Up early, I am actually woken by a chap stood by his car which he oddly has parked at the back of our trailer. Nothing to worry about, but with a full empty massive carpark he had plenty to places to choose from. We quickly get ready and head over to the entrance for 6am. We do not have our ticket as we understood that UAE residents get a discount. We are first inline to counter 1- and single-line form behind us. Then do you believe it, counter 2 opens and disappointingly the crowd surges to the counter without a care of us. Rude, as would you believe it American, I am starting to be upset with my American cousins.
We are not too fussed as we head back long the path in the dark. This time no candles but the sun is teasing the horizon and by the time we are back at the Treasury, the sun has risen. We are met by a plethora of gentlemen who all offer special tours to the special places that you any go bless you pay extra. We say no thanks to many but a nicer chap offers and we start up a precarious slip to the ledge overlooking the ancient Treasury facade. The photos snapped we carry in the path with an objective to be ahead of the main crowd and get to the end of the world cafe for coffee.
Then they loom, all 866 steps to the Monastery winding through the cliffs. The path is also lined with various stalls selling trinkets and scarfs. We are half way and actually start chatting to a woman on her way to work at her stall. By the time we get to her stall she has invited us for tea. She beckons us to sit and drink a rather delicious sage tea brewed in a pot that has been used on her small open fire a thousand times before. We know this is a ploy to get us to buy something but it was worth it and some amazing photos with the grandmother just fixed the deal.
Pushing on further we finally make it to the end of the world cafe. It is pitched on top of the highest point of the walk and looks back toward the start with a stunning view of the valley below and the highest mount in Petra across the way the tomb of Aaron brother of Moses, known by Muslims as Haron, hence its name Jabal Haron or Aaron’s mountain.
Our host is a perfect Jack Sparrow lookalike and is most gracious in welcoming us and making us comfortable with, yes, the best cup of coffee I have had in Jordan to date. We relax on the cushions and with only us and an Italian brother and sister who we strike up conversation with and share lunch. The sun is warm and even though it felt like hours it is only 1pm as we headed back. What a great day!
When we left the main site, we went around the Petra Museum one last time and then decided to head off to our next camp spot.
We leave heading up hill again and arrive at the Eco camp A-Nawatef near Dana Nature Reserve located on top of a stunning view of a valley and get to see another super sunset. The camp was small but offered us stay and dinner for a ridiculous low price so how could we say no and it also came with a warm and cozy majlis المجلس. This was busy with walkers that come for some of the super walking routes around Petra and we get speaking to a family based in Bahrain and a British couple. It was a fun conversation about travel and adventure, plus retiring to travel which always interests me.