Learning about Jordan

In route from Ammon to Petra, Jordan, we witnessed a beautiful sunrise as we learned about the history of Jordan from our guide, Mohannad. As we traveled through the desert, we were blessed with a large rainbow that took our breath away and then only moments later, snow began to fall. Snow in the desert was definitely not something we expected, but flexibility stands at the heart of a trip like this. So, we all bundled up and ended up having an amazing day!

We learned many historical facts about Jordan as a whole, with the main language being Arabic, second being English. The Ammonites, the Moabites, and the Edomites were the three biblical kingdoms that took over this land during the Iron Age. In the year of 1916, the Hashemites and the British declared the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottomanes (or the Turks) and after that, Jordan was referred to as “TransJordan” as it was under the British mandate. It was in the year of 1946 that it officially became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In Jordan, they still have the type of lifestyle that they refer to as “Bedouins,” or that of the nomads. They pride themselves in this type of lifestyle and in that Jordanians are known for being very nice, very honorable, and very generous Jordanians. Some of the Bedouins are still known for traveling through the desert herding goats, camels and cattle for their main source of income.

Petra was our stop for the day and Petra was breathtaking. The ancient city was a major city of trade on the spice road between many countries. What makes this city unique on this earth is that it is totally carved out of sandstone and you can still see amazing caves and tombs that are completely manmade. Writings in ancient languages such as Greek and Nabateans cover some of the walls, along with carvings that tell their stories. Being that Petra is located in the heart of the desert, water was scarce. So the people of their time used their creative skills to create canals for water flow and walls that made up these canals were absolutely glorious to walk through.

Our group split up into two, some taking the faster route that covered a little more ground while others took it slower being able to take in more of the historical facts provided by Mohannad. The group on the fast track climbed a large rift that overlooked the city and stopped at the top to learn about a pagan religion that built the top of the rift into an altar and and a meeting place. It is believed that the tomb of Aaron lies on the top of a mountain just beyond where many of us stood.

The second group entered an area where large tombs remain, along with manmade caves carved out within the walls which were places of residence for families from the ancient of days. The colors were beautiful and are what stood out the most as they mixed into the walls and told various stories.

After lunch, 37 donkeys awaited us. Each of us were assigned a donkey and the donkeys were our exit out of Petra!! Some of the donkeys had a race for the win as they pushed their way up the multiple inclines to where we found our bus.

Overall, our day was full of adventure, learning, lots of laughter and fun. Petra certainly goes down in the books as a memorable and amazing experience. What a way to start our journey!!

Once we hopped on the bus, we made a two hour trip to Wadi Rum where we’ll stay the nights in tents in the desert. The tents are insulated and heated, which is great for this cold desert weather. Tonight we’re praying for some clear skies so that we’ll be able to do some stargazing and we’re praying for the perfect weather for what we hear could be the best sunrise we’ll ever see in the morning.

Join us again tomorrow to hear about our tent and Jeep experience through the desert while here in Wadi Rum!