crossing the border and "Petra by Night"

After a full day in Eilat, the three of us took a cab to the Israel-Jordan border. There was a 103nis exit tax, but the entire procedure was surprisingly quick and easy. Once we passed through the Israeli side, we walked down a strip of no-man's land and reached the Jordanian side, where we got some more stamps. The Jordanian staff were by far the nicest anything-travel-related staff members I have ever encountered in my life. I felt so welcomed to the country.

We had a car waiting for us on the other side in Aqaba (note: don't secure a car ahead of time -- it turns out to be more expensive than just grabbing a cab once you get there). While expensive, the drive was nice because our driver played popular Jordanian pop music for us, taught us some Arabic phrases, and made stops for us to catch:

(camels)

(a yield to camels sign)

(the sun setting over the Jordanian mountains)

The mountains were endless and a stunning contrast to Eilat.

We settled into the Mövenpick across the street from the Petra entrance. Classy, I know. At Nick's eager suggestion, we decided to splurge a bit and go with a 5-star hotel since the price for the three was us was relatively reasonable. We had gotten really excited by the descriptions and photos on their website. Alas, we were sorely disappointed once we got there (e.g. non-functioning ac!). You can read our review of it if you'd like: "Not Quite Five Star."

I must admit though that the sitting area was quite lovely:

Immediately after dropping off our bags, we ran over to catch "Petra by Night." At just 12 Jordanian dinars, it was worth it. You enter the archaeological park at 20:00 when it's almost completely dark outside and walk down the candle-lit path. According to visitjordan.com, there is a total of 1,800 candles, and I believe it. (photos courtesy of a quick Google image search since my photos didn't turn out well)

You walk all the way down the Siq, which is a natural geological fault that runs for about a mile. Caravans used to travel along this narrow gorge. According to the American Museum of Natural History, "Petra began as a gathering site for Nabataean traders carrying incense, spice and perfume along two major ancient caravan routes. Commercial traffic to and from Petra steadily increased from the first century BC to the mid-first century AD, to keep up with the growing demand for luxury goods in Rome, Greece and Egypt. During this time the city evolved into a bustling hub of international commerce and culture."We walked all the way down, not quite knowing when it would end.

(a photo along the way)

Check out the view when we reached the end! (again, photo courtesy of a quick Google image search)

Al Khazneh (the Treasury), which is carved into the sandstone rock, was partially lit up by a sea of candles. The Bedouin guides waiting for us at the end asked us to take a seat on mats and gave us sweet mint tea while we waited for folks to gather. There were two music performances. Unfortunately, it was difficult to fully take in the magic of the moment because there were a few people behind us who snickered and made comments throughout the entire evening, even during the moments of silence requested by the Bedouins. Sigh... some people don't grow up, I guess.

It was lovely to sit and gaze up at this immense, impressive, and interestingly classical Greek-influenced structure that is carved into the mountainside. After the hike back up the Siq, we returned to our hotel room and crashed, preparing ourselves for Petra by DAY!... [next post]

I will put up a post of Petra by day soon. In the mean time, check out the American Museum of Natural History's site/exhibit on Petra!

"Two thousand years ago, Petra stood at a crossroads of the ancient Near East. Camel caravans passed through, loaded with spices, textiles and incense from distant regions—and through such commerce, the city flourished. Its people, the Nabataeans, harnessed precious water, enabling the population to soar to perhaps 20,000. The Nabataeans also erected monumental tombs, memorializing their kings and leaders."