We get up early the next morning and enter, as most tourists do, through the Siq, a narrow gorge that is just a few meters wide in some places. The early start rewards with a tour bus-free first impression of the Treasury. We arrive just in time to catch the first rays of the sun as they strike the celebrated monument, its façade looking almost as pristine as the day it was carved 2 000 years ago.
The Treasury’s two-story façade with its intricate Greek-inspired columns would still be awe-inspiring amidst selfie-sticks and bus tours, but we find ourselves eerily alone, sharing the moment with a few camels and a few other keen souls. While the air is still cool, we explore the Nabataean tombs, amphitheaters and the High Place of Sacrifice, a well-preserved site was built atop Jebel Madbah with drains to channel the blood of sacrificial animals.
The solitude of the Jordan Trail allowed us to be in the moment. Other than the occasional goat herder or group of children, we rarely saw other people. That said, it is the people that we met along the way that made the experience so special. As we were saying goodbye to Petra, we pass a Bedouin woman in their souvenir stall. We politely decline to buy any trinkets, but as we walk away she kindly offers us tea for our onward journey. It is this kindness that makes Jordan such a wonderful place to visit.
