20th March 2016

I have been looking forward to this part of our holiday ever since it was booked, and it was principally the reason for cruising back from Mauritius rather than flying. It’s supposed to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World, well… we shall see.

Another early wake-up meant a port day, and looking out of our window, we could see the mountains passing by, very stark and glowing yellow in the early morning sun. My mobile pinged; it was a text welcoming me to Saudi Arabia and informing me of the roaming charges negotiated with O2.

As breakfast was being consumed, my mobile pinged again. This time, it was Jordan welcoming me and inviting me to roam. Not long after, it pinged once more, and Israel decided to get in on the act. Looking at a map of the area, it will come as no surprise that these three countries are very close.

As we travelled through the Gulf of Aqaba (Gulf of Israel, if you are Jewish), both banks were so close that it gave credence to the story of Moses parting the seas. He wouldn’t have had to make too much of an effort here; the shores were within a reasonable slingshot from either side of the ship. Watch out, Goliath, David is on board.

Stickered up, we left the ship and boarded bus number 4. This turned out to be another English/French coalition, with separate guides for each group. We were delayed as two passengers hadn’t turned up. After half an hour, the guides instructed the driver to leave them behind, and then, as if on cue, they arrived at a bit of slow handclapping from some of the passengers. I was above all that and decided to leave their corpses in a wadi for the crows to pick over when we next stopped. They were crew, after all!

Aqaba is surrounded by dry, towering mountains streaked through with vivid colours, browns, yellows, reds, greens, and oranges. Very pretty, though the lack of vegetation demonstrated the lack of rainfall (less than 10mm per year), and it leaves you in no doubt that life up there at the heights would be a very hard one.

The journey to Petra took two hours, climbing ever upwards on good roads with little traffic. We saw spectacular mountain scenery, precipitous gorges, and huge vistas descending to the great valley that links the Red Sea with the Dead Sea. Just two days before, this road had been closed due to nil visibility from wind-blown sand in the atmosphere. We were lucky to have such clear air and see so much. If Petra turns out to be disappointing, I think the journey alone would just about make the cost worth it. We shall see.

We stopped for a toilet break and a quick look around the tourist shop. I bought a T-shirt! The guide had mentioned a window in the loos, and well, WOW! Now that’s novel! There really is a panoramic window in the men’s toilet, and it is the floor! And what a view! He wasn’t taking the mickey; the chasm below drops down at least 1000m below, and at the bottom, several gorges lie hidden, their depths shrouded. The colours, the subtle shades twist and writhe through the contorted rock formations. I’ve never whipped out my camera so fast in a toilet before. Actually, I’ve never whipped out my camera at all in the toilet before! Nor have I spent so long with my mouth open in awe in such circumstances. Hmmm.

Twenty minutes later, we arrived in Petra. Our guide, a local Bedouin, is incredibly knowledgeable about the place. He was born there, in one of the caves, and spent his entire childhood in Petra before the last inhabitants were relocated 16 years ago to a purpose-built town on one of the surrounding hills. I could go into the history of Petra, how it once thrived as a great city before falling into decline and being forgotten, only used occasionally by Bedouins. Then, it was rediscovered by a Swiss explorer. But, if you’re interested, you can look it up or, better yet, visit it yourself. You definitely won’t regret it.

We joined one of many groups, making our way through the gorge, the only way into the city. The gorge itself was made for photos, let alone the eroded tombs, sculptures, and water courses that line its path. The towering cliffs and narrow sky above create a mesmerising atmosphere, while the twisted bands of colour in the rock seem to distract the eye in every direction.

If you visit, be cautious of the horses, camels, and carriages. The latter is driven by overly eager Bedouins who seem determined to make a quick dollar (or twenty on the way down, thirty on the way up). It’s a miracle that tourists aren’t squished beneath wheels or hooves. Or perhaps they are, as we saw several men with brushes sweeping horse and camel dung into buckets at various points along the route. One wonders: do they dispose of the bodies this way, too?

When the gorge finally opens up to reveal the Treasury, it’s one of those moments that takes your breath away. There it is, standing in all its grandeur, and you immediately understand why it’s considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The theatrical setting is perfect. The way the light plays off the intricate carvings, the sheer scale of it, everything about it feels monumental. Experiencing this is like standing before the Taj Mahal, being inside the Great Pyramid’s coffin chamber, or gazing out over the Grand Canyon. It’s awe-inspiring, a moment that humbles you and reminds you of the scale of human achievement and the wonders the world holds. Simply put, it’s unforgettable.

It’s incredible to think that only a fraction of Petra has been uncovered, considering its vast size, 16 square miles of it. The scale of the excavation is mind-blowing, with the gorge itself having been dug out to a depth of 40 meters, revealing the ancient city beneath the sand. The Treasury, though already awe-inspiring, isn’t fully unearthed, and yet it still leaves you in wonder.

What’s even more exciting is that the city’s full potential has yet to be fully realised. After walking past the amphitheatre and the Royal Tombs, we only covered part of the tourist route. The path leads to the Monastery, which, from what I hear, is even more impressive than the Treasury. And beyond that, there are many unexplored canyons. The promise of discoveries in the future is exciting, especially since a plan to start exploring these side canyons is scheduled to begin in just four years. The thought of what hidden wonders still lie in wait is truly thrilling.

Time did not permit us to continue; this was merely a fleeting visit. Think of Ephesus or Knossos, but this is far, far better, perhaps even surpassing Herculaneum when fully uncovered. Time will tell, but not by us. We had an appointment with a splendid buffet meal at the Mövenpick before boarding our bus back to the ship.

Driving by coach through darkening desert mountains, the sun sinking low and the moon rising over fading horizons is not the way to travel through this country. This should be done on a camel, in Bedouin garb and brandishing a scimitar.

But the air-con is nice. So, back to reality, and the NeoRomantica.

After boarding, we collected our passports from the Bursar as we would need them tomorrow when we disembarked in Israel and faced Israeli security. Fierce, they tell me.

Our evening meal was soon followed by sleep. An even earlier start tomorrow.