Hoofing it in Petra, Jordan

"It seems no work of man’s creative hand…from the rock as if by magic grown, eternal, silent, beautiful, alone… a rose-red city half as old as time." – John Burgon

The intricate design and high vaulted corridors of twisted rock had me convinced Petra was some sort of elaborate modern hoax. A fantasy world brought to fruition. It wasn’t until I had wandered the city streets myself that I began to process Petra as a reality; plainly panorama before me. Not for nothing this place is counted among the seven wonders of the world.

For five hours, we climbed, hiked and explored paths winding through rose-colored mountain facades carved millennia ago. And still, we saw only a fraction of a fraction. Petra is herculean; daunting; and brimming with bedouin shopkeepers and tables draped in handcrafted treasures.

Strange to call Petra a city in ruins; a small piece of history in suspension. It is impressive still, so much so that one can only imagine how spectacular it might have been before.