October 26 - Petra? What else?
The sun has just risen, another beautiful day, … But no friend Ricoré… We only get tea! And Jane isn’t bringing her bread and croissants. We get fresh cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and hummus. Unlike yesterday, we take our time, we’re lazing around. "Hey! Don’t be a pain! We’re on vacation, after all!" Alright, we settle our two nights here (fifty dinars per person) and jump into our shorts to tackle the second day of visiting Petra! On the way, a quick "grocery" stop at the local Arab shop (that one was easy) where they don’t often see tourists… They looked so surprised and happy to see us show up! In the end, our picnic for the day costs one dinar per person! Store voted best chain of the year, "cheap" category!
It’s almost 9:30 AM when we enter the siq for the last time, and strangely, we’re alone in the world! At this hour, I expected to relive the first-day sales rush, but no, … no one, not a group, not a goat, not a local Arab, not a Euromarché… And what’s more, the light is better than yesterday! So, I feel a little less guilty for giving in to the girls’ lazy proposal… As you know, what women want, men want. Or God wills it, I don’t remember, but it’s kind of the same!… In the end, this last crossing of the siq was just as magical as the others. This route is definitely nicer than the one I used to walk every day between Rue des Capucins and Place de l’Hôtel de Ville to go to work before… Of course, at the exit of the siq, we can’t help but camp out again for long minutes in front of the Khazneh. We don’t get the chance to stand in front of a world wonder every day! Other than my wife, of course!! You’ll excuse me, but even if this last remark is a bit cheesy, I’d rather put it in to avoid a domestic scene…
Alright, we say goodbye to the Treasury and push a little further, to the Street of Facades and the theater. Little holes, little holes, more little holes… They’re everywhere! The whole mountain is dotted with tombs carved into the rock. As I already told you, eight hundred tombs have already been discovered in Petra. What’s most surprising is that archaeological excavations have only been carried out on five percent of the site, the rest still being covered by about ten meters of sand. If you’re an archaeologist looking for a job, Petra is waiting for you!
What makes the site beautiful is not only the tombs carved and sculpted into the mountain but also the unreal colors of the rock. Red, blue, gray, white, yellow… Truly magnificent! Alright, magnificent here, wonderful there… Superlatives, always superlatives… Anyway, you’ll have understood, after a little over a day spent here, we’re already won over. Everything we’d heard or read about Petra before coming is completely justified, even underestimated! Let’s get rid of the other superlatives right away, so it’s done: It’s beautiful, magnificent, immense, superb, remarkable, amazing, wondrous, sublime, marvelous, incomparable, magnificent, … Oh no, I already said that, … but it’s true that it’s magnificent! And as Lawrence of Arabia, whom we met yesterday in front of the Khazneh, said, "You can be sure that until you’ve seen this with your own eyes, you won’t have the slightest idea of how beautiful this place can be." And the theater then? Well, it’s really impressive. And no, I hadn’t used that superlative yet! Entirely carved into the rock, it could hold up to eight thousand five hundred people! The only disappointment is that access is closed for some reason, and we won’t be able to climb its steps…
No problem, other steps are on the program! Off we go to climb the High Place of Sacrifice! Of course, we’re offered the services of Whatshisname the mule or Nono the camel to climb the mountain, but no thanks, the mountain wins us over! And who says climbing the High Place of Sacrifice, says… sacrifice! Well, it was Muriel who volunteered and sacrificed her favorite hiking shoe, the left one, during this climb. No, she didn’t offer it to the gods of climbing by burning it or tearing it to shreds… That would’ve had class! Though… Now that I think about it, I’m not sure Jordanian psychiatric hospitals are in the top ten must-see visits… Actually, her shoes proudly displayed 2,392 kilometers on the odometer and gave up just a few meters from the summit. The hazards of live action! Alright, we didn’t come here just for Muriel to sacrifice her shoes; there’s a view that’s worth the trip! And that famous view, perhaps the most beautiful in all of Petra, is truly indescribable!! So no need to insist, I won’t describe it to you… In-des-crip-table! And as usual, almost everyone abandoned us and stayed down below, on the highway. In other words, we’re practically alone! The only advice I can give you: Enjoy, it’s free! Though it’s better not to be afraid of heights, like Sandrine, for example...
To go back down, three options: Either we take the same path as on the way up, or we jump off the top of the cliff, or we take the path that follows Wadi Farasa. First option, … no, too repetitive. The second, … no, too quick… We choose the third option! However, the difficulty is finding the start of the path… No problem! A Jordanian escorts us to the staircase that leads to it. They’re really nice, these Jordanians! Here, we’re really off the beaten track. We don’t pass or cross anyone except tombs carved into the rock, statues carved into the rock, staircases carved into the rock, and… an old trinket seller from China who set up her stall in the middle of nowhere! There, our student memories resurface (we all studied the same thing). We almost hesitate to give her a little lesson on business strategies that would clearly not be out of place! I doubt that the spot is well chosen to sell her plastic camels or fridge magnets with the king’s effigy! Anyway, for the rest, know that this route is worth the detour! Lion Fountain, Garden Tomb, Roman Soldier Tomb, ...
I won’t describe all the tombs we visited during this descent, not because they’re not interesting but because the photos will speak for themselves. And you’ll be happy to discover all this for yourself once you’re there...
