How can it possibly be Day 5 already?! I guess time flies when you're having fun, even when you get up way early and go to sleep late.
After a hardy breakfast at the hotel, we all gathered again to our trusted bus. Our first--and main--destination was to "Little Petra." It is lesser known by tourists since it is another entrance on another side. Although it was a decently long ride to get into Little Petra, it was well worth the drive. Around every bend in the road we drove on, there was another spectacular view of Jordanian landscape. Rain told us that during the spring time everything is covered in green...it's just difficult to imagine after seeing it the last few days! Once inside Little Petra, Rain led us through the paths, pointing out historical points. He noted that many locations/facades have long stumped archeologists, historians, and anthropologists as to what their purposes were. Regadless, it was stunning to see what kinds of creation could have been made thousands of years ago by hand. One of the coolest parts however was the availability to climb steps and enter certain entrances. To me, the most interesting topic we discussed was that of The Last Supper. The Last Supper has long been depicted by artists as Jesus and his 12 disciples around a long wooden dinner table (Gospel of John, 13:21). Rain explained to us that during that time period, it is actually most likely that The Last Supper would have occurred not at a table, but at a triclinium (three-sided seating area where guests eat while reclined, such as the one shown below). It is interesting how one piece of a puzzle can make you re-evaluate how you think about things... At the main meeting point outside of Little Petra, our group split up depending on what they wanted to do with their several hours of free time. Some hiked up to the High Place of Sacrifice, some to the church, some to the Monastery, and some resting and doing the walk back towards our hotel. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed their choice, but for my purpose of writing this, I can only describe the way I chose: to The Monastery. Before the climb, the foot of the impending steps towards the monastery was covered by donkeys, horses, camels, and chariots. I had never seen a camel up close before; they are pretty interesting creatures! From the base to the facade, we hiked the 900 steps. The Monastery itself was just as stunning at The Treasury from yesterday. We took the opportunity to stop there and eat our lunch before climbing up to even higher view points. We visited two viewpoints, each marked with signs of "Best Views Ever!" Both were amazing to stand at, overlooking the whole country and feeling the light breeze. Following this, we took the decent back down (900 more steps from the Monastery!) and began walking towards the main entrance of Petra. Along the way we took a short detour up ~100 more steps to see inside the famous tombs. Eerie yet mesmerizing, I am constantly amazed at the wealth of beauty this country holds. We followed that path until the entrance outside of Petra, stopping only to watch the sun set behind the rosy mountains. Tomorrow will be a GRAND day, because for the first time on this trip we get to sleep in :)
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AuthorTeacher by year, traveler by summer. ArchivesCategories |