julia dimon photos
Above, tour groups make their way through the Siq, a rosy gorge that leads towards Petra’s iconic Treasury.
With volatile neighbours who include Iraq and Syria, the tiny Middle Eastern country of Jordan probably doesn’t top most tourists’ lists of places to visit.
It’s a shame, because Jordan has so much to offer. From the deserts of Wadi Rum to the world-class snorkelling in Aqaba; from the amazing Roman ruins in Jerash to the therapeutic waters of the Dead Sea; and from biblical sites like Mount Nebo to the fast-paced nightlife of Amman, Jordan is a hidden gem.
Petra, an ancient city that includes structures carved out of sandstone cliffs, is one of Jordan’s best-known tourist attractions. Strolling through the rosy gorge towards the iconic Treasury, I keep one eye on the stunning scenery, the other on the horse manure that dots my path. As horse-drawn carriages and tour groups barrel down the gorge, known as the Siq, I stop to take photos. When the afternoon light hits properly, the layered rock beams pink, purple and orange.
Petra’s iconic Treasury
At the end of the Siq, demurely peeking out from behind an outcrop, I see a slice of Petra’s iconic Treasury. Though I’d been here two years ago on an around-the-world trip, this time was just as awe-inspiring. I discover that Petra is one of those places you can visit again and again and it still impresses.
With its giant columns carved from a huge sandstone rock face, this well-preserved royal tomb-turned-temple really does live up to the hype.
It was built some 2,000 years ago by the Nabateans, a group of nomadic Arabs, as a bustling hub of commerce. The Nabateans carved impressive chambers, tombs and temples, of which only a small percentage are currently excavated. Located in a protective inlet, the Treasury has survived centuries of wind and water erosion.
It’s not surprising that, along with the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, the Colosseum in Rome and Peru’s Machu Picchu, Petra was recently named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Despite the new title, Petra hasn’t changed much since the last time I visited. Administration has implemented a few new rules about where merchants can sell jewelry and hawk camel rides. But compared to the other newly minted world wonders, Petra remains free of tourist hordes. And though you can spot quite a few Italian and British travellers roaming around desert ruins, the North American traveller is virtually absent.
By late morning, the sun is nuclear and sightseeing becomes too hot to handle. As I struggle along the dusty path, a teenaged Bedouin boy offers me a ride in his “air-conditioned taxi.” I look up to see his “ride” is a small, overworked donkey.
“Bedouin Ferrari?” he asks, pointing to a nearby camel. I smile. Though the faces may have changed since I was here last, I’m comforted to hear the merchants using the same old cheesy lines.
Freelance writer Julia Dimon is editor of The Travel Junkie and host of Word Travels, a new reality TV-series to be broadcast on OLN in 2008. Contact her at www.thetraveljunkie.ca.
