Petra, Siq!

When I arrived at the top of Mount Nebo, hoping to catch the same view of the promised land that Moses saw moments before his death, I began to understand why it it took him 40 years to get here from Egypt, for it was shrouded in mist. Although treated to a brief glimpse between clouds, Jordan's vast landscape lay unrevealed, creating an introspective atmosphere perfect for contemplation of the intention and effect of Moses' words. What Moses lacked - a car - I was fortunate to have, which allowed me to explore some of Jordan's natural beauty in the company of a few other tourists. Rocky gorges, rocky plains, rocky valleys and mountains, Jordan has a beauty all of its own, and many of the Wadi (valleys) I have passed continue to entice me to return, to explore deeper. There have been more than a few places I have looked upon and said - why there is a fine cave in which to sleep.

Such an idea was had at Petra in the centuries before Christ's birth. Here, carved into sandstone cliff faces, lie tombs of mammoth proportions. Thousands of these dot the hilly landscape, their numbers slowly revealed as you emerge from the Siq (a cleft in the earth) and out into a valley surrounded by tombs extravagantly carved from rock faces. Along with a ampitheatre, sacrificial sites, and the ruins of ornamental gates lie the remains of a civilisation obsessed with tombs. The sheer quantity of tombs leads me to believe that a lot of people died here, and to conjecture that perhaps death did not proceed burial. The hills and rocks themselves - expressive in their features, flowing in their formations, astonishing in their gathering, and colourful in their strata - would attract visitors on account of their natural beauty alone. That impressive burial chambers have been carved into their faces by an advanced historical culture leads only to greater wonder and amazement.The Bedouin, traditionally nomadic people, have inhabited this region for over 600 years, and now they seem very at home in Petra, where they sell horse, camel, and donkey rides, as well as a number of trinkets. Their expertise in the English language, stemming from years of conversation with tourists, makes it possible to sit down and engage in deep conversation. It is through visiting their homes in the areas further from the tourist throngs and by accepting invitations to their villages that I have been fortunate to have an insight into their lives - simple but joyful, with 8-20 children (typically from multiple wives for the latter figure), their homes are full of the cutest faces you can imagine.
Sitting high atop a mountain, on a view which took in three valleys, adjacent hills, and a 30m high rock-carved monastery, sat my new friend Atalla. His pipe flute rang out, echoing again and again with an melody which brought the rocks to life. This man seemed to be a Bedouin saint, bottle feeding two of his goats which had been orphaned, answering their bleated cries, and carrying them gently in tender embrace rather than by the ears as many farmers would. From this high vantage point he revealed not only his tender nature, but also human dignity and intelligence, as he responded to my questions about his personal dreams, hopes for the region, peace in the middle east, terrorism, and the environment. Atalla had been privvy to frank conversations with US army soldiers and had aroused the interest of a BBC reporter with whom he had spoken.His opinions on Jordan echoed those of every other Jordanian I had queried, and it seems that the kingdom of Jordan is blessed with a benevolent monarch, enlightened democracy, reasonable quality of life, general happiness, and mutual dislike of terrorism which results in community prevention. I'm sure that our leaders would have similarly nigh-unanimous approval ratings if they demonstrated such qualities as Jordan's.