The Rose-Red City

I woke up at 6:30 am today, yet I am super giddy and energetic. Why? You ask…Today I went to see the Rose-Red city engraved in rock, a true wonder and a sight for sore eyes. Here is my journey into this marvelous ancient city:

First you walk through the main visitor’s gate through a pebbled and sandy path (about 1 kilometer) with stone tombs and monuments carved with animal bones, hammers and steel into the sandstone. The Nabataean’s carved the upper floors first as sandstone is soft and would have fallen into their eyes. Then comes the entrance to As Siq, which literally means “crack in the rock”. It is a naturally formed (probably by an earthquake) deep gorge with canyon walls of up to 80 meters and 3,620 ft in length. As it winds down to the main gate of Petra you see a medley of colors in the rocks, which washed by flash floods to create smooth rocks with interesting designs. The Red Sea also flooded here, thus causing the rose color in the rocks and sand. As you walk though As Siq, admiring the funky geological formations, you also notice the intricate water channels built by the Nabataeans, which allowed them to settle in one place. My tour guide would pause every once in a while to ask me what animal I see in the rock formations, and for some strange reason..all I saw were crocodiles; I think he got annoyed and stopped asking me. It’s amazing to thing the same limestone walk ways that were built in the 1st century BC are still somewhat intact today.

As spellbound as I was in this walk way, as I turned the next corner, I was faced with Al-Khazneh (the Treasury) through the sliver crack at the end of As Siq. This is the main structure in Petra, and remarkably still fairly undamaged. It is called the Treasury since there is large pot engraved in stone which was thought to be filled with treasures – based on the folks trying to shoot it down, it can be confirmed that there was nothing inside. I stand in front of Al-Khazneh, unable to process the sheer grandeur of this façade. The combination of natural geography and carvings is unbelievable. I can’t even describe what I see or feel; which means go see it for yourself!! Petra is officially the most incredible place I have seen in my life. But alas, Petra is not just the Treasury that it is it most known for, it is an entire city built in the sandstone, spanning across several kilometers and varying heights. I walk though this magical city, (which seems all too unreal) hidden in the gorges of southern Jordan, and decide to go to the highest and furthest point which is the Monastery (similar architecture to the Treasury). It takes about a good hour to get to this site, 800 steps from the base and the route involves climb narrow, smooth, sand covered steps that wind around the mountains. Again just like the Treasury, when you think you have seen everything you can on this hike, you take a sharp right turn and there it is, the Monastery..when you least expect it.

There is another point atop a mountain to get an amazing panoramic view of the Monastery and the surrounding mountains and canyons. At the view point, all I hear is the breeze. I sit there, admiring the scenery, at a loss for wonders, and just look upon this wondrous place with appreciation, realizing my own insignificance in comparison. How the in the world did they carve this place with several simple tools in such beautiful terrain? I guess some questions are meant to be left answered. I sit with Abid, a Bedouin guy in his shop at the peak of the mountain. He lives there, gets what he needs from the village, sells trinkets to tourists, smokes his pipe, plays his guitar, and makes tea. What a life, I wouldn’t mind spending a week on this mountain…meditating. By the way, all the Bedouins here look just like Jack Sparrow, with nice tanned skin, kohl in their eyes, and fancy head gear. As I walk down the 800 steps from the Monastery, I admire the astounding designs and colors in the rocks. One of the Bedouins reveals a short cut to get to the Royal Tombs, which I obviously decide to take since it is around 100 degrees and disgustingly humid. This shortcut led me to nowhere, taking random paths (no signs of course), crossing questionable bridges; I find myself back at the main road and proceed to the tombs. From here, another several kilometer hike back to the entrance.

9 hours later from the start of my day, I am done; I get to the car and just collapse, thinking about the wonder I saw today.

28 countries in my 28 years, and I can confidently say that Petra is the most magical and fascinating place I have seen in this lifetime. Today, I've lost myself in this fantasy land, seemingly real only in fairy tales.