Petra, the Second.

Wednesday + Thursday, January 1st + 2nd

6:30 am. We barely catch the Jett bus that will take us to Petra. When we stop at a rest area halfway through the journey, we question why we bothered waking up early. After what feels like an eternity of waiting for the bus to continue, we learn that our bus is broken down and we have to wait for a new one from Amman. Great.

By the time a replacement bus arrives, we have already sat for hours and finally reach Petra almost 2.5 hours later than planned. We decide to walk with our luggage through the rock city today. We meet Muath at Petra's Visitor Centre, the owner of a falafel stand, and his employees. They are super nice and offer to keep our luggage for us. So we take only water and valuables with us and make our way down to the rock city.

Everything still looks the same as during the summer school, just about 20 degrees colder and cloudy. Since we only have a few hours until sunset today, we decide not to walk a long distance and instead pass by the Treasury (Petra's most famous building) and climb the stairs that I previously climbed with Sophia. Little did we know at the time that these stairs lead to the High Place of Sacrifice, where ceremonies in honor of the god Dushara were held during the time of the Nabateans. Just before reaching the highest point and enjoying the view, two uniformed men wave at us and ask if they can take a picture of us. It turns out they are the Tourism Police. We are not sure what their exact role is, other than taking photos of tourists, but they are very nice and courteous. We have a chat with a Bedouin woman who sells souvenirs here, like many other women do, and then we start making our way back.

After a few initial difficulties, we finally find our hostel, which is still under construction and not so easy to locate. Inside, it's a mix of not yet finished but also not quite intact, especially when it comes to toilets and showers, but we only need a bed for tonight. The young owner of the hostel, Ibrahim, is happy to see us and explains on the map what is worth seeing in Petra. It turns out he used to be a tour guide in Petra before opening this hostel, so he knows it perfectly. We agree with Nicole, a Swiss woman also staying here, to meet Ibrahim tomorrow in Petra. He will take us on the Madrasa Trail, a path that can only be walked with a guide for safety reasons.

Now Hanni and I set off again. We have tickets for Petra by Night. In the dark, we are allowed to walk through the gorge to Petra and up to the Treasury again. Paper bags with candles are placed along the path, sparkling in competition with each other. Arabic music plays from speakers also placed along the path, creating a beautiful and special atmosphere.

The highlight at the Treasury: dozens of candle-lit paper bags are placed in front of it. The Treasury itself is also illuminated with colorful lights. We join the other tourists who are already sitting on rolled-out carpets, listening to the music that is playing. First the flute, then the masinko, a traditional Bedouin string instrument with only one string, accompanied by singing. Afterward, a few words are spoken to the gathered crowd. The only non-serene aspect is the constant filming and photography with everyone's phones and cameras, including ours.

When the show is over, all guests are asked to leave the site so that the next group of tourists can come in – there are always two groups for Petra by Night. However, Hanni and I decide to have tea at a Bedouin stand next to the Treasury and sit there until the second group takes their places in front of the candle-lit bags and enjoys the show. So we get to see everything for the second time. It cannot be said that we didn't make the most of our tickets. A little cold but happy and satisfied, we return to our hostel.

6:15 am. With the goal of being in the rock city for sunrise, we wake up, but we quickly realize that it's too cloudy to see the sun. A little later, we join Nicole and make our way to the Treasury again to admire it with fewer people around. Then, at 11 am, we meet Ibrahim at the entrance of Petra and the beginning of the Madrasa Trail. And he's not alone: Nicole, being an avid horse rider and owner of a riding stable, has rented a horse with Ibrahim's help to climb the trail. The rest of us follow on foot, and the experience is just as amazing: Ibrahim leads us through a beautiful mountainous landscape with rounded peaks that resembles a beige lunar landscape. The cloud cover also clears, allowing us to enjoy the surroundings and the view under a blue sky.

We take a short break and have some food that Ibrahim brought with him. Then we continue our way until we reach a viewpoint where Nicole has to dismount from her horse. From here on, it's only on foot. With a little climbing, we descend a few meters until we reach the High Place of Sacrifice again. From there, we descend all the stairs that Hanni and I climbed yesterday and continue from below towards the Monastery. The Monastery is a building similar to the Treasury but much larger, located high up in Petra's mountains. To reach it, one has to climb several flights of stairs.

Yesterday, Nicole arranged with Ibrahim to ride a donkey along this path, but in the end, she ends up on a horse again. I see Hanni suddenly sitting on a donkey, too. Then Ibrahim. I was really against riding a donkey, but I don't want to lose the others and have no choice. A Bedouin friend of Ibrahim hands me his donkey, and shortly after, I find myself riding towards the Monastery. While everyone else is far ahead of me, my donkey takes a little longer, and I feel bad as we climb the first step. I am truly embarrassed to ride past people who climb the steps on their own. And it's not exactly "riding past." Although my donkey clearly knows the way, he has no interest in accommodating pedestrians, so he keeps bumping into people, and I have to apologize repeatedly.

Eventually, I can't take it anymore. I dismount and pat my donkey, who clearly needs a break. I wait with him on the steps until he is ready to go again, and then I continue the rest of the stairs on foot, with him by my side. A Bedouin who saw me with the donkey earlier comes towards me with a donkey of his own, walking from the top. "You should ride it!" he tells me. I explain that I don't want to, and he takes care of the donkey himself and leads it back down with his donkey. Relieved, I walk the remaining steps alone and on foot and finally meet Hannah, Ibrahim, and Nicole at the top, where they have been waiting for me. From this point on, riding is not allowed anymore, so we all walk together to the Monastery.

The building is just as impressive as the Treasury and receives a lot of attention from all the tourists who have made it this far. There's also a small hill here called "The best view of the world," at least according to the signs. But it truly lives up to its name: on one side, you look down to the Monastery, and on the other side, you look down into the gorge of a dark canyon. The journey here has definitely been worth it. Although next time, without the donkey.

We enjoy the view for a while, have tea with the Bedouins, and then slowly make our way back. There are still several kilometers to the exit, and we don't want to miss our bus back to Amman. Despite tired legs and sore knees, we manage it all and collapse into the seats of the Jett bus at 4 pm, exhausted but with many new impressions.