From Kerak we rejoin the Kings Highway, wide and fast. We are at Wadi Musa at 17, our hotel is located in this part of town, near the mosque, and away from the Petra site.
Our room, 308, is on the top floor. The bathroom is a bit older and would need some refurbishing, but the room, although small, is very good. Let’s say that the intention of this 3 star hotel is to give services of an higher category. The windows are double-double gazed (so 4 glasses), which isolate almost perfectly from outside noise, which in this case is represented by the muezzin of the great mosque that we face. We do not hear virtually nothing. Inside, rooms and hallways are carpeted, and well soundproofed. The receptionis, Ayah, is very kind and dispenses all kinds of advice. It is available a 13 JD package that allows unlimited use of the internet and jacuzzi, plus a turkish bath. We do not care, but every turkish bath costs 20 JD, jacuzzi 7, and half an hour of internet 1, so it is convenient. In addition, paying 7 JD more, you can dine at the buffet restaurant.
The food is good, not as great as in Madaba : westernized dishes but cooked properly, however, using more exotic flavors and spices
We buy for the same evening tickets to the show Petra by night (JD 12). Ayah warns us that the price of a taxi ride is 2 JD maximum, and we must refuse to pay more. The show is disappointing. The Siq and the square of the treasure are lit by hundreds of candles, and this is awesome, but the show, a Bedouin music concert, is quite poor, both in quality and quantity.
10/15
After a buffet breakfast we go down by foot to the ruins, a little less than two kilometers. We buy the entrance fee for 2 days, cost 38 JD each. It is warm, about 33 degrees Celsius, but dry. There is no need to bring along plenty of water, because there are kiosks that sell it, although at higher prices. The big bottle here costs 2 JD, while normally costs 1 JD. The Jordanians pay it (outside Petra site) 0.35 JD, see if you are as good at bargaining as them. In Madaba we were able to buy 3 bottles (1.5 + 0.75 + 0.5 lt) for 1 JD but it is an quite an exception.At 9.30 there are already a lot of people (the site opens at 7, although they say 6.30).
We dedicate the first day to the “institutionally touristy” visit, along the classic route from the Treasury to the Monastery, walking normally, no hurry, stopping for pictures, for drinking, for eating. We brought bread sticks, cheese, bananas, sesame snacks.
We go out in the evening when it is already dark, and we are back at the hotel at 19.
Many people think Petra is only composed by the Siq, which the tortuous initial path, and the Treasury, which was also celebrated in several films, most recently the third episode of the Indiana Jones saga, but in reality it is a huge city to explore, also considered scenic excursions (some to be done with a guide, otherwise you risk getting lost) that connect it to the heights or to the surrounding villages. It is hard work, but you are rewarded by spectacular scenery, and the almost total absence of other visitors. These ones mostly gather at the Treasury so that, among camels, horses, carriages, donkeys, small crowds of people, and even dogs and cats, there is quite a big mess.
The steep staircase on the left, mentioned on the Lonely Planet, which would allow in about 20 minutes to reach a sort of lookout, is closed, I imagine it’s too dangerous. Walking far from the Treasury, the crowds gradually dilute, and like ants people climb everywhere they can, the Road of Facades, the Amphitheatre, the various graves (Urn, Sestum Fiorentinum)
What impresses me are the colors of the rocks, they look like variegated ice cream. After a small lunch in the shadow of the tomb of Sestum Florentinum, at around 14.30 we walk to the column area, and from here, passing close to the two restaurants, we take the steps leading to the Monastery
The track begins right now to enter in the shadow cone, visitors who are now coming down, which means they went up In full sun, look terribly tired an sweated. Constant dryness in the throat apart, despite I drink all the time, I do not feel tired.
My concerns about mistreatment of donkeys, assigned to the transport of the lazy tourists, turns out to be quite unfounded. I do not know if this is the objective truth but based on what I can observe, the animals look well maintained.
In fact, a sign of some animal rights association stands at the Siq entrance, stating that all the animals, identified by a number, are under their care. They invite visitors to report any abuse. Some donkeys are used for the transport of jewelery sold at some stalls, the rest of them are grazing around till the time to pack everything. The natives on the site, mainly busy with the management of the food kiosks and souvenirs, and animal transport, seem to belong to Bedouin communities, but there are also people of different ethnicity, I can recognize especially men who have eyes black kohl-rimmed like pirate Johnny Depp. I read, in fact, and a taxi driver will confirm this, they belong to some gypsy tribes.
