Petra, Jordan is the first destination in our Holy Land Pilgrimage as we flew from San Diego to Amman, Jordan. It was a long 20 hour flight and we had 2 layovers in Phoenix and JFK Airport. Petra is one of the world wonder is undoubtedly Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction, and it is visited by tourists from all over the world. (Learn more about Petra)
Arrival In Jordan
We arrived in Amman, Jordan around 1:00 pm in the afternoon, we waited for a couple of hours for custom security since we arrived in a big group (56 pilgrims). We were picked up by our friendly tour guides and rode on 2 coaches which accommodated our big luggages then head straight to our hotel around 4:00 pm in the afternoon. Amman, Jordan is like other cities that have heavy traffic especially rush hour times.
Our group stayed in The Kempinski Hotel for a couple of nights. Our luggages were brought down by hotel attendants and passed the security screening in front of the hotel. The ambiance was calm and accommodating. It was a great hotel on a great location.
The rooms were clean, with excellent amenities, and superb food. We had a free dinner buffet and they served Pita bread, rice, lamb, chicken, salads and different kinds of hummus.
Our group had set tables since there are other groups during the buffet. Big bottled water to share was free in the buffet. Then after that, we went straight to bed as we were all tired from a long flight.
Next morning, we woke up around 6 am to have breakfast at the hotel then we left around 8 am to head in Petra. At the bus, we started our journey with prayer as we travel with Fr. Jo. He led the rosary in the morning and sang Ave Maria in every mysteries.
Travel time from Amman to Petra is 5 to 6 hours. Since there are no restaurants in Petra, we have stopped for lunch around noon, about an hour away to our destination. The view from the restaurant was amazing and you can see the whole city of Petra.
Arrival In Petra
As we approaching the sites where tourists usually go, we passed by to the city of Petra itself. You can see the houses where people live, stores, shops, and restaurants like a typical downtown local city in Jordan. And then we arrived at the parking lot, where you can find a lot of locals selling souvenirs, and other items in the area.
From the entrance, you will first see the visitor center where people gathered and rest. Then we walked towards the first location, The Siq. Meaning, the crack of the rock. It was so beautiful as we walked between two gigantic rock and you can see all the historical rock formations inside.
About a couple of miles, we reached the main attraction in Petra. The Al Khazna Treasury. This is the farthest we can reach as we only have one day in this location. We arrived in the Treasury about 2:30 pm and our tour guide told us that we can only spend 30 minutes because of the time.
There was a lot of tourist in the area and locals too that trying to make a living. They sell necklaces, bracelets and postcards and some local teenagers offer you that they will bring you to the top of the rock for a better view and great for taking pictures. But my wife and I are so tired to walk further so we just took pictures around the area and enjoyed the view.
After 30 mins, we gather in the same area walk back to our bus. We came back to our hotel at about 6 pm and had a great dinner with our friends and rest for another journey the next day. As we spend a day in this historical location, we learned that Petra was an old city that people used to live and spend their whole lives here. No technology, gadget, and social media.
