Two Days in petra

I’ve spent the last two days exploring the ancient city of Petra.  Getting there is relatively easy once you are in Wadi Musa, the entrance to the site is pretty much within the town, so I could pretty much walk there from the hostel. 

The fee into the Park is relatively expensive, I am sure there is a scale for foreigners and for locals.  For a two day entry pass I had to pay 50 Jordanian dinars, or about $70 Canadian!!!  Yesterday I spent the whole day exploring the main attractions with my Aussie friend Nck.  Today I spent the day exploring less popular paths with Nick and Ernesto.  Although today was an overcast and very cold day, we still had a great time hiking the endless paths that seem to go on forever and wind up and down the red and pink sandstone cliffs.

The natural beauty of the area is indescribable, add to that the archaeological wonder that is Petra, and you truly have a wonder of the world.  It is hard to believe that all of this was carved out of the rock when looking at the intricate detail of the buildings, the columns and beautiful facades.  Wind erosion has taken its toll on many of the buildings, and I can only imagine how amazing they might have been at their zenith.  I try to imagine this city at its glory, with the streets full of people, water flowing, markets packed with people, the smell of incense in the air, and camel caravans coming and going to the far corners of the know world at the time.

Petra itself is a gigantic complex, you simply need more than a day to see it, two is good, but three days would be even better.  Every rock you climb and every path you take surprise you with a view more amazing than the last one.  I don’t think I have ever taken so many pictures in one place, my camera must have been smoking at the end of the day, I found an infinite amount of inspirational sights for me to photograph.  

In addition to the incredible experience that is Petra, spending the end of the day at the Valentine Inn hostel was a wonderful experience all by itself.  I got a chance to meet lots and lots of travelers from all over the world.  We all talked about out trips, our plans, and our lives back in the world we were all so desperately trying to get away from.  The sense of adventure is alive in the type that stays at this hostel, I wish I didn’t have to leave...  but tomorrow I plan to make it to the holiest city on Earth...  Jerusalem!