For lunch, I found us a little out-of-the-way restaurant… The kind of high-end restaurant we all love! On the menu, the chef offers: Sardine bites with a drizzle of olive oil as a starter, and potato crisps with a beef jelly medley as the main course. Come on, stop drooling, actually, we’re sitting on rocks and eating canned sardines and vacuum-packed corned beef with chips and bread! Said like that, it’s less dreamy! But as good backpackers who respect themselves, we love picnics! The principle is simple: Be alone, have something to eat and drink on hand, and above all… have a nice view! And here again, as often in Jordan, we’re served. We indeed enjoy our feast with a view of the mountain where the royal tombs are carved, where all the local celebrities are buried… Actually, it’s a bit like our Pantheon, … except it has nothing to do with it. By the way, speaking of the royal tombs, it’s now time to go visit them...
Among these tombs, the most characteristic is the Urn Tomb, recognizable by the monumental urn that crowns its pediment. It was probably built in 70 for King Aretas IV. Nearby, the Palace Tomb, a delightful three-story imitation of a Roman or Hellenistic palace, has a very elaborate façade that likely serves more of a decorative than a religious function… Alright, okay, there you’re thinking my style is veering more toward a tourist guide than anything else. And you’re not really wrong… Actually, I was copying the Lonely Planet to take a break. I’m allowed, I’m on vacation! So if you want to know more, it’s up to you to work, go to page 230 of the Lonely, everything is explained there! What I can still add about the royal tombs is that they’re almost as impressive as the Khazneh, even if they’re not as well preserved. And here, since there are no steps to climb, we’re not far from the entrance, and there are souvenir shops everywhere, it’s obviously the herd’s favorite spot! By the way, on that subject, we can say that half of the groups and individuals we met in Petra were French… I thought there was a crisis in France!...
Alright, crowds are nice, but being alone is better! So we pass the last royal tomb, and as if by magic, we find ourselves again, all four of us, in a landscape worthy of the American Wild West… "Oh! Look over there, it’s John Wayne on his horse!" Oh no, actually, it was Audi on his donkey Shakira… But from afar, it really looks like it! It’s now four o’clock… There, you’re probably wondering what we’re doing here at this hour while the sun is setting and we’re moving further from the exit? Don’t worry, stay calm, we’re not lost! The exit, actually, I’m looking for it! I planned to leave the site through Petra’s secret exit… Through a very narrow canyon, Wadi Muthlim, to be precise! Once inside, I immediately thought I should warn you: If twenty kilos are weighing you down around the hips or waist, depending on whether you’re a woman or a man, turn back and forget this route! Some passages are so narrow that a person could get stuck. No problem for my three funny ladies, it fits! Just barely, but it fits! For info, know that once in the canyon, you’ll always have to turn right when the path splits in two… unless it’s left? I don’t remember, … you’ll see when you get there!...
Alright, a pinch of acrobatics, a good dose of climbing, and an hour of cooking later, we finally glimpse the end of the tunnel and emerge right where the siq ends, proud as camels! And then, it’s cool, we managed to keep up the pace and complete the program for these two days… On that note, three days on site would’ve been perfect to wander really relaxed. Two days allowed us to see everything, or almost, without dawdling too much. "Come on girls, let’s move!" However, those who visit the site in a single day, that’s really nonsense! So for you who aren’t Japanese or worse, Chinese, two days minimum for Petra and it’s non-negotiable!
Alright, one last moist glance in the rearview mirror for a final goodbye to Petra and back to the Mitsu! It doesn’t seem like it, but it’s practically nighttime, and we need to find a place to sleep! "Don’t worry girls, I’ve selected two or three hotels, we’ll find one quickly!" First hotel, … full… Second hotel, … full… We arrive at the third hotel, and there, … well, it’s full too… What suspense! Will I manage to find a bed for my butt, like a shoe for my foot but bed version? My reputation as an organizer is taking a hit… I need to find a solution! I then play my last card: The Saba’a card that Ibrahim, aka Jack Daniel’s, our savior in Dana, gave me! When we arrive at the establishment, Ibrahim is there. And after a hearty hug, he finds us a solution for 24 dinars for two, breakfast included! They’re really nice, these Jordanians! Once settled and after two days of walking, forty kilometers and more than three thousand steps climbed or descended, a little pick-me-up would do us a world of good! For that, what’s better than a hammam? Ahhh, getting massaged by a beautiful Jordanian with hazel eyes and fairy hands in a hot and humid atmosphere… The dreaaam… But no luck, it was only a dream because in the end, it was a big mustachioed guy who took care of me! In the 20-dinar package at Salome Hammam, you get a steam bath at sixty degrees, two buckets of ice water in the face to wake you up, a little rest on a hot marble slab, another bucket of ice water to be really sure you’re awake, … Then a massage, scrub, and to finish, the little cup of tea that goes well… Bonus gift for Chloé: Dina, her masseuse, insists on redoing her hair, a little pink bow on top! Refreshed, we end the evening at Al-Wadi restaurant where we all let ourselves be tempted by a gallay, … "It’s like a kind of couscous," the waiter told us!! Couscous, yes, but without semolina, without merguez, without beef, without chickpeas, without harissa, … Just vegetables and lamb!
Alright, it’s been four days since we arrived, maybe we should call France, huh? Not really knowing how to proceed, we ask Saïdi, the co-manager of our hotel… As usual, our Jordanian host takes care of everything… Off he goes to town to buy us a phone card for two dinars. According to him, we have more than an hour of talk time to France! They’re really nice, these Jordanians! I repeat myself often, don’t I? By the way, in France, it’s freezing! It’s zero degrees! Alright, that’s enough, we need to go to bed, tomorrow we’ve got a road trip! Anyway, tomorrow is another adventure...
