How ironic that I am in charge of writing today’s blog. Before I left for Israel, I had a conversation with Pastor Jeff about the trip. He had been to Israel some years back, and recommended keeping a travel diary. I just laughed and told him that that would be lower on my list of priorities than taking pictures, which I also don’t do. Well, Matt and I are also taking pictures for Elli Pastorek to use in her confirmation class project! Anyway, today was always destined to be special because it is Matt’s 51st birthday! How am I ever going to top Petra as a birthday present?
We spent the night in
Eilat on the Red Sea, and arrived at the border crossing bright and early. We had to get exit stamps from Israel, and
then walk across a true No-Man’s Land to Jordan. There we received our entrance stamps into
Jordan. Our passports are looking pretty
exotic! We also had to go through
security. I must admit, I have never
crossed a border on foot. Matt’s
“shukran” (the Arabic word for thank
you) to the guard was met with a smile and a warm welcome to Jordan.
(Our Jordanian Guide, Mohammed)
We met our guide, Mohammed, and boarded our bus for the 2
hour ride to Petra. As he introduced
himself to us, he explained that Mohammed is a very common name in the Middle
East, and if you shout “Mohammed!” in any marketplace, about a hundred heads
will turn. We drove toward the Edomite
Mountains through the stark yet somehow still beautiful desert. Jordan is about 90% desert, and is not a rich
country like some of its neighbors because there is no oil or large
industry. But it is rich in history, and
wherever you dig, you will uncover some treasure of times and people past. The population is about 3% Christian and
almost all of the rest of the people are Moslem. Mohammed told us that there is a high level
of religious tolerance in the country.
He also told us about the origins of Islam, and I have never heard it
explained so beautifully. The word Islam
means to believe in one God. We Jews, Christians, and Moslems share much more
similarities than differences it seems.
He also gave a nice summary of the history of modern Jordan.
The Edomite Mountains are where Aaron, the brother of Moses
is buried. It was his dying request to
be buried on the highest mountain in Petra. Today his tomb has a mosque on
it. Mt. Nebo is also in these mountains,
and is where Moses was allowed by God to see into the Promised Land. We were told that on a clear day, you can see
all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.
The valley is called the Wadi Mousa which means “Valley of Moses.”
Petra was built by a tribe of people called the Nabataeans
about 2200 years ago. It is one of the
New Seven Wonders of the World. The
word Petra is from the Greek, and means “rock”. We are excited to get off of the bus, and
begin our descent along the path down into the canyon. Don and Claude opt to ride down in a
horse-drawn carriage, and will meet us at the Treasury.
The carvings in the rock are beautiful, and share
characteristics with Roman, Greek, and Egyptian design and architecture. Most are tombs, which would hold one to two
bodies. The sunlight and shadow along
the canyon walls highlight the natural striating of the rock. Some parts reminded me of the Painted Desert
in Arizona. Our guide stops us at
various points along the path to point out and explain some point of
interest. I can’t hear much of it, because
there is a constant barrage of sales pitches from children selling postcards
and other trinkets. They are from
Bedouin families nearby, and are helping to provide support for the
family. We also have a lot of offers for
camel rides and horse rides down into the canyon. All for your dinars or American dollars, of
course!
We finally get a glimpse of the crown jewel of Petra—the
façade that is the most famous one in Petra—the Treasury. And, it’s pink! It is even more impressive in person, than
any picture you have seen. I took a
great picture of Shari, who went native in her beautiful red Jordanian
headdress ($18—“installed”, meaning they wrapped it around her head for her). We spent about 10 minutes walking around and
taking a closer look, then on towards lunch!
We ended up in an open area which included a theater, which was
not constructed, but instead carved out of the stone. We started out dining al fresco, but were
actually chased under cover by a fast moving hail storm! All too soon, we start making our way back
up the path. We didn’t have quite as
many offers of postcards, but lots of offers for a camel or horse ride
back. Most of us walked as we have been
eating pretty well on this trip, and need to work some of it off at any
opportunity.
(Matt and I in the Canyons of Petra)
We could have all used more time as there are many more
paths and much more to see. But, we will
just have to make our way back to this beautiful place another time. Isn’t that the point of a well-planned
trip—to leave you wanting just a little bit more? Oh, and Sarah is talking about putting
together a German Luther trip in the summer of 2013. Can you believe that no one even groaned at
the thought of another long trek? Where
and when do I sign up?
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