After all the trek in a beautiful landscape
I even forgot the reason why I ventured here, the imperious facade of the Monastery, in the golden light of late afternoon, suddenly stands after the last step, making me boggle. At this time the clearing is deserted. Many people are sit at a little overlooking bar. After having purchased the last water bottle (in all the day I did not pee and I even did not feel the need) we move to two different viewpoints overlooking the valley of Wadi Musa
On the way back, even the Treasury square is virtually deserted. The morning reddish light has disappeared, since it is almost evening.
We are so tired that we have dinner at the hotel. Cheerful groups of tourists in their sixties roar in the restaurant, as kids on a school trip.
10/16
Today is the day of the alternative excursion. In our intentions: get to Petra passing by Wadi Muthlin, and then climb up to the top of the hill which is in front of the Treasury, to admire it from above. Wadi Muthlin is really a small creek, it’s at his driest peak, (at most there might be puddles). The exceptionality of this trail is that, in the last part, it shrinks into a siq only one meter wide. There are boulders to overcome, but according to the Lonely Planet a normal person can do it.
We ask information to the very efficient Ayah. According to her it’s feasible. However, she warns that the guards, at the bridge where the path starts, will try to discourage us, saying it is dangerous, and prohibited.
She suggests to ignore them. We stop at Petra Visitors Bureau information Centre and unexpectedly they warn us as well. Our impression is that want to extort 50 JD for a guide. At the bridge there is an a troupe filming, the guards are distracted, Lorenzo and I sneaking deviate from the main street and go down to the Wadi Muthlin beneath the bridge. We made it! But not for long : the screams of a guy call us back, his cackling also attract the guards. After some insistence, he let us go, we promise him we only will do a little walk and then go back. The track is full of stones, but very easy, the scenery is beautiful, but not like in the Siq.
The path becomes gradually narrower, the bottom of the valley is lined with oleanders, there is nobody, and absolute silence, only a few blue lizards, which run in the upright position comically rolling the rear legs
Going on we can’t distinguish a marked path any longer, we are afraid to waste time, or get lost, so we go back to the usual road. It’s about noon, and groups now in the Siq have almost disappeared, so now we are able to perceive the magic of this place, the strong light now even more inflames the rocks with thousand warm undertones
At the treasury, the usual chaos, the facade is already in the shade. so we understand that the best time to take visit it would be early in the morning rather than the afternoon.
The staircase that rises behind the tomb of Sestum Florentinum is in the shade, fortunately; there are no signs or signals, so we hope to be right, we will meet in all the way only 5 or 6 people, and two donkeys. Some French reassure us that we are in the right place, that there is still half an hour, and that once you get on top of the hill some piles of stones indicate the direction to follow. We can find the viewpoint without losing too much time, it is located in a place where the rocks and the ground have a very violent orange brick colour. The Treasury is beneath us, and people seem ants.
Slowly we retrace our steps. An Indian crew is shooting a movie, the actors are dressed like cowboys. We remain still for a moment in front of the entrance of the Siq, to say goodbye with dignity, probably it’s the first and last time we are here, and want to greet Petra with a long warm hug
Since it is not very late, we are in the hotel at 18, we take the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful swimming pool.
The program for tomorrow is to leave Petra, and reach Wadi Rum, where I booked a day trip with the “Guides of Wadi Rum” agency and then in the evening take a taxi to Aqaba, where we will sleep one night before taking the ferry to Egypt.
Ayah informs me that their affiliated drivers want 40 JD to get to Wadi Rum, to me it seems a bit expensive. After dinner, we go out for a walk and contact some taxi drivers, decreasing to 25 JD. There is also a public bus, Jett company, but it leaves at 6, too early.
Wadi Musa does not offer anything interesting, apart from some butcher shops.
I hoped there were some handicrafts shops which, instead, are mainly concentrated close to the Petra entrance area, and are outrageously expensive : T-shirts cost 5 JD, while in Aqaba only 3