On a spectacularly clear and warm morning in late November 2019 I was sitting on the ledge of ancient cut rock, still cool from the desert night. I had found a secluded vantage point that served up, panoramically, one of Petra’s most incredible monuments. An early start and an efficient hour-long climb meant that I had this world-famous heritage site to myself… for a short while! Nothing quite prepares you for the massive towering facade of The Monastery, it is simply breathtaking and still hard to articulate.
I had hiked well over 50km of Petra, which barely touched the sides, absorbing everything I could in the little time I had. The feel of the sand, which is heavy yet fine, the touch of the dry air on the skin and in my lungs, the smoothness of the ancient carved stones. Imagining the early Nabateans creating and carving the “Lost City”, one of the world’s most ingenious architectural sites. Seeing the city bear the marks of geographical, cultural and religious changes, through historical conquering and mother nature. The very essence of Petra talks to you intimately, independently, and on that beautifully clear warm morning, sitting on that ancient rock I felt this.
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