Petra

Go to Petra. It is one of the 7 modern wonders of the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage site, for a reason. But our day didn't start out there. After more dining as guests of Terry's colleagues, we rose early because instead of going to Petra on the highway we took the morning-to-night meandering old route to visit ruins, churches, the University at Madaba, Wadi Al Mujib, Karak, the national military academy, Dihbahn, a brass quarry, the "Mommy Feed Me" restaurant, Al Mazar, Dana Nature Conservancy, more ruins, a crusader-then-Mamluk castle, 2 different dams, the guns used against Israel in 1956, more ruins, and the river where Moses smote the rock (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11) and water flowed. It was a long day but the "Petra at night" walk by candlelight awaited and we didn't want to miss a thing. (An aside to readers: If money is a concern, you may want to skip the walk - it is just that - but for those like my wife who dreamt of seeing Petra, don't miss this beautiful walk ending with Bedouin music, tea, and storytelling in a dramatic setting.)

Petra is spectacular. Inhabited before 300 B.C., Nabateans made it their empire's capital (the empire included Jordan, the Sinai, parts of Israel, Syria, and Saudi Arabia) around 168 B.C. These were advanced people whose engineering knowledge astounds. But because of earthquakes and drought and trade route changes Petra was abandoned and the entrance hidden by overgrowth for hundreds of years. Petra became a myth ("The City of Red"), a legend. In 1812 Swiss explorer Johan Burckhardt was exploring artifacts in Egypt when he heard about Petra. Convincing local Bedouin he was Muslim and wanted to see the tombs, Burckhardt became the first European to see Petra. Tourism began soon after. In recent years Jordan worked with American civil servants (USAID) to use Petra to provide jobs, housing, schools, and hospital services for locals. USAID helped build the visitors center in a successful partnership to create a tax base for the local economy. Our hotel (interestingly, with part entirely in a Nabatean cave) was next to the entry so we got an early start the next morning.

We walked about an hour through the once overgrown and hidden entry, the Siq. The Siq is a spectacular narrow gorge (featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) with carvings high up in the mountain and an ingenious cistern and aqueduct system. We slowly walked along the many twists and turns, and were eventually funneled into a huge open area, a world of bright colors, sounds, and smells. In front of us was the Treasury, an enormous building carved into the red mountain. Surrounding us were donkeys and camels and horse drawn carriages and brightly clothed Bedouin offering guide services and selling trinkets. Spectacular! We spent time exploring and eventually continued on.

Terry had read and enjoyed a book called "Married to a Bedouin" about New Zealand nurse Marguerite van Geldermalsen's summer adventure that ended in an amazing life of service (and marriage and kids) to a Bedouin in Petra. My wife spotted a group of Bedouin women drinking sweet tea around an open fire and walked over to ask them if they knew the Kiwi and whether she ever returned to Petra. Then it got interesting. I was standing at a distance so I couldn't hear but I saw them offer my wife tea then begin what looked like animated conversation. A man, who turned out to be one of the husbands, went to see what was going on and immediately turned around, walked swiftly to me, and offered me tea. It turned out my generous wife, after introducing herself, was addressing their concerns ("Would a goiter make me infertile?" "Why do I have skin discoloration from using bleach?" "I was born with a lump on my back 70 years ago, should I be worried?"). When the women were finished with Terry she asked whether she could have a photo and they agreed. One woman pressed a gift on my resisting wife, and afterward Terry showed me a small heart shaped container handmade of tiny beads and shards of glass. They hugged my wife, said good-bye, and Terry and I walked in the direction they pointed to see if we could find Marguerite. Terry did, in fact, meet (and visit with) Marguerite and I took a photo of them.

We continued exploring the huge preserved city, dodging camels and donkeys and enjoying one of the most exotic days of my life. Before I end this post I want to mention another good book, "Skeletons of the Zahara" by Dean King, the re-telling of Connecticut Captain James Riley's memoir (which greatly influenced Abraham Lincoln). It is the story about his shipwreck, subsequent capture by slaving Arabs in Africa, and his eventual freedom by ransom in 1815. The book is filled with adventure, suspense, and everything you'd ever want to know about desert survival - and camels. If anyone reads and likes it please leave a comment.