Petra via Wadi Muthlim

On my second day I decided to make my entrance to Petra via the exciting scramble Wadi Muthlim slot canyon. At times narrower than my shoulders and requiring various degrees of acrobatic ability, it is not frequent by the throng that wander the Siq. All of these features appealed to me and the one couple that I saw.

The canyon eventually widens out not far from the Royal Tombs. Emboldened by this experienced, I set off up some steps with no real idea of where they went. I thought I would just walk up for a bit to see what I could see. After a significantly longer ascent than I had envisaged, I was rewarded with the most magnificent elevated view of the Treasury. I could take in the magical detail of the facade, only mildly aware of the din that was emanating from far below me.

I realised at this point, that my hopes for a second climb to the Monastery, to take in the late afternoon light, were now out of the question. I had already walked further in a day and half than I would have thought possible and I wanted to be able to enjoy my pending visit to the Wadi Rum. Instead, I lunched in the shade of a Royal Tomb, had tea after exploring the Great Temple, wandered past the Theatre and savoured one last trip through the Siq, just in time to enjoy a (well earned) beer before the shuttle whisked me back to the hotel.

Some of the colours in the rocks are so remarkable that it would be worthy of a second visit (from wherever I happened to be at the time) to experience Petra after rain