If you wander the globe and find yourself in Jordan, most likely, you have come to see Petra. One of the world's most famous archaeological sites, Petra is located between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea at a crossroads between ancient Egypt, Arabia and Syria-Phoenicia (present day Syria, Lebanon and Northern Israel).
Petra is often referred to as "the Rose-red city" and it is no usual ancient city. Instead of free-standing buildings, Petra was hewn from towering sandstone walls. Once a thriving center of trade during the days of caravans with spice, myrrh and frankincense, the Nabataeans who built the city grew rich on taxes levied on passing merchants. But times changed, shipping routes replaced caravans, Romans as well as Crusaders came and went, and Petra became a forgotten outpost for about 600 years.
The first glimpse of the Treasury from the SiqA Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, disguised as a Moslem, was led to the ruins in 1812. Local Bedouins kept the place a secret. He came saying he wanted to offer a sacrifice at Aaron's grave. That got him into Petra but he wasn't allowed to explore. That would have gotten him killed. But the gates were opened. The lost city has attracted tourists ever since, averaging 2000 a day.
Leading the way to the city is the Siq. It is a path of 1.2 kilometers that looks like a canyon but it wasn't carved by water. The earth split apart by tectonic forces. It varies in width from two to five meters and towers 200 overhead. The Siq ends with the most amazing view of all Petra, the Treasury. And, whether you climb or ride a donkey, you must see the Monastery.
As wonderful as Petra is, and it is spectacular, my fondest memory of Jordan will always be the people. From the wadi (valley) where Lawrence of Arabia once trekked past Bedouin women like this to local restaurants where owners overstuffed guests with mysterious delights, Jordanians were so very gracious.
The most memorable person crossed my way at the most unexpected moment. They (whoever they are) say that half the fun is getting there. But when traveling at night, I can't honestly say I am in search of adventure. I much prefer clearly marked roads and street lights. They were non-existent in the Jordanian countryside. At some intersections it just wasn't clear which way to go.
Of course, mistakes were made and my friends and I were completely lost. Hoping for the best, we continued on until the road ended at a compound in the desert. Someone spoke a little English, and when we said we wanted to go to Petra, everyone laughed. Fortunately, one young man decided to escort us to the highway. We never would have found it otherwise, and he knew it. Unlike so many other parts of the world where we would have been taken advantage of, he refused any kind of tip. He simply smiled and said, "Welcome to Jordan."
