The Joys of Jordan: Petra, The Dead Sea and Mt. Nebo

And so the Part 2 to Part 1 finally finds the light of day...

Last May I went to visit the bustling country of Jordan for the District Toastmasters Annual Conference, part of which was to receive the many awards our Toastmasters Club (PICPA Riyadh Toastmasters Club) garnered over the last program year. The gala night gave all Toastmasters from the Gulf region a chance to reap the fruits of their labor and enjoy a night of good food, good company, and most of all, dancing! 

It was an honor to accept these in behalf of PRTC.

During gala night, with equally fashion-forward Filipino Toastmasters from Riyadh.

After the glitz and glamor of the conference, my friends and I spent the last two days of our stay in Jordan touring the highlights: Petra and the Dead Sea. I was told to prepare myself for the long walk that it entailed, but boy oh boy, did I underestimate what the words "long walk" truly meant. Here I am still all smiles as we left the apartment early that morning: 

Sunblock is on and the necessary heat protection.

We even filled up our stomachs before the heading to Petra. Shawarma, anyone?

Our ticket to Petra. Roughly around 265 SR.

In case you haven't heard of Petra before, Petra is one of the most unique ancient cities in the world having been mostly carved out of rocks (Al Batra is the Arabic for "rocks") and the whole city is made up of red-rose colored rocks (sometimes pink-like) most obvious especially during sunset. 

It has been a World Heritage Site since 1985 and was also shortlisted in the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World. A little trivia: this site has been featured in numerous Hollywood blockbuster movies including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. ;) Cool ei!? 

Every journey begins with a single step.

Given that we were on our last days of the vacation, our funds were running low. So, we couldn't afford renting the horses and donkeys being offered upon our entry of our Petra tour. I didn't mind because though the sun was high, the wind was cool - perfectly conducive for a day out in Petra, walking and sightseeing (at least, what I first thought).

Welcome!

The first grand sight to behold is The Siq, which is a steep and narrow gorge which serves as a waterway for the Nabateans who inhabited the city of Petra in ancient times. Just look at how huge those sandstone rocks are!

See how tiny humans are compared to those rocks! We're practically ant-like! 

This part is sooo cool - as in literally. You don't need an A/C.

The next attraction is coming up!

Towards the end of the Siq, you can slowly start seeing The Al Khazneh, or "The Treasury." It is an architectural wonder in the sense that this facade was built purely out of the rocks that it stands on (as most of the amazing sites to be found in Petra) and the details carved unto them are truly remarkable for having been done in a time and place as ancient as Petra.

With fellow tourists from India and USA.

The Colonnaded Street

Halfway through our climb headed to the most coveted spot in Petra, which is the "Ad Deir" or The Monastery, I was already feeling the strain of walking (two hours in). But luckily, the sights were still keeping me amused - like the Colonnaded Street. I imagined how many feet have traversed these sand-laden ruins and how native Nabateans must have come to and fro this area to attend events in the amphitheater or even en route to bury their dead.

At this point, I was already growing envious of the people riding camels instead of walking. 

Here I am, headed UP to the monastery! Exhausted na!

From the base of the mountain (if I may call it that), it took us another approximately one hour and a half to finally reach the top where the monastery stands. Now it was a grueling climb - especially for me. The farthest I walk to on a regular basis here in Riyadh is from my office to the bathroom. And there in Petra, I think I walked enough office-bathroom routes to last me five years! Plus, the only real workout I more than often engage myself with in Riyadh is "malling" but in Petra, mahn oh mahn, do they mean the real deal. I should've known so that I could have trained for this kind of climbing before coming here - heck, I've never officially hiked in my life until that day in Petra. On one hand, it was a once in a lifetime experience, and I can truly say that I reached the Monastery, drenched in sweat and tears by merely using my God-given gams. But on the other hand, I couldn't help but think that I had could have saved myself the torture by riding a donkey on the way up instead (which wouldn't be as rewarding but less tiring, nonetheless). 

The things I'd do to proudly wave this pink scarf on this site!

