I woke up before sunrise with the goal of getting some extensive hiking in while temperatures were still (somewhat) cool. By 6:30 I had entered the park, and began taking a side route that bypasses the heavily travelled main siq path.
Winding along barely marked trails, I was on the plateau above the deep gouges left by millennia of wind and water, allowing for wonderful views down on the sights seen the day before. As always, there were carved caves aplenty, lit by a slowly rising sun that had yet to creep over the distance hilltops.
Eventually I made it to the place of high sacrifice, a stop that needs little explanation to its purpose, and offers sweeping views of the eastern end of the former city. From here I descended twisting, winding, very steep steps almost 400 feet down to the wadi floor below.
The narrow valley was littered with old carved facades, impressive water collection and storage systems, and retaining walls to fill in the gaps nature had left. Most impressive and surreal was a room carved into a section of rock that had beautiful rainbows throughout.
From here I set my sights on my next target: The Monastery. A mile walk across the desert sands, now on full sun, had me begin my ascent up another branch of the wadi musa. Quickly the path becomes stairs, climbing over 800 feet as it winds up the canyon, lined with shopkeepers along the way. After another mile of climbing, I reached the spectacular building carved from the hilltop.
It was time to meet up with the rest of the crew at the treasury, so my time at the top was brief before descending all those stairs again. Another walk across the desert floor had me back in the first siq we had seen the day before, and rejoined in front of the treasury.
Sadly, that meant it was time to pack up and head back to Amman, for our last night in Jordan. Loaded up with snacks, we hit the road for the 3 hour drive back. More winding along desert highways eventually gave way to the familiar sights of the airport, then the suburbs, and then the city proper of Amman.
Abby and I set about last minute errands and washing all of our clothes before our final leg of the journey. Then it was time for one last dinner all together before heading to sleep.