Jordan: Petra

            I’ve been to Petra! I’ve now spent a day hiking through one of the Seven Wonders of the World (Word^® informs me that this is capitalized) and seen Jordan’s biggest tourist draw. In addition, I’ve slept under the stars in the desert, eaten traditional Bedouin food, and learned a lot more Arabic. It’s been quite a week – the only thing I haven’t done is gotten a good night’s sleep!

            Of course, the Middle East in general isn’t the calmest place at present. Israel’s invading Gaza. Afghani elections are running amuck. ISIS is forcing Christians out of Iraq. But here in Amman, life isn’t stopping. Markets are running and people are shopping. Fathers are working, mothers are mopping, and we had school today*. Things are perfectly normal here, if you don’t look at the news. There’s a reason so many universities send their students to Jordan to learn Arabic.

            So, anyway, Wadi Rum and Petra. We left early Friday morning for Wadi Rum (Wadi means valley in Arabic, and Rum means high place – a cognate with Hebrew – so it literally means the high valley. Go figure.) After only minor mishaps, we arrived in a beautiful desert valley. I’d forgotten how gorgeous deserts could be. We went rock-climbing, walked/ran down sand dunes, and watched the sunset in the desert before being treated to Bedouin food, music, and dancing (we brought s’mores along as well, and taught a few French and German tourists what they were.)

            It was a nice experience, but I wouldn’t go back simply for the camp. The fact that the site was basically set up as a tourist attraction meant that it had very nice hygiene facilities, but a contrived feel about it all. However, I would definitely go back for the actual place. I have fallen back in love with desert landscapes, and there’s nothing like a camp in the middle of the desert with the electricity turned off for a view of the stars.

            We slept outside; people tried to tell ghost stories, but that didn’t really go anywhere. After a while, people dropped off to sleep, and one could enjoy the stars in a sort of silent solitude that was very much to my liking. I also woke up to the beginning of sunrise at 5:30, and since nothing was happening yet, I was free to wander a little ways away from camp and pray and watch the sun rising. Eventually the rest of the camp came awake, and we had breakfast, took turns getting on camels and riding in a circle and being photographed, and then headed off for Petra.

            Petra was great. I mean, nothing could live up to those tourist videos, but it was nevertheless impressive. We walked through the Siq**, saw the treasury, and climbed the 854 steps up to the monastery, and then climbed even further up to get to the lookout points. I hadn’t hiked in a long time, and I loved it; it actually wasn’t nearly as bad as I was expecting, the weather was nice, and the view was phenomenal. And we got free Bedouin tea at the top of the mountain – I’ve fallen in love with Bedouin tea.

            We spent all day at Petra – we actually left an hour after it was supposed to close – and had ice cream and chips for dinner on the way back. The whole weekend was kind of like a child’s field trip – we didn’t need to plan anything or worry about anything; we just did what we were told. They gave us meals; they provided water; they stopped for bathroom breaks. It was great. It reminded me of what it was like to just trust someone to provide each meal – to give us this day our daily bread. And the meaning of “footsteps of Jesus” took on another dimension of meaning for me as well. When walking in sand, it is substantially easier to walk in the footsteps of the person in front of you – the sand is already packed, so your feet don’t sink in as much. Something to think about.

            There was one more outing this week – I went to a community service event with my roommate and a few friends. We went to a Burger King, where an organization was providing dinner for a group of orphans. It was a fun time; Taiwan nominally prepared me for attempting to talk to a bunch of kids without speaking the language – and they ended up insisting on giving me food. So I went to feed orphans and ended up getting fed.

            I’ve also gotten a lot of studying done – I’m several chapters ahead of my class in Arabic now, and I’m making A’s in the class. I also made an A on my final from last semester, so that’s an additional morale boost to help me make it through the last few weeks. I’ve finally joined a gym, and I’m working out after class every day. So the week has been enjoyable and productive. Enjoy the pictures, and please pray for the peace of the Middle East and the safety of all those living here!

*Note: If the Loretta Lynn allusion wasn’t clear, look up “One’s on the Way” on Google

**The long, narrow gorge leading to the entrance of Petra.