Petra...Again
Monday, January 15, 2007
18 comments
Last week I visited Petra for the tenth time. And counting.
Most of my trips to Petra have consisted of taking friends, relatives and/or visitors down for the "standard tour" — one or two days seeing the typical highlights. For this most recent trip, however, I went down with a buddy in order to explore the roads less traveled. After all, how many people can say they've looked down upon the hoards of tourists from the top of the Treasury (al-Khazneh) or climbed up to the Monastery (id-Dayir) urn?
Come to think of it, it's amazing how few Jordanians have actually been to Petra. I have several Jordanian friends who have never been there. A few months ago, I met a group of teenagers (seniors in high school) from Amman atop the High Place of Sacrifice who were visiting Petra for the first time.
It's hard to believe that a veritable world wonder is located just a couple hours away and so many have never taken the opportunity to visit it. I guess I shouldn't be that surprised; there are too many Americans who have never been outside the State in which they were born.
So, how many times have you been to Petra? Don't be shy.
Most of my trips to Petra have consisted of taking friends, relatives and/or visitors down for the "standard tour" — one or two days seeing the typical highlights. For this most recent trip, however, I went down with a buddy in order to explore the roads less traveled. After all, how many people can say they've looked down upon the hoards of tourists from the top of the Treasury (al-Khazneh) or climbed up to the Monastery (id-Dayir) urn?
Come to think of it, it's amazing how few Jordanians have actually been to Petra. I have several Jordanian friends who have never been there. A few months ago, I met a group of teenagers (seniors in high school) from Amman atop the High Place of Sacrifice who were visiting Petra for the first time.
It's hard to believe that a veritable world wonder is located just a couple hours away and so many have never taken the opportunity to visit it. I guess I shouldn't be that surprised; there are too many Americans who have never been outside the State in which they were born.
So, how many times have you been to Petra? Don't be shy.
posted by Dave at 3:05 PM
18 Comments:
LOl, none for me. Yet.
i have been to petra for at least 4 times it is really amazing and I am ready to go 5 more times but the next time i would like to go to wadi rum also
not: I hate the Word Verification
Roba,
You surprise me. Such an advocate of including Petra in the New 7 Wonders list and you've never been there?
Simsim,
I hate the word verification as well, but I hate blog spam even more. C'est la vie.
Although it's not my favorite place in Jordan, I've been two times. Aug. 93 and Sept. 02. Never made it up to the high place, but there is a tree not too far from the Treasury that boasts that it's something like 400 years old. While sitting there to rest and hide from the sun's rays, an old man walks out from nowhere and sits with us. It's like he just came out from under a boulder.
actually i always wanted to go to Cairo & Petra. Cairo just happened, and Petra is very soon at last :)
Twice, and you make me feel really ashamed of my self :(.
I think I'm going with you next time.
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twice..and despite my geographical distance..I'm working with the new 7 wonder people to promote petra..they're in Jordan now..if you've never been there..at least make it one of the new 7 wonders so that people can come see it..from across the oceans.
ps: if u go to the airport road and keep driving..you'll get there..try it out!! it really works!!!
Once in Febrary 2005
2 times.
LOL Roba! No way!
I've been twice, but pre-kids. It is a different epoch now, as my kids are the only ones in their classes who haven't been to Petra. They are bugging us now, but we have visitors coming in the summer.
Ten times, Dave? Allah yatiik it afiyya. That thought makes me tired.
I went once last year, and liked it so much I went back again two weeks later. I haven't been this year, but I should... there's lots more I haven't seen.
I've been there 3 times, the best part is coming back from the end back to the vault riding camels.. the last time i went, i rode a donley from the vault back to the main gate and suddenly the donkey goes wild and starts running, so the owner of the donkey comes at me and tells me "if that happened to you riding a donkey, what would happen if i gave you a horse" should have seen the look on my face :S...
...So after the 10th visit do you pay the 20JD's as a tourist or can manage and pay 5 :P...
Kinzi,
It makes me tired, as well. I've been 4 times in the past 2 months. It would have been 5 times, but due to the blizzard we had down south, I sat at a road block for an hour before having to return to Amman.
Omery,
I'm a resident, so I pay only 1JD. The price for tourists is now 21JD.
twice and i can't wait to go again this very March to both Petra and Rum.
Petra is an experience not a place, i love it =)
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www.hibajudeh.com
YAY am normal then. Kinda
I still confuse the circles and i grew up here. So ya I only hear about it :D
Tho in my defense i don't like historical monuments, and prefer hiking at ghour or zay.
One time (actually two, my mom was pregnant of me :D), we stayed 3 or 4 days can't remember.
Actually I'm more concerned about the readiness of the place , do you think it would live up to the nomination?
They need to work a lot on that I guess. Things such as restaurants (affordable ones), clean public wash rooms, no guys trying to scam tourists with fake fin
dings "I just dug out these ancient scrolls, they reveal the truth about JFK assassination- 200Jd just for you"
The thing is, most people would consider going there in the summer, when it's really hot. I think it has to do a lot with the Jordanian curriculum that puts Jordan's history aside (most textbooks just tell you in two line: Jordan is a country of great history, many civilization lived here such as adomites,and so on" then for the rest 14 years (even in college) it's either Saudi's Arabia history (Islamic era) or post independence (1920s)
They fail to mention that the Nabitines had school systems, courts and arts festivals.
Heck, Jordanians haven't made any popular work commemorating the place, the only popular musical play was done by the Lebanese (Fairuz and the Rahbanis) , it's actually brilliant (talks about the queen trying to safe the kingdom while the King is away at war with the Roman empire, the Romans then send spies in the city to figure out the source of the water irrigation channels,they try to poison the water, they then kidnap the queen's daughter to force the king to surrender. And how other people from nearby region sought Petra as a shelter from the Roman monstrosity,hiding their merchandise,treasures and money.
Maybe Hollywood should make an epic movie, you know little people fighting the imperialist empire who is claiming to be enlightening others with their Roman democracy and way of life.(Pun intended, big time), Angelina Julie should be in the movie, Trump as well.
Actually next time you visit Petra, just have a closer look at the structures erected before the Roman occupation and the ones done after that, you could easily tell the workers were not too happy (crummy job on details)
You should become a tour guide, I'll play the local guy selling artifacts, that's where you endorse it's authenticity and we cash in.
i went once on a school trip..its amazing there, and the bedwin's english, french, italian,chineese and so on accent is so amusing they are so lovely actually...i climed all the way up to the court house but never went further than that...i must one day go back there n explore n sxpeirence the whole thing even ridding a camel
n roba sense u never been there(which is a shock) why dont u make the next jordan planet meeting there
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