Wadi Musa is the town outside of Petra. It is just over a three hour drive from the airport. The route is mostly a straight shot down the desert highway. The most challenging aspect of the drive, at night, is the speed bumps. They are not clearly marked, so they aren’t visible until right before you hit them. More than once I was surprised and had to break suddenly, which jarred awake anyone sleeping in the car.

We arrived at our hotel just before midnight. Despite our low budget, we managed to find relatively convenient accommodation through hostelbookers.com. Saba hotel is owned and run by an English woman and her Jordanian husband. For two rooms, each with their own bathroom, for two nights, with breakfast provided, was just over $100. For just a dollars more, packed lunches were available.

The hotel overlooks Wadi Musa, which can be enjoyed from the rooftop terrace. Our rooms were basic, but they were clean. After a long day of traveling, it was only a matter of minutes before I fell asleep. I did remember to set an alarm, as I wanted to be sure that I would wake up at a decent time.

I had, of course, forgotten about the Fajr, or Morning Prayer, that is sung on loud speakers throughout towns in Islamic communities. At 5am, we were awakened by the sound of the Fajr. The hotel must have been very close to the loudspeakers, because there was no ignoring the call to prayer.

Eventually, the prayer ended, and we drifted back to sleep, only to be woken up by the alarm. The showers didn’t have any hot water so we quickly washed before heading down to breakfast.

The entrance to Petra can be a little confusing. The path is bordered by souvenir stalls selling scarves, hats, and various knick-knacks. Amongst the souvenir stalls is a ticket booth. The pricing for Petra largely depends on how long you plan to stay. Quick day trips cost the most. The longer you stay, the cheaper it gets.

We purchased our tickets from the stall and walked to the entrance where we went through the turnstiles and barely missed the bus full of Chinese tourists. Right inside the entrance, there is the option to ride a horse or carriage to the Treasury. As we were on a budget, and the horses looked underfed, we decided to walk.

I was especially glad of that decision a few minutes later when we approached the first structure built into a cliff face. Had we taken a horse, a stop wouldn’t have been an option. This is the first taste of Petra. The climb up was moderate, and exciting. After two decades of travel in the USA and Western Europe, I had accepted the “Look, Don’t Touch” policy as law. But here, in Jordan, you were welcomed to scramble up to take a peak.

The Siq is the next highlight along the route. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade did much to make the Treasury the most recognizable landmark in Petra, and it is truly a breathtaking sight to behold. However, it is the Siq, the gorge that leads to the Treasury, that makes the site magical. This 2 km long sandstone canyon is a geological curiosity. The sandstone is a warm spectrum of color and contrast that stretches up hundreds of feet. Along the route, the path is never wider than 3 meters. This adds to the excitement of dodging the horse-drawn carriages that transverse the Siq at break-neck speed.

The last curve of the Siq reveals an obstructed view of the Treasury. The anticipation is almost overwhelming as you walk the last few yards and at last the Treasury comes into view. The edifice is remarkably preserved, for its age. There was a rumor that treasure was buried in the ancient city. Adventurers would shoot bullets into the stone face of the Treasury in search of it. The bullet holes are still evident today.

In contrast to the hush of the Siq, the expanse in front of the Treasury was busy with tourists and local Bedouins. A souvenir and tea shop was on the left. We took our time taking pictures, waiting for gaps in between the crowd. There is much more of Petra to see though. The path wraps to the right of the Treasury. From there, there are two choices: climb up to “The High Place” or head towards the Theatre and Royal Tombs.

We opted to visit the “The High Place” first. Initially, I thought it would be a quick look before we continued onto the rest of the city. That was definitely not the case. The climb up took us at least 30 minutes, though that was partly due to stopping to take pictures every few minutes. It was an exhausting climb, but well worth the view.

“The High Place” is aptly named. Once we reached the top, the mountainous landscape stretched out before us. None of us were in a hurry to move on, so we sat down and ate the packed lunch that the hostess at Saba Hotel had made us. It was a quiet spot, with not very many tourists. One of the tourists, though, was wearing a Norwich football jersey. Norwich is a city not 45 minutes from our house. Luke struck up a conversation with him, and we soon discovered that he wasn’t from Norwich, but Barton Mills, which is not 5 minutes from where we live. We climbed up the side of a mountain in Jordan and managed to run into someone that lived not 5 minutes from our house.

The climb back down was easier. We decided to take the path down the other side of the mountain. It was steeper, but it was something new. We followed it to a collection of ruins. Collapsed columns littered the area outside a series of rooms carved into the mountain. The interior of one room was scarred by fire: it was the Roman Soldier’s Tomb- or was at one time.

The path continued towards the Columbarium and Qasr al-Bint. We stopped at the restaurant for drinks and to use the toilet. Each of us took the opportunity to dump the sand out of our shoes, and then continued down the Colonnaded Street. The path became increasingly congested without tourists compared to the peacefulness of “The High Place.”  There were a few more souvenir stalls, with overpriced trinkets.

The path brought us back to the Theatre and the Royal Tombs. There was a bit more climbing to see the Tombs, but the color of the sandstone inside the rooms was well worth it. The Silk Tomb is my favorite. We spent the most time there, after “The High Place.” The ceiling is a warm blend of colors all the more striking because it’s a natural formation.

The sun was beginning to set. We stopped to drink tea at the souvenir stand in front of the Treasury and enjoy the last of the site. I took pictures in an Indiana Jones hat we had picked up earlier, and then we started our walk back though the Siq. It began to rain- several groups of people decided to wait it out under the dips of the canyon. By the time we reached the entrance, we were a bit more damp than dry, but it didn’t matter. The day had been perfect.