Pretty in Petra: Jordan Part 2

Jordan day two fulfilled Indiana Jones dreams. As per usual, I dressed for the adventure, and was ready to take on the day. In the vain of Mr. Jones, I wore my tan floppy hat and a button up top. To snazz it up, I added some pops of color with my burnt orange culottes and Oscar De la Renta paisley scarf tied in a bow. To top it all off, I put on my Topshop backpack. A fashion forward explorer cannot put her gear in anything less than an edgy leather sack, am I right?

With my adventure attire on, I set off into the desert with my travel companions. We saw gorgeous rock formations that juxtaposed the tall industrial buildings that I am used to walking by in London. There is something so flawless in the imperfect nature of these boulders because they are untouched by man besides the inscriptions ancient civilizations have marked them with. After walking a couple miles, the rocks revealed the pinnacle landmark of the desert jewel that is Petra: The Treasury. It is no wonder that it’s one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The sight of it is breathtaking, and let me tell you, seeing it surrounded by camels and donkeys and flanked by bazaars was a sight that was absolutely breathtaking.

Even though I did not manage to find the Holy Grail like Indiana, I found something equally as priceless on that day in Petra. However, it would take more than a couple miles of walking to find this treasure. The real treasure was not in the treasury, but at the top of the dessert, eight miles up. Yes, the journey was quite the trek. I do not know if I would be able to withstand the physical activity under the scorching sun if it were not for the delicious food and many glasses of water I had beforehand. Nevertheless the company I had on my way up as well as the views made the journey enjoyable. Oh, and the destination made it all worth it. We reached the very top of Petra, where a lookout labeled “best view in all of Petra” was waiting for us.

At this lookout came the glorious sounds of foreign song, of first Italian then Arabic tongues. The people singing asked us where we were from. Once they discovered we were from America, they asked us to sing something American. My friend Mallory and I paid homage to our nation and sang none other than the “Star Spangled Banner.” Following us, the Italians and Jordanians sang their national anthems while raising their flags. Those fifteen minutes on that mountain transcended all the conflicts of race in the world. It was a euphonic blend of cultures. It seemed as though the world was less complicated than we imagined. For through song, we celebrated our differences and bonded over the shared pride of our nations. It made me wonder, if the rest of the world could hear us from that mountain, would they start singing too? Maybe we could all contribute to the musical of life and bring about peace together.

Keeping it Krischic,

Kristin Vartan