It’s strange to know that it was actually my dream to visit
Petra after watching Indiana Jones and the last Crusade. I was so small. I
didn’t know Petra or Jordan existed but I really wanted to see that ‘Building’ or
structure where Indiana Jones rode out from on his horse.
We reached Petra at 10pm at night after crossing the border and it was 0 degree celcius outside!.
It took us about 3 hours from the Dead Sea in Israel and across the desert to
reach the border before it closed at 8pm. Then we had to travel 2 hours to
Petra in Jordan. There were very few vehicles on the road, and it was deserted.
There are no houses and buildings on both sides. We were the only bus on the
road. Imagine if the bus tyre punctured or anything happened to our bus, we
then would have to wait for a passing vehicle to help us.
As we were journeying to the border, I was fortunate to see
the setting sun on my side of the window and it made me reflect on a few
things. The whole lonely bus-ride experience reminded me of how Moses, Abraham
and maybe Jesus journeyed through this same desert. There is sand everywhere
and the whole place is so dry. The weather outside is so cold and windy. How
did they survive the harsh weather? I’ve always imagined Israel to be a very
hot place but I am wrong.
There was this feeling of loneliness because everything seemed so quiet outside from the inside of the bus. There was no sign of any form of life outside. After the sunset, it was pitch black outside except for the stars in the sky. (It would be quite nice to camp outside and take pictures of the stars..hehe)
The following morning, we went to the archaeological site of the city of the Nabataens.
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| Petra Town |
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| Old sculpture of a man. |
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| Most of the structures here consist of tombs. |
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| Narrow passage or 'The Siq' that leads to the city |
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| The end of 'The Siq'. |
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The Treasury.
There is actually nothing inside, unlike the one shown in 'Indiana Jones'. |
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| There were many poor children selling postcards and knick-knacks . This boy has such the sweetest smile and voice. My heart melted..hehe |
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| There are many pretty patterns on the sandstones caused by weathering. |
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Apparently King Amaziah pushed down many Edomites from one of the cliffs here. (2 Chronicles 25:11)
The cliffs don't look so high as before due to sedimentation over the years. |
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| The real Indiana Jones |
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| View of the old city from the new city |
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| Petra in the evening |
It was such an amazing experience. I am missing this place already...
