‘Ayn aş Şadr

A short walk from my hostel, I arrived at the main entrance to buy my ticket which was practically empty as I'm sure everyone else had the Jordan pass. I suddenly found myself in the middle of a vast desert surrounded by mountains with a long road leading only onward. No sooner than I had stepped foot on the sand did a hawker approach me for a free horse ride. To which I said no to but he showed me that it really was included and it was written on the fine print and I just had to pay with a tip. I wanted to walk all the way though so I excused myself and started to head further into the desert, carrying my trusty umbrella to help shade me from the harsh sun. I passed through a lot of interesting structures carved into the mountain sides, the most unique one being a sandhouse with a roof of point ends. I made my way to the entrance of the Siq. It was like a canyon with colors of verdant orange with the hues getting even more vibrant as I walked deeper. Here, I was also approached by a Bedouin tribesman as he tried to sell me a way to go see the "best view." I didn't want to give him a straight answer though and he kept on following me and getting in the way of my shots which was kind of annoying so I had to tell him off. Most of the tourists were already heading back since the start so I thought I would be lucky and get some shots without and tourists but when I approached the famed Treasury, I found that it still had a lot of people. I was accosted by more Bedouin tribesmen here, trying to sell me a donkey ride up to the Monastery, putting pressure on me saying that I didn't have the time and that it was closing after sunet, that it was impossible for me. I felt a bit stressed and decided to increase my pace. Disappointed that I couldn't get that perfect shot, I took up the offer to being taken to a higher spot. I realized I didn't even have to pay but it was done. I paid another small homage fee to the guy at the top as they were serving tea here and offered to take photos. I had my photo taken but I wasn't satisfied with it so I played around to try and find the best spot and angle, I then directed the Bedouin tribesman on how to best take the photo and lo and behold, it turned out amazing. I gave him a tip for helping me take a great shot despite my ever-decreasing funds for Jordan. He later started to take the same angle for the other guests that arrived and they were also so impressed with it, I'm glad I left a lasting legacy for all the future visitors of this area for they shall be getting amazing shots if I do say so myself.

From the Siq, I went back down to once again find myself face to face with another one of the Bedouin as they tried to coerce me to take the ride again, I was getting a bit pressured as other vendors started to tell me it was impossible to make it to the Monastery on foot and I was a really about to bite to bullet and just as I was about to cave, I saw two familiar faces from the Wanderers. It was Jack and another dude from Saudi Arabia. I was so flustered I had somehow mistaken Jack for Josef, and to be fair they did look alike. I asked them about their journey and how long does it actually take to reach the Monastery and I found out that I had ample time after all and that these bozos were just making stuff up to get my money. I was quite happy to find out it was doable, I thanked them and bid them and the donkey peddler good bye.

I passed through various temples and structures, all but remnants of an age long gone. Petra, the red-rose desert city, was made by the Nabateans according to the pamphlet I read back at the hostel. To the right side, I saw the Royal Tombs and decided to check them out on the way back as I proceeded further inwards until I reached the trailhead for the long hike up to the Monastery. It was tough with the endless stairs but I still quite enjoyed it for I was pretty much alone at this point and all the other tourists have already cleared out. I was able to see some amazing views of the surrounding mountains and valleys and the lush flaura despite being in the desert. I also saw a puppy playing on the road, in this heat I wondered if it was thirsty so I tried giving it some water to which it happily slurped up. On the way up, I happened to pass by another one of the Bedouin tribe selling souvenirs. He asked if I wanted to check out his wares and I mistakenly told him "Maybe later" as I tried to avoid getting pulled in to which he happily agreed and now I had to show up after getting guilt-tripped. I finally got to the top and beheld in front of me the full majesty of the Monastery. Bigger and wider than the Treasury, there was only a few people here. Two of which got into a small altercation with one of the Bedouin. I spent some time going around the wide expanse in front of the Monastery and finding a place to settle myself, sat down and just took it all in. Not wanting to waste the few hours of daylight left, I started to hike back down. I stopped by the vendor's as promised but when I didn't really find anything that I wanted to buy, he kindly let me move on. On the way back, I met a lot of familiar faces in the forms of the various Bedouin that tried to get me on the donkeys, it was a great moment to tell them that I made it just fine. All the way back down I went until I got back to the Royal Tombs.

At this point, my legs were really fatigued but I wasn't having it, the sun was setting and the Golden Hour was hitting the Royal Tombs perfectly so I crossed the desert to the other side and started climbing up. I would say, it was 100% worth it because most of the best shots I've gotten were from around that area, having perfect lighting and shadows. I explored the interior of the tombs, most empty but the main cave had this amazing ceiling akin to a fresco with colors of red, white, and black. I was shocked to find out that it was all natural. I sat on top of the hill while watching the sunset on the other side of the canyon, it was beyond beautiful.

On the way back to the entrance, I ran into another one of the Bedouin. Naturally, I was on guard after today's debacle but he was quite genuine and helped me take some nice angle shots with my phone. We talked on the way back and as he said, there's time for business but now he's free to do whatever he wants so there's no need for me to give him a tip or anything. I got to know about how the tribe a bit more, their principles and way of life. How Petra is their home, and they wouldn't trade it for anything else, it is where they were born and it is their tomb. They sleep in caves, tend to their animals and tribe. It was really interesting and I was lucky to get insights about the people I have may have developed too early of a bad impression on. They were already converting the area for Petra by Night, the way was candlelit and in front of the Treasury, they were going to be setting up a hundred more candles. We also encountered a couple setting up for a wedding photo shoot. I was really lucky to have gotten photos of the Treasury without any people on the way back, the vibe was the exact opposite when I first arrived. This time, as the sun was setting, it was solemn and even a bit lonely. I parted way with my Bedouin friend and saw two out of the three girls this morning from the bus episode. Apparently, they were Ukrainian and one of their other friends tapped out before doing the Monastery hike. It was a long walk and I took a break at one of the benches, taking one last look at Petra and already feeling reminiscent as the chill of the night started to creep in. When I got back to my hostel, I finished eating my leftover Maklubah and went inside my pod to catch my bearings and get ready for the day tomorrow. After taking a shower and brushing my teeth, someone tapped my shoulder and surprise, surprise: It was Josef! This dude I swear, I was quite happy to see him again and we talked a bit about our plans and I was quite embarassed to have accidentally asked him how his Petra experience since I mistook him for Jack. I was doing Wadi Rum tomorrow while Josef was going to be doing Petra, I was waking up early again so I hit the hay and tapped out after an exhausting but wonderful day.Read more