Petra – sand, rocks, and history

From the Serengeti airport (consisting of only two rooms) we boarded our bush planes for Kilimanjaro to learn our travel fate to Jordan.

Once there, we – let’s all say it together – sat and waited in the airport. Lots of talking, sharing of pictures, and pacing ensued.

While waiting a fellow passenger pointed out that my right ankle was swollen. While I had not felt anything, looking down I could see that it was rather swollen (no pictures – you’re welcome). In checking with the trip Dr. he felt it was concerning enough that he wanted to check it further when we arrived in Petra.

Finally, our Captain comes on to tell us we had received diplomatic clearance to fly north over Ethiopia, and then over Eritrea (thus avoiding Sudan) to get us to the Red Sea and allow us to continue our progression.

Before taking off we were treated to a new crew members giving us our flight safety announcements…

Shortly after takeoff we were treated to a fantastic view of the dome of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The famous “Snows of Kilimanjaro” are actually not fallen snow but the remains of glaciers, and are in a rather fast decline They are projected to be entirely gone within 10-20 years so we were thrilled to have a clear view.

Continuing on, six hours later we land in Petra, Jordan. Petra is an ancient city, established as long ago as 9000 BC, and was an important place of education as well as a way station for traders traveling the area. It is also a two hour bus ride from the Aqaba airport we landed at.

After the beauty and opulence of our last few stops, Petra and its’ surroundings were in sharp contrast. That being said, the hotel was very nice and, as has been seen in all our hotels, had a great pool…

Our hotel also provided yet another first – baggage and body scanning at the front door that we had to go through with each entry.

After our long day of travel we grab a quick bite, and get rest for the upcoming day of walking in the footsteps of history.

First thing the next morning the expedition Dr. does an ultrasound of my leg and determines that I do have a DVT (deep vein thrombosis). This is a clot in your vein that in the worst case can break loose and do bad things. The treatment is to get on a blood thinner, which the doc prescribes, and I will be on until home to have a more in depth scan/diagnosis.

Then we are off to the old city of Petra, handily right across the street from our hotel. Our guide, Mamoon, is a Petra native and scholar who has studied the city for the past 25 years, teaches about it at the university, and has written several books on it.

To get to the old city-proper you first walk through a long, winding path through very large rocks, which are riddled with caves and carvings demonstrating the extremely high level of intelligence the inhabitants had. In several instances Mamoon showed us locations where carvings were made that corresponded with seasonal sunrises/sets that cast complete pictures on the cave walls. In one location, where people are no longer allowed, at the right time of year the advancing sun would show a “movie” on the cave wall of a person hunting and throwing a spear at an animal.

If not on foot, the prime method of transportation in the narrow pathways is horse-drawn carriage. These are driven at breakneck speed with the drivers yelling at all to get out of their way.

Among the many advancements exhibited here was a hydraulics system carved in the rock which metered the flow of water from location to location.

(It is a it hard to see, but there are measured “screws” carved into these channels to regulate the flow-rate of water throughout the system of channels in the walls).

After walking through a series of mini-wows, we turn a corner and see the big-wow of the Treasury (Mamoon posits it was actually a library), and a mass of tourists, camels, donkeys, and the accompanying crowding and odors…

Of course, the people (and camel) watching are compelling as well…

It seems that the Jack Sparrow look might also have originated here, it certainly was alive and well…

If one chooses not to walk or ride a camel, donkeys are readily available as well…

As we have seen at every stop, one can buy anything from rocks to frankincense and spices to jewelry and colorful fabrics…

After lunch at the far end of the city we made the return hike through the crowds and heat and the crowds…

Even though we were in an ancient city, modern capitalism was still alive and well here…

We had a wonderful dinner of local fare, and were once again treated to dancers from the area who were thrilling in their passion and cultural pride…

We headed out the next morning for Wadi Rum – a desert valley cut through sandstone and granite. It’s has been inhabited by many groups over the years, now by Bedouins. To help with the overall look, both “Lawrence of Arabia” and “The Martian” were filmed there. The former because T.S. Lawrence spent time there during the Arab Revolt during the early 1900’s.

The drive to WR showcased the visually stunning deserts and rock outcropping of Jordan..

(This are the Seven Pillars of Wisdom Lawrence used as the title of his autobiography.

When we get to the desert it is a staggering vista of red sand and towering rock formations. It is hard to take it all in, and around me I see people standing and spinning 360 degrees in an attempt to…

We enter a narrow opening in one of the formations and traverse a very narrow rock ledge in the opening to see wall drawings, petroglyphs, from a distant time…