I have known about the existence of Petra only through the Indiana Jones movies before coming to the Middle East. Even before the trip, I did not realize how large Petra actually is. I always saw pictures on Facebook with people in front of the Treasury, the most famous sight in Petra. I did not realize that this city covering Wadi Musa for many kilometers.
After visiting the Treasury, I saw an alternative hike that led to the place of sacrifice on the top of the mountain. Seeing that very few people were on the hike, I decided to escape the crowds and take the road less traveled. On the way up, I met three fellow American teachers who currently work in Dubai. Two of the teachers are from NJ, and one graduated just one year before me at TCNJ. They are the first fellow New Jersians I have met in the Middle East. I finished the hike with them as we reminisced about our time at TCNJ.
I finished the day exploring Petra and taking a shared taxi three and a half hours back to Amman. In the morning, I was told the bus was full. I spent a large majority of my day unsure about how I would get back to the capital so I could catch my flight the next morning. At that point, I had figured out a lot of my transportation on the spot, so I figured I would be able to figure out the last leg of my journey without spending $100 USD on a taxi.
After arriving in Amman, I took the rest of the night off. The next morning, I visited the Citadel that lies in the center of Amman. It is elevated above the city and provides wonderful views of the Jordanian capital. It also contains many of the important historical sights that date back to the B.C. era. It definitely was not comparable to Petra, but it was a good way to kill a few hours before my flight.