A DIWALI VACATION IN JORDAN – WADI MUSA TO JERASH 22 OCTOBER 2025

The day's program was not clear till early this morning. I was confused about the discussion last night with the hotel staff, as research of available online information did not mention what the staff called 'backdoor entry' to the Petra attractions. This morning, a short discussion with the night duty receptionist cleared up the doubts. He said that if one goes in through the main visitors' entry, one has to trek all the way up to the Monastery and return the same route.

Besides being arduous, it is also time consuming; about 9 hours. Not only was I not up to that amount of physical exertion, but I did also not have that much time at my disposal either. The other option is to go by taxi (which I had booked last night) to the Little Petra visitors' center and take a shuttle to the backdoor entry drop-off point. From the drop-off point, the visitor has to trudge hundreds of steps along a mostly steep path to the Monastery, which would take about 90 minutes. I was told that from the Monastery the trek through to the main visitors' entry would be doable in about 3 hours. Given this information, I had no second thoughts about the Little Petra option.

The taxi was on time at 7 am. Ahmed, the jovial driver with dark kohl in his eyes, was good company for the 20-minute 9 km ride. He told me that business has been poor the entire year and looks forward to a better one next year, provided there is peace in the region. He said that Jordanians are very fond of smoking, tea and Turkish coffee. He dropped me off at the gate and directed me to the visitors' center. It was not yet open as it was a few more minutes to 7.30 am.

In the meanwhile, a guide started chatting with e about his trips to India when he got a chance to visit the Taj Mahal. He explained the route map and told me to factor in five hours for the entire experience. When the counter opened, I showed my Jordan Pass and got the entry ticket and paid 5 JD for the shuttle ride to the drop-off point for the Monastery trek.

The shuttle bus runs every 30 minutes and makes a stop for those wanting to do the Little Petra tour also. Like Petra, it is a Nabataean site, with buildings carved into the walls of the sandstone canyons. As its name suggests, it is a much smaller complex but is part of the Petra Archeological Park. It is accessed separately and included in Petra's inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Those short on time normally visit Little Petra, which can be done in a couple of hours’ time. Others visit it in conjunction with Petra itself, since it is free and usually less crowded. A couple of tourists from the shuttle bus got off at Little Petra. Another advantage of visiting Little Petra is that you can go there in your own car.

I reached the Monastery drop-off point after an extremely rough off-road ride in the shuttle bus. Past the Little Petra drop-off point the road is just a dirt track. The driver added to the misery by rash driving; don't know if it's part of the act one is supposed to enjoy in Petra! At the Monastery drop-off point there are many mules for those who find the climb tiresome. The mule owners try and talk you into a deal saying that the climb is arduous and the mule can take you to the Monastery in 30 minutes, instead of the 90 minutes trek. I braved on despite the constant approaches. However, at a point I found the steps too steep to climb. Faisal appeared with a 10 JD offer and I bargained it down to 5 JD. The ride on the mule was unlike any other I had experienced till date. I clung on for dear life and Faisal managed the mobile camera for me.

After a 20-minute ride he told me that the Monastery is just round the mountain bend and that I could get off there. Faisal knew where he should drop me off for the 5 JD bargain! It was a fairly long walk to the Monastery from there. I managed but was tired by the time I reached the Monastery. Also known as Ad Deir, the Monastery is one of the two main attractions of Petra and is the largest structure in the complex. The structure dates back to 2nd century AD. The main hall was later used as a Christian chapel with crosses carved into the rear wall. This is what gave the structure its name, Monastery.

The next stop for me would be the Qasr al-Bint. While on the way there I felt faint and thought I would not be able to move further. I took the help of another mule, whose driver promised that he would take me to the rest of the sites I wished to visit. At the Qasr al-Bint I dismounted and went to inspect the most important temple in Petra. The massive squarish monument is set on a podium reached by 26 marble steps. Even in its ruinous state the monument is 23 meters high. The temple, which dates back to the 1st century AD, is off limits for visitors.

On the way to the Byzantine church, I had a spectacular view of the Great Temple and the colonnaded street. By that time, I was not in a position to walk much, feeling faint and unsteady. The Byzantine church, possibly built during the 5th century is thought to have seen destroyed by a fire. The mosaic floor in the naves of the church tell the story of the significance of the church.

I continued the journey on the mule up to The Royal Tombs. These are magnificent facades adjacent to each other. The four structures are the Urn Tomb, the Silk Tomb, the Corinthian Tomb and the Palace Tomb. The Urn Tomb served as a church too during the Byzantine period in the 5th century AD. The magnificence of the tombs makes one wonder of the tools used in carving out these structures. By the side of the Royal Tombs is the start of the Al-Khubtha trail that leads to a view of the Treasury from the opposite side. After the tour of the Royal Tombs I took leave of the mule.

About ten minutes from the Royal Tombs is The Theatre, the only one in the world carved into the rock. It could accommodate 4000 spectators in three tiers of seats separated by three passageways and reached through seven stairways. About 10 minutes from The Theatre is the Street of Facades, which is a series of monumental Nabataean tombs carved on a cliff face. The details on the tombs are remarkable.

While exiting the Street of Facades I could hear loud shouts of admiration and exultation, which told me that the Treasury is close at hand. The magnificence of the structure, I was not prepared for. Also called Al-Khazana, it is rumored to conceal a Pharoah's treasure. The Treasury is said have been built around 1st century BC.

Then came the 1.2 km trail of The Siq. This narrow gorge is between the Petra visitors' entry and The Treasury. The Siq was formed by natural splitting of the mountain with two water channels running on both sides of the rock faces. By the time I exited The Siq, I was in no condition to move. I took rest for a while with those who transported visitors in horseback. The rest did not help me get to the Petra visitors' entry. I opted for a horse ride to reach the Petra visitors' center. The horse ride was tougher than the donkey ride. I barely managed to get back to the hotel. I was dehydrated, hungry and dead tired. The receptionist reminded me that I was 45 minutes past the checkout time. I had wanted to take some rest after a bath before driving to Jerash. That was not to be. I had a bath and vacated the room.

It was 280 km to Jerash from Petra, hotel to hotel. Had it not been for the traffic block near Amman, I would have made the trip in three and half hours, which ultimately took me four hours. The Desert Highway is an awesome road and responsible driving by all road users made the experience most enjoyable.

In Jerash, the accommodation is hosted by a private person, who received me on arrival. We chatted about the weather in Jerash and the rest of the north, where it snows in January. He told me to check out Umm Qais, if I had the time. Later when I was shown into the accommodation, I was mighty upset. It was nothing like that described in the booking.com site. Very ordinary and a bit unkempt, I thought. I had to wait and hour for the host to get me a towel!

The host has recommended a restaurant in the city for dinner. I ordered a roast chicken dish with fries. It looked a normal portion to me. The waiter had double checked with me before placing the order with the kitchen. But when the portion arrived, I knew why the waiter had double the order with me. First came the kuboos and ketchup. Then the main dish of a full chicken roast and fries was served with pickled veggies and mayonnaise. As if that was not enough, there were a massive rumali roti too. I was indeed very hungry. But I could not go beyond one fifth of the fare. I asked the waiter to pack the leftover; he gave me a smile as if he knew this was going to happen!