Jordan Episode 3: Petra

We want to see the world, wherever it may take us, to learn new things, to go where few have gone. Join us on our adventures, our Stein Ventures. There are seven new wonders of the world. They are the Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal, Christ the Redeemer, Machu Picchu, Chichen Itza, the Coliseum, and Petra. We have been fortunate enough to have seen four of the seven. Today, we add number five to our list, the ancient city of Petra. We had a little tease of what this city might look like last episode, and if you missed any of it. On the last episode of Stein Ventures, we visited Moses's Mountain, Mount Nebo. We headed south on the King's Highway and encountered a sandstorm of fierce velocity, and we barely made it in time to tour little Petra. We met new friends along the way, and we discovered a beautiful canyon. Our journey so far has been filled with plenty of excitement, but it's only going to get better from here on out. It's early, too early for me. Only a lonely man and his donkey are up roaming the streets. So why are we up at 5 30 a.m right now? The carved rock city of Petra was on our list of things to do today, and we wanted to get up early to beat the crowds. Maybe we'll get lucky and get that awesome shot of the treasury without too many people in our picture. And the operating hours of Petra are from 6 a.m to 6 p.m. The Sig of Petra is a narrow canyon just over one kilometer long, squeezed between red and orange toned cliffs that soar up to 200 meters high. This is the main entrance to Petra. Al Sig Canyon is the very first landmark of the ancient city of Petra. So today we are headed to Petra. We're actually in Petra right now. We're walking towards the treasury. So let's take a look at the canyon. The views above as you walk through the canyon are indescribable and resemble a very different era. And remember me telling you to purchase a Jordan Pass in the first episode? Well this is where it saves you the most money, especially if you spend more than one day in Petra. It is believed that only 15% of this ancient city is visible, with an astonishing 85% still to be uncovered. Along the length of the Sig you can still see the remains of the water channels cut into the cliff, which the Nabataeans used to funnel water into the city. There are also small sections where the original paving has been preserved, though most of the canyon floor has been concreted to reduce further erosion. The entrance to Petra through the Al Sig Canyon is a thrilling way to begin a trip to this world renowned ancient site. Veered one of the most famous movies filmed here in Petra is of course Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. And with my stylish adventure hat on top of my head, I felt like the iconic action star in real life. It takes about 30-40 minutes to walk down the Sig. Anticipation grows the closer you get to the end of the Sig. Finally you pass through the last narrow canyon and behold, the treasury. The most famous carved building inside Petra. We've seen this amazing structure in plenty of pictures and movies, but actually being here was kind of emotional. It's an amazing piece of artwork carved into the mountain thousands of years ago. That's pretty amazing in itself. And you can see the bullet holes from past gunslingers littered everywhere. Perfectly positioned opposite the main route into Petra, the treasury was designed to impress and 2,000 years on the effect is undiminished. Petra is one of the oldest cities in the world. Appropriately for a city hewn from stone, the name Petra actually means rocks. It is thought to come from the Greek word petros, meaning rock, and was named by Greek visitors for its distinctive carved sandstone. When you continue past the treasury, you begin to feel how big this city really was. Everywhere you look, there's something of interest, something of importance. And we're finally here to see it all. Petra is a fascinating exploration of history. The minute you arrive here, it feels like you've been transported back in time. This place is literally a giant outdoor museum. The artwork is displayed on the rocks that surround you, whether it's a creation of man or a creation of God. I wonder what it was like when the city was at its peak. Nobody will truly know. But it also makes you wonder, if something so great existed so long ago and vanished, what about some of the we live in today? What will they look like a thousand years from now? Will they be abandoned, destroyed from war or a natural cause? Will people be exploring the ruins like we are today? Petra's legendary origins go back a long way, even as far back as biblical times. The valley in which the city is found is known as Wadi Musa, Moses' Valley, because of a legendary connection to the biblical prophet. It is said that Moses struck the rock at Petra and water miraculously sprouted from the ground, providing a drink for the thirsty Israelites. Petra is an important part of Jordan's cultural heritage and is featured on most travel bucket lists, with good reason. The biggest, of course, being one of the new seven wonders of the world. One of the few freestanding structures in Petra, Qasr al-Bint, was built in around 30 BCE by the Nabataeans. The temple was originally built as a dedication to the Nabataean gods and was one of the most important temples in Petra. Now it was time to say goodbye to the camels and scurry through the ghosts to make our