girishmenonpothuvath

[girishmenonpothuvath]

Date with Nabataeans...

Finally, I could walk through the lands where legendary Nabataeans, Romans and Greeks once moved and left their marks. It was a well-planned solo trip to Jordan after gathering information from friends, online sources and tour operators. My initial plan was to travel using the public transport but had to change plans and depend on tour operators. This was due to considerations of time constraints and public transport connectivity between the places.

It was a smooth sailing on the board of FlyDubai flight FZ 5141, shall I say, from an almost empty but Dubai’s newest Al Maktoum Int’l Airport (DWC) at 22:40 Hrs on 24th May 2018 to Queen Alia Int’l Airport in Amman (Jordan). On landing at Amman at 00:55 Hrs the next day I had a smooth passage through the immigration process including baggage collection which took less than 10 minutes; as expected the representative of tour operator facilitated this.

Jordan offers visa on arrival for a fee for the Indian passport holders. It would be better to buy a Jordan Pass online couple of days before the trip as it covers visa fee and entry fee to many sites. Details are at http://www.visitjordan.com. Money matters: If you do not have any major purchase plans carrying about 500 Jordanian Dinars in cash would be sufficient for a 4 days’ trip provided the breakfast is covered with the lodging. I was on a tight budget and was cautious while spending. If you are travelling through/from Dubai, try to exchange currency at Dubai Duty-Free owned outlet. They do not charge commission/service charges and also offer best rates (1 JD = 1.44 USD, 5.17 AED, 94.10 INR - approx).

Mobile / Internet Connectivity: You can pick up a SIM card from the airport. There are few outlets in arrival and departure areas of the airport. I would suggest a connection from Zain since they have wide coverage and also has hotspots in many tourist areas. I spent 6 JD for the SIM card and 10 JD for a package with 10 GB data with unlimited calls. Also, there are many places you can connect with free WIFI, if you are not very concerned about data security.

My guide-cum-driver Mohammad was waiting for me at one of the pickup bays. Mohammad turned out to be very friendly English speaking resourceful person with good knowledge about the history of Jordan and the region.

From the airport, we headed to Petra straight through the desert highway. We have covered the distance of about 210 km from Amman to my hotel in Wadi Musa in 4 hrs with a prayer and tea break in Hasa. My accommodation was arranged in Amra Palace Int’l Hotel in Wadi Musa (means Valley of Moses in English). Most of the economical hotels are located in Wadi Musa area. There are few hotels like Petra Guest House, Mövenpick are located near to the Petra World Heritage site entrance. After completing the check-in formalities went to the room and had a nap for 3 hrs. Important: Be prepared to walk and climb a lot in Petra or need to depend on the ride on horse / donkey / camel back or horse carriages. Remember, it is a desert so keep hydrating yourself.

Day 1 (Friday 25-May-2018): Petra World Heritage Site. Around 8:30 I was picked up my tour guide just after the breakfast which was included in the room plan and we proceeded straight to the Petra World Heritage site visitor Centre to get the tickets issued. My travel operators had arranged a Jordan Pass for me. Hence the entry for a day was already covered in the pass. I had to pay 5 JD to add a day’s additional entry. If you wish to spend two days in Petra, better inform the counter while buying the ticket as they charge a combined fee of 55 JD. Entry fee for a single day is 50 JD and if you buy a ticket on each day, it will cost you 100 JD. If you are a history enthusiast Petra will never disappoint you. I feel one need to have minimum of 5 days and lots of energy to explore Petra. I had to cut short my visit within one and half days due to time constraints.

After verification process (physical security check and baggage check) you are allowed to explore Petra. A 2 hr guided tour was part of my package and my guide took charge from here.

The half a kilometre distance from the Visitor Centre to Bab Al-Siq, the entrance of The Siq i.e. the narrow way to the ancient Nabataean city of Petra, you can either walk or ride horse / donkey or in a horse cart. The fee for horse ride is included in your ticket but the handler expects some tip. You will see Obelisk Tomb and many cave type constructions on both sides of the way to the Bab Al-Siq. Just before entering to the Siq, you will see a tunnel on the right-hand side. This was constructed by the Nabataeans to ensure safe flow and storage of stormwater.

You need to walk a bit more than 2 kms through the Siq to reach Al-Khazneh (The Treasury) - one of the most attractive structures in Petra. You can hire a cart, horse or donkey to cover this distance. While walking through the Siq, you will come across many remainings of Nabataean architecture including idols and temples they worshiped. There used to be waterways on each side of the rocky walls – right side, covered pipes for drinking water and the left side is an open small canal for irrigation purpose. My guide for Petra exploration had left at this point as his service was for about 2 hrs. Though he had offered me further service at 60 JD per day, I preferred to go on my own.

I walked upto Al-Deir Monastery, which is about 3.5 km away from the Treasury. On both sides of the path – King’s Way, you will see places such as Nabataeans Theatre, Um Tomb, Al-Batra, Qaser Al-Bint, Petra Museum, some of them involves bit of climbing. Also, you can explore many sites like The Renaissance Tomb, The Garden Temple, Lion’s Monument, The Great Temple, and many places if you like to explore. You need to do climbing for about 2 km through the cliffs to reach Ad-Deir Monastery from the plains. All these buildings are carved out of sandstones by Nabataeans except few constructions by Roman Empire. There are only few small trees and bushes in entire area as it is a desert. I’ve learned that only 30 - 40% of the Petra is unearthed so far and excavation is still progressing with assistance from UNESCO. I finished 1st day’s exploration and returned back to the hotel by late afternoon. Spent some relaxing time in Jacuzzi and felt fresh and all muscle pain gone. Had an early dinner and slept since I haven’t slept well in previous night in transit. I have paid 12 JD for the dinner as it was not included in my room rent. It was buffet dinner with fish curry, sausages, mutton curry, a variety of salads, pickles, hummus (bread spread), garlic paste, with rice, kuboos (Arabic bread) and desserts – cakes, fruits, Kanafah (Arabic sweet) + sugar syrup and ice cream.

Day 2: (Saturday 26-May-2018):

I got ready early in the morning and finished my breakfast. The hotel manager offered me the breakfast though the 2nd breakfast was not included in my room plan. It was a rich breakfast, same as the previous day, with Kuboos with spreads - hummus, garlic paste & lebaneh, boiled eggs, varieties of bread, jam, cheese, butter, fruit & vegetable salads, green & black olives, cornflakes, milk, tea, coffee and juices.

My travel guide cum driver dropped me at the Visitor Centre at 8:30 am. This day, I visited Royal Tombs, Ridge church and Byzantine Church and explored more around the Treasury my own.

There are lots of eateries, WiFi hotspots, shops selling souvenirs. Pay and use Bio-toilets are available on both sides of the way and also around the historical spots. The horse/donkey/camel handlers (most of them are teenagers) will keep coming to you offering a ride. However, I observed that they are decent in dealings. But better to negotiate before using their service if you are money conscious. The thing I found uneasy was the flies. They are everywhere, especially around the horses, donkeys and camels. I assume this is due to pile up of horse/donkey/camel dung.

To be continued…