And there you see it, The Monastery of ancient Petra. One would wonder (such as myself), why in the world was this monastery built so far away from the city center? And why oh why would they make it so hard for their people to reach the top?! One of my friends answered, "Para daw mapagbayaran mo na yung mga kasalanan mo on the way up." (So you can pay for your sins and repent on your way up). Tiring as it may have been, a little further away from the facade is a resting spot - rightly deserved by those who have braved the heights and a little shack that sells drinks and snacks. I think I gulped two bottles of ice cold water by the time I got there as I was panting breaths. Sitting by the rest area, with my two feet up the seat, I took some photos and in true 21st century fashion, claimed to the world that I was in the middle of an ancient wonder -- by posting it on my Facebook. Yes, there is a 3G signal there and you can Facebook atop a world wonder. 

One of the many steps going back down. See how rose red the rocks are?

We stayed at the Monastery for a good thirty minutes or so to regain our strengths (or what was left of it).  Until it was about time to head back. It was already around quarter to four and we needed to start walking since the Petra site is closed by sundown. 

You would think that heading down would be easier, but the fact is, it couldn't be any more different on the way up. The walkways are steep and if you are not careful, you can easily trip and break your skull on the rocks. My thighs were slowly surrendering. Then my knees. Followed by my ankles. It took me a full two hours to walk (nay, drag) my body towards the end and really, I was like a snail - honest to goodness, no  kidding you here! Two of my friends were already in the car and it took me a good twenty minutes to follow suit. By the end of the trail, I wanted to literally kiss the gravel road (I settled for a hug) - and thanked the heavens for whoever invented flat, gravel-laden surfaces. I have never appreciated a piece of street as much as I did that day. Really. 

Petra was amazing. But I can only do that walk once. If I ever go back there, I will load up on cash and have a freakkin' carriage to take me wherever I wanna go. 

--

On our last day in Jordan, the group and I went to a place one must also not dare miss while in Jordan: The Dead Sea. As early as 7 a.m., we were already at one of the resorts, ready to experience what the Dead Sea had to offer.

We were the first customers that day!

The Dead Sea is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Jordan. It is famous for its Biblical references and for being one of the saltiest bodies of water in the whole world. Fact: It is 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. 

First natural body of water I have seen in three years!

By the shore of the Dead Sea. 

Now, they ain't kidding when they said you can't swim in the Dead Sea. You simply float. That's because the density due to the saltiness is so high, the water will simply push you up - no matter how heavy or light you are. Hmmm...does that mean one cannot drown in the Dead Sea? Well, I sure did not try to (Tanong ko, sagot ko). But I will say this, follow the rules very carefully - and you'll live.

Typos aside, they ARE helpful warnings. 

The Pink Tarha at the Dead Sea.

We immersed ourselves for a while in the waters, and yes, it was deadly salty. My friend just got one drop, one single drop of the water in his eyes and it had him running to the swimming pool to wash it off with some fresh, chlorine-induced water. We all laughed at him but sooner or later, all of us suffered the same fate.

We were hoping to try out the mud thing (the one where you're supposed to rub mud all over your body before hitting the sea) - but since it was way too early in the morning, the resort staff said they haven't prepared the mud yet. Hm, I had no idea mud was that hard to prepare. Anyway...

If you see the background of the picture above, that on the farthest side is already Israel. We were kidding that "Hey, why not we all float towards Israel?" -- and then my friend answered that within line of sight, we would already be shot at by the soldiers manning the shore. 

After our the Dead Sea visit, we decided to drop by Mt. Nebo, which is a holy site. Stories have it that when Moses was looking for the Promised Land, he stood upon those very same grounds. 

Pope John Paul the 2nd once visited here as well.

The place where Moses stood. Of course, the map wasn't there that time. 

Atop Mt. Nebo, they are currently in the middle of building a Franciscan church - which will hopefully allow Christian/Catholic followers to pray and gather in mass. It was a very solemn site up there and I lit a candle in one of the rooms and said a little prayer for my family and friends. 

Pink really goes well with the dessert, don't you think?

That afternoon, on the ride back to the airport, I can't help but be amazed by how wonderful Jordan is, especially culturally. I love how the old and new lives and thrives at this time and even how the people - Muslims and Christians alike, live in harmony and in respect of one another. I ended up thinking, why can't the same thing happen in Saudi Arabia? (Well, that's another story).

Thank you Jordan!

I love Royal Jordanian Airlines! Especially because of their logo, which resembles the symbol of my name. The flight back was quite heartwarming, armed with the stories and experiences I've gathered in my week-stay there. I would be more than happy to come back Jordan! (If you will have me :P).

Next up, I'll tell you all about my vacation in the Philippines.





To more travels!
Eyecandy