Petra, also known asย the Rose City, was established by the Nabataeans as their capital city a whopping 2,300 years ago and has been on my travel bucket list for a long time. Of course it was my first (and sort of only) stop in Jordan, and it certainly did not disappoint! It may even have been worth the hefty entrance fee – 50 JD (70 USD) for one day, 55 JD for two, and 60 JD for three.
Alicia, Danielle, Alejandra, and I spent two days exploring Petra, with lots of photos to prove it!
Step 1: Start chatting with the local Bedouin guys. We did this buy asking them to give us donkey rides up the 900 steps to Petra’s famous monastery for 5 JD.
We felt a little bad riding up on donkeys while most of the tourists we passed hiking up were at least sixty years old, but riding on the donkeys as they tripped up the steep climb to the monastery was terrifying enough to make us feel at least 20% badass to the 80% lazy (we were also pressed for time as Alicia was catching a bus to Amman!).
The Bedouin guys living in Petra seem to have a pretty ideal life. It’s a little what I imagine being a cowboy in the Wild West must have been like: they live cheaply and mostly tax free, spend their days riding around donkeys and flirting with women, and at night, at least according to them, they “party like you wouldn’t believe!”
Okay, maybe their situation is a little more complicated than that. But when the owner of the donkey I was riding told me his mother was Australian and I asked him if he had ever wanted to move to Australia he looked at me incredulously: “Why? Life is good here, and everything is free!”
Okay, so on toย Step 2: Actually, there is no step two. Talk to a Bedouin and he will ask you to be his girlfriend, or at least find a friend who will take you. He might even offer to marry you, especially as they can have multiple wives, as long as they treat them each equally. It worked for Marguerite!
Though if you’re going to do the long distance thing with your new Bedouin boyfriend, be forewarned that he might be contacting you every once and a while for a bit of support money. You know, like if his donkey gets sick or something.
Our new Bedouin friends told us that several of their friends had gotten a lot of money from foreign women who had met them while visiting Petra. They mentioned one guy who had gotten 70,000 JD (100,000 USD) from a long distance flame, while another had received 200,000 JD (280,000 USD) from a seventy year old Russian woman.
Most of our new friends seemed to sense that we weren’t exactly sugar mama material, so they didn’t press too hard with us. Well, most except Mahmoud, who followed us around for days like a very charming puppy, mysteriously popping up wherever we went.
Eventually he disappeared, and we heard that he had found a couple of blonde girls who were maybe better sugar mama material. We just hope they didn’t actually follow him to that cave in the mountains… dangerous much?
Hayley says
Reminds me of the boys in Bali! It’s a good confidence booster when you can’t remember how many guys have proposed to you! ๐ But…I would follow them into a cave either!
Hayley says
I would NOT follow them into a cave haha. Why do I always miss the most important words!
Silvia says
Haha glad you corrected that to NOT following them! Seriously though, they can be pretty charming so I can imagine some women liking the attention and falling for it. Sort of scary…
kami says
that’s one of the reasons why I didn’t like Petra all that much. It was way too touristy for me and after half an hour or so I was already annoyed with guys who kept asking all the same questions (but some of them were nice).
it just keeps amusing me how stupid some women are… ๐
Corinne says
Sylvia, Did you read “Married to a Bedouin”? I like to travel and rough it, but I don’t like it in my everyday life…a little spoiled here.
Silvia says
I haven’t read it, but it sounds really interesting! The guys in Petra were saying that Queen Elizabeth even came to visit her? But no, I don’t think I could live that way either, ha.
Silvia says
Yeah, itโs crazy to think that some women have sent them so much money! I agree though, Petra was overwhelmingly touristy, especially after coming from a nearly tourist-free Egypt.
Lale Gil says
They can be pretty charming! Although we were a little annoyed by Mahmoud’s unexpected mood swings and sudden appearances. I was really hoping to see him before leaving Petra. Mahmoud wherever you are I miss you and I want to walk barefoot with you.
