The Return of The King...

water capture feature at High Place of Sacrifice

Yesterday Wadi Musa rejoiced with the visit of King Abdullah II. He spent 3+ hours with many an adoring subject that was ready to royally greet him. As The Jordan Times noted:“His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday underlined the need to preserve national unity and to refrain from any behaviour or action that might harm social cohesion.”   http://www.jordantimes.com/index.php?news=35907  It is often noted to us that 99% of the population love their King and reject calls for a constitutional monarchy. Meanwhile in Petra Archaeological Park, despite wonderful springtime weather, it was the slowest day visitation-wise in the past fortnight. This gave time to reflect on the population of 2,000 years ago: they had water works, piping water to this city-of-trade, but where was their food produced? Much like other metro areas that supported populations beyond their carrying capacity during times of plenty via importation, it was not sustainable (can you say “Chaco” or Los  Angeles?)

Guess who is coming to dinner?

This has been a very interesting, challenging and fulfilling week working with field Park Rangers at Petra with issues of unauthorized uses (concession stands, donkeys, child street vendors) being foremost. Many Rangers will not wear the uniform, for a variety of reasons. This makes it very hard for visitors to identify them (unfortunately), and of course they are well known by the violators, so it is a work-in-progress. I've enjoyed getting to know many of the very hospitable people here (truly a treasured resource). We’d heard that King Abdullah II of Jordan (was a USC Trojan) was coming to Wadi Musa (WM) on Thursday, and flags were flying all over. However, WM had to settle for rain, snow and fog instead that day. The Dalai Lama Foundation's Center for Peace & Education visited the area, and it is hoped that he will visit before long in the future. We went to a night on-the-beach in Aqaba during our days off. Our amigo Fred Woehl (aka "Cowboy Fred") that has been working with the horse program here is headed home…

viaje con Dios Fred...

It has been a busy week at Wadi Musa...

Last night Bill, Bruce, Fred & I were invited to a Bedouin BarBQ. It was an idyllic setting near Little Petra, hosted by 4 gentlemen associated with the Petra equine program.  It was a unique & wonderful experience: sharing food (chicken, onions, potatoes & fresh greens) and companionship under a near-full moon, tucked among a rocky alcove on mats & pillows. The night sky was fantastic, and as I refleced on our 1st week at Petra I thought about the many millennia of use and cultural practices in the area: Paleo-hunter-gatherer to today. We have visted many of the visitor destination features of this incredible area: The Shiq, Al-Khazneh (Treasury), Theatre, many tombs, Colanaded Street, Ad-Deir (Monastery), High Place of Sacrifice, and many other places - like hiking to narrows of Al-Muthlim Tunnel and then up a high trail overlooking the Al-Khazneh (that a fraction of visitors take). The sites and monuments are spectacular, but the story here has always been the people.This week we met government officials from the Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority, Jordan Tourism Board (North America Director), Siyaha (Jordan Tourism Development Project II, Park Rangers, horsemen, tour guides, shop owners, street vendors, craftspeople, and of course the most essential component of bringing this city of trade back to life: visitors. At 1st, this Park Ranger was shocked by the many unauthorized activities occurring- shops, vendors and donkeys galore. It seemed like "money changers in the temple" to me, but I came to realize my western perspective was at work. I found a new appreciation for the efforts and works of our ancestors. What better way to celebrate the heritage they have bestowed than bringing some vitality of their works back to life: better than empty cold stone monuments. Can you imagine what this was like during its zenith with 20,000 people population the area? As I look down at the Theatre and Colannaded Street I imagine a well populated vibrant market place as well 2,000 years ago. Today's vendors and shop owners help recreate this link with the past; of course some Roman organization and order would be appropriate to. Let me know if there is a subject you'd like addressed. The Nabataeans were worshippers of water, and master hydro-engineers, so next time I thought I'd reflect-on-that...

Theatre

Ad-Deir area

interesting travel link with some good additonal photos of Petra:
http://www.toddswanderings.com/2010/12/petra-jordan-tour.html

Getting there (worth it!)

as salaam AHlaykum (Good Day). Please hide to young & innocent: here is a shot of three intrepid travel Rangers: National Park Service Rangers (r to l) Bruce McKeeman, Bill Wade & self in the Al-Sig approaching Al-Khazneh (Treasury) on Sunday afternoon (13 MAR). This is only the beginning of several days of orientation adventures; we'll be working with Rangers at Petra for next 7+ weeks. Laptop woes working to limit picture-posts, but will try to have many more soon, insallah...

at Al-Khazneh: The Treasury

Landscape: Al-Siq from above

Getting Ready for Petra

Horse Valley - Petra, Jordan. Beginning of the day... Fred Woehl 

I've taken many years off from my travel blog posts (remember New Zealand?), but feel my 8-week work assignment at Petra Archaeological Park in Jordan is just the ticket to reacquaint myself with this venue.
Those of you familar with my Facebook page have seen the photo of me in National Park Service dress jacket wearing the Young family tartan in front of Stirling Castle at International Ranger Federation World Congress- I'm looking out over the landscape wondering what William Wallace was thinking before the Battle of Stirling Bridge. That was then, today I wonder how we can help preserve Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: http://www.petrapark.com/
"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go..." It has been a long time ('75) since that young warrior seeking his path did a sun dance near the Little Bighorn River... time for another trip along-the-trail...

11 MAR 2011: The big bird to O'Hare (then Amman) awaits, and I've been asked by family, friends & collegaues what I'll be doing for 8-weeks in Petra. I'll be humbly helping, as I can, using my knowledge, skills & abilities to help with heritage preservation, visitor use, and through that of course economic development. Whether at fires (like Yellowstone in '88), post-Katrina "Nawlins" or this assignment this Burbank HS Bulldog and Humboldt State Lumberjack has ALL of you to thank for bits-n-pieces of the journey, and of course Meme for the big-chunks of patience she has afforded me over the decades. Amigos, talk to you from Petra.

"Don't touch my bags if you please Mr. Custom's Man..." 1st impressions often stick and Jordan seems like a civil and reasonable country: 1st- probably due to transporting farrier tools in I got to have a longer-than-normal conversation at Customs; noticed I had the book HERO (about T.E. Lawrence) and we both agreed that he was British & dead. They questioned my having two pair of binoculars and were bout to have Security Officers involved when some paperwork showing the items were for Petra Archaeological Park (PAP) did the trick and saved-the-night. 2nd- many public restrooms here still have attendants.

13 MAR 2011 Sunrise over Wadi Masu ("Valley of Moses") was somewhat after the call-to-prayer: both gorgeous. My trusty ol' laptop is unable to boot-up (kinda like me sometimes) and hopefully I'll be able to continue these updates... inshallah (God willing)... scheduled to meet with Director of PAP at noon.