On our second day in Petra, we set off at 7am to hike to the Monastery, an enormous monument cut into the rose-red rock, high on top of one of Petra’s many mountains.
Having learned our lesson about hiking in the searing midday sun the day before and with temperatures set to be even hotter (33°C), we were keen to leave as early as possible to complete our hike before noon.
It was quiet and peaceful as we strolled along the Siq (above), the narrow canyon that leads to the ancient capital, and in the stillness, I found myself noticing things I had missed the day before.
The rocks appeared to be a slightly different colour to how I’d remembered them and I got the impression that Petra looks different on any given day, depending on the time of day and the weather.
As it was so early in the morning, there was no one around, in stark contrast to the day before when it was filled with people not long after 8.30am.
It was a lovely moment when we reached the Treasury as there were so few people, we almost had it to ourselves.
Aside from the odd traveller or two, the only other people around were the Bedouin guides and a film crew who were walking around inside the monument.
After taking some photos, we made our way past the tombs of the Outer Siq to the City of Petra, where we stopped to admire the marvellous amphitheatre (above), a glorious structure cut into the rose-red rock.
The day before I’d felt so ill as we walked through the City of Petra I wasn’t in a fit state to appreciate the incredible sights I passed, so I was grateful we had a second day in the city and an opportunity to see them afresh.
We continued through the city (above) and after we passed the restaurants, we turned right to follow the trail up the mountain. The trek to the Monastery isn’t easy, with more than 800 steps to the monument.
It was 9am by the time we reached the start of the path, the sun was already strong, and there was little shade as we began to climb.
The trail was long with lots of twists and turns, and there were Bedouin stalls dotted along the route (I bought a lovely head scarf from one of them).
It was a hard climb in the hot sun and every so often, as we came across a shady spot, we’d stop for a breather and some water.
When we finally reached the top, the first thing we saw was a very welcome café on the other side of a sandy plateau.
We descended the steps towards the plateau, ready to make a beeline for the café, but before we did so, we stopped and turned around. To our right, much to our surprise, was the Monastery (below).
The Monastery is an enormous structure, similar to the more famous Treasury, but plainer and less ornate.
It’s thought to date back to around the 1st century BC and is dedicated to the Nabatean king, Obodas I, who was worshipped as a god following his defeat of the Greeks and the Hasmoneans.
I can’t quite put into words what a fantastic moment it was stumbling upon the Monastery when we were hot, bothered and least expected it.
There’d been no indication from the trail that we were about to reach it, nor did I expect it to look quite as huge and spectacular as it did.
I enjoyed the moment so much more than seeing the Treasury for the first time as I knew what to expect when I saw the Treasury, but this was such an unexpected surprise, it blew me away and is one of my all-time favourite travel experiences.
The plateau was deserted when we reached it, and aside from one young woman and her Bedouin guide, we had the place to ourselves, which somehow made the moment feel more special.
After spending a bit of time staring in awe at the Monastery and pinching ourselves, we made our way to the café opposite, which was housed in a small cave.
We sat in the cool café, sipping lemon and mint juice, unable to take our eyes off the Monastery. The chilled, relaxing café was the perfect place to unwind after our long and sweaty hike.
After a good rest, we headed to the high point behind the café, passing an archaeological dig along the way, so we could see the Monastery from above.
We clambered up the rocks to the high point where we enjoyed breathtaking views of the ancient temple and the surrounding valleys (above and below).
We scooted down the rocks, and decided to follow a sign that promised the “best view in Jordan” on a rock a little further along the path.
At the top of the viewpoint, we were greeted by an elderly Bedouin man and his nephew sitting in a small seating area on top of the rock.
The view from the rock was superb as it looked out over the Wadi al-Araba (above), where the Bedouin told us they filmed The English Patient.
The mountains in front of us were a dark green/purple colour, while the ones behind them were a light golden colour, in contrast to the rose-red rocks we were standing on.
It was incredible to see so many different coloured rocks and mountains next to each other, and it was like nothing I’d ever seen.
We were invited to join the Bedouin for tea, which we gratefully did, and made ourselves comfortable on the low sofas and stools in the seating area.
It was a precarious place to set up a makeshift café as it’s perched right on the edge of the mountain and there was a sheer drop all around us. But the spectacular views were well worth any health and safety quibbles.
Sitting on top of the mountain, sipping tea and chatting to the Bedouin, while gazing in awe at the jaw-dropping views all around us, was the perfect end to our morning adventure.
It was a fantastic once-in-a-lifetime moment and I didn’t want to leave, it was so peaceful and relaxing.
Eventually, we rallied and managed to drag ourselves away, aware we needed to make our way back down the mountain before it got too hot.
It was much faster going down the mountain than it was going up, but the sun was blazing and it was hard work as there were few places to seek shade.
By the time we reached the bottom, we were hot and uncomfortable, so we stopped off in the Tents restaurant for a drink, deciding to stay for an hour to rest and recuperate.
From the restaurant, we slowly made our way back out of Petra, constantly looking around us at the amazing sights and taking in every last drop of the ancient capital.
At the Treasury, I took one last photo (above), and as we walked up the Siq, I turned around for my final glimpse of that magnificent monument. Once again, the Treasury looked a little different in the mid-afternoon sun.
I enjoyed my final walk through the Siq, but the last stretch between the Siq and the visitor centre was a long, slow, painful, uphill walk.
The last stretch felt as though it took forever to complete, but we eventually made it to the visitor centre and from there to our hotel.
It’s hard to do justice to what an incredibly special and magical place Petra is. Petra is the reason I decided to spend a week in Jordan as I’d long wanted to see its famous tombs and the Treasury up close.
I’ve sometimes found that world-renowned, iconic places don’t always live up to the hype when you see them in person (cough, Sydney Opera House), but Petra didn’t disappoint, and in fact was far more impressive than I’d imgained.
There’s so much more to Petra than the oft-photographed Treasury and Siq. The scenery is awe-inspiring, the hiking trails superb, and the Monastery and viewing points magnificent.
It’s the one place I’d encourage everyone to put on their ‘bucket list’ (for want of a better, less clichéd phrase) – it’s truly memorable and one of my top travel highlights.
