into the area of Petra. It is a 1 ½ hour walk through a narrow canyon, the Siq, to the city so Dad opts to take the horse drawn cart to the first stop on our tour. We all had the opportunity to ride horses for about ½ mile but only a couple of the kids chose that.

The walk down the canyon was very interesting. Tall narrow sandstone walls towered above us. We saw a aquaduct chiseled out of the rock to collect rain water that runs all the way down the canyon. In some areas there are still some of the original and later,Roman paving stones. In some of the canyon walls we could see remains of carvings and statues. All of a sudden, as we turned a corner, we saw the large, most preserved, most famous ruin of all…the Treasury. We entered into a large open area where the entire building can be seen. It is magnificent! It really is a memorial tomb for one of their most loved kings. There are guards in period costume. After a brief bit of info about the Treasury from our tour guide we are able to walk up onto the porch of the building and look into some of the rooms inside.

After that we start walking on down the canyon. We see many different tombs cut into the walls all the way. Some are just cut out holes in the walls. Others are similar to the Treasury but none is as well preserved as the Treasury. There are the ruins of a huge amphitheater on one side.

Continuing on down the canyon we are met by many small children attempting to sell us trinkets. As we reached the end of the walk we see the walls of a huge temple still standing. Our guide tells us that there was a big earthquake that destroyed the city but the walls of this enormous temple are still standing because it was not only made of stone but had wood beams in the walls to act as shock absorbers and help keep it from collapsing. This area was the city area just past the area of tombs. Interestingly we were told that this area was inhabited as recently as the mid 1980s.

At the bottom of the canyon is a nice restaurant where we ate lunch. Then we must head back up the canyon to exit the area and meet our bus. There were a large group of us who wanted to ride camels. We had our choice of camels or donkeys and we all chose the camels. So we had quite a caravan going the 1 ½ miles from the restaurant to the Treasury. Quite a sight to be seen! People along the way were waving and snapping photos.

Once we reached the Treasury area again we all got off our camels and met the rest of the group who had walked this far for the next 1 ½ miles up the narrow canyon to our bus. Since Dad had ridden down on the horse cart he had paid for a round trip. Susan waited with him for his cart to be there so rode back with him. By the time we got up to the entrance area nearly everybody else had already arrived. After the hot walk a purchase of a l.5 liter bottle of cold water tasted very good.

Back on the bus for our trip back to Madaba. Again we passed though another sandstorm, that had closed the road for a while, and stopped again at the little store for a rest stop. Returning to our hotel at 8 p.m. we ate a late supper, had a devotional, told the ones of our group that are leaving for home tomorrow goodbye and headed up to our rooms for rest. We have gotten to know most of the group fairly well and we will miss them.