Ever since I saw Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, I’d been interested in Petra.
This place lives up to the hype and more.
I flew into Amman, took my rental car into the city for dinner at the famous Hashem (cheap, all vegetarian, and deeeeelicious), where the waiters just walk around carrying trays of hummus/falafel/veggies/hot tea & you flag down the person who has what you want, then drove on a…I guess you’d call it a highway, but it was more potholes than surface…down to Wadi Musa and the famous Valentine Inn.
That’s where all backpackers stay when visiting Petra, because they have 1) breakfast, 2) optional boxed lunch to take with you, 3) free shuttle to/from Petra, an 4) the most enormous dinner you’ve ever seen.
I spent 2 full days exploring Petra, and it was incredible.
Key tip: get there early, walk fast when you arrive, and you can actually get pictures without a bunch of people in them.
Also, please don’t pay to ride the animals, unless you’re actually unable to walk. They’re NOT treated well, and you could use the exercise.
On the 2nd day, I walked around with some Kiwis from my hostel, we got off the beaten trail, and we actually had hot tea in a Bedouin camp.
It was their first day there, and I felt exhausted, so I left, got my rental car, and drove down to Aqaba.
On my final day, I drove the Dead Sea Highway, which was really scenic, on my way back up to Amman.
Before leaving, I saw the old Roman Amphitheater & ate at Hashem again. This was how I spent Thanksgiving 2013.
This entry was posted in Amman, asia, Jordan, Petra
