Petra in Jordan with Aunt Anna X 2

Guest writer: Anna Nilsson Spets

You can find friends anywhere and everywhere, I found my friend Anna on an online travel forum 16 years ago and we finally got to spend a few days together. 

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When I arrive at my accommodation on the south beach in Aqaba at 2.30am, Anna and her husband Conny are asleep. We hug for a long time before breakfast, which consists of hot pita bread, cheese and sausages.

But should it be so damn difficult to get some milk for the coffee I wonder and the kitchen boy aka everything in everything manages to barely say that it is not available. Juice is not available either, but you can order extra juice, which comes when breakfast is ready. Or when the kitchen guy has googled what you ordered. 

Our first day together is spent in Aqaba, a medium-sized bustling city that is fairly typical of the Middle East.  

We browse the shops and have a coffee, take a tour of the castle/fortress ruins, which are not really much to see. The castle/fortress dates back to the 17th century and served as a resting place for pilgrims on their way to Mecca and Medina. 

THEN, oh my God, what a tourist spectacle, a glass-bottomed boat. The salesman manages to persuade us to take an hour's trip on the Red Sea ... And Aqaba is teeming with glass-bottomed boats ...

Sure, an occasional firre, some grey corals and a sunken tank, that's all, but it was quite nice to get out to sea anyway, even if it was just as nice to come ashore after the skipper played the same Bob Marley song at the highest volume ten times. At least. 

Conny wants a bira ... in a city where 99 per cent serve halal food, we find a mex restaurant, we eat and load up for the main destination of the trip, the rocky city of Petra. 

From Aqaba to Petra it takes about 2 hours by car, the roads are good, the landscape flat as a pancake with the occasional hill and mountain range.  

We arrive at Petra late morning and decide to ride down to the entrance itself. The horses; Arabs and half Arabs look reasonably well cared for, we hear the music from the Indiana Jones film in our ears, one of the films was filmed here. 

We jump off the coach and enter this very strange world of stone. 

Petra is located in a ravine that is a little more than 2 kilometres long, the surrounding cliffs are over a hundred metres high which was excellent for defence purposes. It was a strategic point for trade and it is believed that six caravan routes crossed here. 

In terms of time, we are now talking about around 500 years before Christ, more than 2500 years ago. The Nabataeans, a nomadic people, were the first to settle. 

Today, it's all about selfies, posing and tiktok.  

The Nabataeans were a rich people and skilled craftsmen. They began construction with decorations in the form of carved lions, garlands and the gods of the time.  

Then came the hard work of carving out the rock itself for temples, settlements and tombs. They also carved out a canal system for water supply that made cultivation possible. 

Petra is one of the 7 NEW wonders of the world and it is a wonder all the time, from start to finish. The passage into the city itself is called the siq and is in some places very narrow, the up to a hundred metres high cliffs changing in different shades.  

We arrive at the most famous building, The treasure, which is carved out of the rock itself, is 40 metres high and has 10 floors. It is believed to be used as a royal tomb. 

The treasure is probably the most photographed place in the pink city, a bit of a gamble it feels like when you can climb up on a camel for a penny, let yourself be led five metres to be photographed in front of the building. Nah, I don't give a shit about that. 

A little further ahead is an amphitheatre, rock walls with dwellings, burial mounds and temples. Many places are high up in the mountains, if you want you can ride a donkey up there but we do NOT want to. 

Reflecting on life in Petra over an icy cold lemon juice with mint after climbing up to one of the temples. In its heyday, the population was probably around 30,000.  

The city of Petra lost its place as a major trading hub as new routes were discovered. After two earthquakes 200 years apart, the city's inhabitants dispersed and the city was destroyed, only to be rediscovered 600 years later.  

Today it's one of the most visited places in the world, and I don't regret for a second that I'm a little flyspeck of all those who have experienced the pink city. However, I regret that we didn't spend maybe two days there, there is far too much to discover. 

Petra is made for tourism, tourism that is currently absent due to the Gaza conflict and the time of year. Thankfully, it's not overrun with vendors either, a few stalls with various handicrafts, strategically placed toilets and a couple of places to cool off. 

Tired in the feet after a long day, we pay dearly for a golf cart ride back to the visitor centre, eat some good food and sip a divine lemon mint drink again. Aunt Anna the elder buys a Palestine scarf and dreams of the prog era, and Aunt Anna the younger buys a new tunic.  

A day is over, a day to add to the archives of memory. 

Travelling to Jordan and Aqaba

Flight: Turkish airlines and Royal air Jordania, Brussels-Istanbul-Ammam-Aqaba cost 600 euros. Ryan air also flies from some European cities. 

Getting around: Seems to be easily accessible by car, good roads and not too much traffic. Taxis not too bloody expensive and between some destinations there are fixed prices or meters. Functioning bus network between cities. Extremely numerous operators organising tours to Petra and other destinations. 

Accommodation: Many variants, the nicer hotels are on the beach in the centre, we stayed on the south beach, Beduin village, simple accommodation with breakfast. 100 metres to the Red Sea. 

Food and drink: Everything from McDonald's to small local eateries. Typical Middle Eastern food with shawarma, falafel, hummus and tahini. Much is (unfortunately) served with French fries. Very few places seem to serve alcohol. Otherwise, fantastic juices, yoghurt drinks, good coffee and, as I said, lots of tea. 

Visas: Yes, it is. There is also a so-called Jordan Pass which includes visas and entry to many tourist attractions. 

Hygiene: Western toilets for the most part, paper is thrown in a basket on the side. Bottled drinking water. 

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Anna Nilsson Spets

60+ year old lady with a lifelong love for Africa. Emigrated to Flanders in Belgium and works with plants on a daily basis. Writes, takes photos and tries to inspire others to budget travel on their own. Blogs on "Anna's mix" about travelling, work, plants, writing and much more.

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