Silvia says
Haha I miss Mahmoud too. I guess his charms almost worked on us!
Katie says
Your post cracked me up! I typically travel with my hubby, so I have yet to receive any foreign proposals, unfortunately. It’s good to know that if we ever split up, I would have options in Petra ๐ Lovely pictures!!
Silvia says
Thanks, Katie! And glad I could give you that bit a reassurance, haha.
Vanessa @ The Travelling Colognian says
What a hilarious post, Silvia! Petra is definitely on the list of places I am interested to visit. I am actually not looking for a Bedouin boyfriend as I have a boyfriend at home, but I guess, meeting Mahmoud would be entertaining. I could imagine how you felt when riding up the 900 steps to Petraโs famous monastery. When hiking the Tiger Leaping Gorge trek in Yunnan, China last November I hired a mule for the 28 bends, the steepest part oft it. I felt horrendous because of the mule and its owner struggling up while I was sitting on the mule more or less comfortably, but my chinese guide who has hired a mule himself as well, said that I was doing something good for them because with my money his family could buy their daily needs.
Silvia says
Yeah, I felt the same having porters carry my stuff in Nepal, but it is their job and they need the business! Jealous you went to the Tiger Leaping Gorge! I didn’t have time when I was in Yunnan last year. Someday though!
Illia says
Haha! This is funny, yet so sad. I’ve been to a lot of places in Asia (no Middle East though), and the attitude of men toward women is everywhere the same. If you are a woman – you are an object of millions of men’s eyes around you, if you are white – means you are rich – men are like magnets. It can be a heaven for nymphos and sugar mama material :), but also some big pain in the ass for most women, haha ๐
Bianca @itsallbee says
Such a funny post! I have stopped count of how many weird and crazy marriage proposals I have received on my travels. Its always amusing even when you are not having have the best day on your travels.
Celyn says
interesting read! your photos are all so gorgeous..I’ve been dying to go to Petra for the longest time!
styleandchocolates.blogspot.com
Silvia says
Petra definitely lived up to all the hype!
Jenny says
Great pics! Did you go to Petra on your own or with a tour group?
Silvia says
Thanks! I went there on my own, which was really easy. We stayed at a local hostel and just bought the entry tickets ourselves, which was a lot cheaper than traveling there with a tour group.
Keane says
Beautiful photos, Silvia! Glad you didn’t get trapped in the partycave.
Carrie @Two Small Potatoes says
Like Katie, I usually travel with my husband, so no wedding proposals for me (or so I hope that’s the reason.) The cave proposal was a giant red flag even before Mahmoud’s mood swings came to light!
ุจุดูุฑ ู ููุงูู says
I was working in Petra and visited several times in fact a wonderful city and beautiful and conciliatory because of the large amount of the fee to enter you have a beautiful experience with the people there and I hope you have a positive impression of the region and its people and Jordan in general
best wishes
shaker says
as Jordanian am really sad to hear about the annoying guys in Petra, i can say am a bit shocked after reading this article, didn’t know we have all of this hidden in the desert
Traveller says
habibi shaker, I am surprised you are surprised. I guess you never intervened on the dishonorable scumbags in the street who regularly harass women in every large city, be it amman or irbid. Do you walk with your eyes and ears closed? I myself have intervened multiple times. I have even choked a fellow who was fighting with a woman, while some 15 men watched aimlessly looking on.
I am happy you seem concerned in your comment. I appreciate your concern.
Melissa says
I hope more women write blogs like this one because it warns women about these guys.
I read some accounts online by women who got involved in relationships with them.
Apparently, they are very good ij bed and have a way of making women think a relationship with them is possible, but as one woman said it is a case of ‘no romance without finance’. Also, I read that some of the guys can get very abusive if you don’t know when to cut your losses by cutting them off.
Those women made a facebook page to support each other and warn other women. I forget what it is called.
johnny says
I am from Jordan, and all I want is a blonde loyal girlfriend, tho am not from petra. But am sure I can love
jordanmaster04 at g mail.com