Olek

I won't write too much about the trip and my impressions, because I would only harm the story, so let the pictures guide you through it.

We went to Petra at 8 in the morning by bus with around 40 people, some of them my friends, and some I've met for the first time. I've slept almost the whole 4-hour way.

The entrance to Petra costs 21 JDs for foreigners and 1 JD for Jordanians, but we managed to cheat a bit and buy cheaper tickets for everyone .

First you go for around 1 hour through a valley called Siq. Click on a picture to enlarge it.


It's filled with traces of the ancient city.


More or less in the middle of the road the valley turns into a canyon.



And then at the end, you suddenly see the Treasury - a temple carved in stone, well...quite a while ago. The impression is simply astonishing.


Just look at the size of it compared to people.



Money makes the world go round, even in Petra, so you can rent a camel taxi.


We then went in a smaller group further to explore the valley, and up one of the hills.




Ata, Jelle, me and Martin


Sirik


?, Firas (Jordan), Jude (Palestine), Esther (Netherlands), Laura (USA), Jalajel (Jordan), Hakeem (Jordan)






I think Petra is so unique, because it combines in one place the wonderful powers of nature and the genious of man.

Afterwards, we went to Wadi Rum - a desert valley. We made it just for the sunset. It's an ocean of complete nothingness, with sheer hills rising spontaneously here and there. And in the middle of this emptiness, there was a camp - with electricity and water.



Isabel (Canada) and Bashar (Jordan)




We went on one of the hills to enjoy the sunset.




It was quite windy.


Me and Sirik


We had a delicious dinner in the camp and joined a party. In the middle of the camp, there was a gathering place, the DJ was playing some popular songs (mostly Arabic, but also La Bamba or Boney M). It was really great!



We left Wadi Rum around 21:30, and I was home at 2:30.

I just can't wait for this weekend, when I'm going back to Wadi Rum, this time for a bigger event called 'Distant Heat' - a two-day party on the desert and then in Akaba (at the seaside).