way to the beginning of the canyon hike to visit the monastery. We were told it would only take an hour to get to the top. Let's see if that holds true. The beginning of the cliffside hike was quite nice, similar to Little Petra. There's plenty of shade as you walk through the narrow canyons, but soon the shade vanishes and you're left with the scorching sun beating down at you. Halfway through the climb you find yourself basically going straight up the cliff. It was definitely getting tougher. The wind coming through feels good. We're on our way to the monastery. It's at the very, very top of the hill. And if walking is not your thing, then another option would be to rent a donkey and ride to the top. We needed to track the exercising minutes on our apple watch and burn off our hearty breakfast, and boy did we. It's an exhausting hike up the cliff and along the way you'll find vendors selling everything from clothing to ice cream. Yes, ice cream. They haul all the goods up these cliffs daily just to make a living. Yeah, what a hike. Up here I see a sign that says ice cream. What do you think? Ice cream way up here. Yeah, kilo. Half price. Half price ice cream. Oh, you have mojito for happy hour? No, mojito. So tired. This reminds me a little bit of Machu Picchu, but not quite to that level. Yeah, it's definitely warmer, that's for sure. That's for sure. Sweating. Don't forget to bring your antiperspirant and some mints to keep your breath feeling fresh and cool because your mouth just gets hot and sticky. Fresh and cool. Cheers. Yeah, I think we're almost at the top. Finally, after an hour we made it to the top. This was definitely a lot more strenuous than the hike to the top of Little Petra, but the reward was amazing. The monastery awaits us. The hike to the Petra monastery is 3.5 miles. While 3.5 miles might not seem like it's that long, the last part of the hike requires an ascent of 900 steps. And remember when I told you only 15% of the city has been discovered? That means they have a long way to go before they can finally put their shovels away and excavate no more. The way back down is a lot harder on your knees, but we took our time and stopped a couple times for drinks and a little mingle time with the locals. This always puts a smile on our faces. Now it is time to leave this beautiful city, but before we made our way back to the Sig, there were a couple more things to cross off our list. The Great Temple is now recognized to have been one of the main buildings of the ancient city of Petra. The Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt is arguably one of the most famous ancient sites in the world known for its fascinating set of 63 carved tombs and mausoleums. However, one of the most interesting facts about Petra is that it is one of the largest royal tomb complexes in the world, with approximately 1,000 individual tombs identified to date. And the coolest thing about these tombs? You can go in each and every one of them. Explore everywhere your little heart desires. By the time we got to the royal tombs, we've already spent about seven hours in Petra. It's been a long day, especially since we decided to tackle a hike to the monastery. We were exhausted. Our suggestion to you? Experience Petra in two days. Take your time to see all the important sites. We thought we could have done it all in one day, and almost did, but we missed the hike to the high sacrifice. At the beginning of the day, we bypassed this area. In the morning, the whole complex was shaded. Now, in the afternoon, the shade has passed and the sun was scorching our skin. Not a very pleasant feeling, especially when you're tired. Nevertheless, the royal tombs were very interesting, and we really enjoyed our time exploring them. It's so amazing how they carved these tombs right into the cliff. And inside each tomb, just stand there and admire the artwork displayed on the scene. That's not paint you're looking at. That's the natural colors of the rock. What a wonderful day it's been. I love exploring different parts of the world. I love experiencing something that's so much bigger than you can ever imagine. This place had it all. It's been a wonderful trip, and there will always be a special place in my heart for Petra. And if you have a chance to visit the treasury at night, you'll experience a beautiful candlelit ceremony. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see it. My wife loved this place so much that I lost her while we were exploring together. Oh, there she is, way up there. Now the question is, how is she going to get down? Petra absolutely deserves to be one of the new seven wonders of the world. The entire complex is so much better in person than what this video shows. So if you ever get a chance to visit this wonderful country, make sure Petra is on your list of things to do. You won't be disappointed. Our next destination will be our favorite of the trip, and we can't wait to show you what it is. On the next Stein Ventures, it's time for us to get lost in Wadi Rum. We stay at a Bedouin campsite and explore this beautiful red desert. Afterwards, we experience an adventure of a lifetime as we hang on for dear life while hiking through an unforgettable passage in Wadi Mujib. Now is our chance to experience the life of a Bedouin in the middle of a dry and desolate desert. If you enjoyed this episode of Stein Ventures, don't forget to click that like button, subscribe, and tell all your friends.