“Have you voted for Petra?” my aunt asked me the other day.
And it suddenly hit me… I didn’t!!
So today, when I ran across the ad that I see every single morning, I actually looked closer, got the number, and voted! I’m so proud of Petra, but for some reason, I’m not as proud that I voted.
I think it would be awesome for Petra to be recognized for the majestic world wonder that it is. It makes me blissfully happy every time someone not from here tells me how much they loved Petra. But – yes there’s a “BUT” – there’s just something about text-message voting that turns me off. It’s just one of those dreadfully abused trends of our time, and in my opinion, a misinterpretation of “power of the people”. A unique historical site, an epitome of a past civilization’s greatness and genius, should not derive its value from the quantity of messages that a small country’s populations can muster! I don’t know… that’s just how I feel.
That said, Dave asked the right question in a recent post about the topic; “How many times have you been to Petra?” As an American living in Jordan, he notes, quite rightly, that most Jordanians he knows have never been to it. I remember in our school days, it wasn’t a favorite destination for the long-awaited annual trip because it was deemed “too exhausting”. It’s a shame! Although I did get the chance to go twice with my family years ago, I still feel I should go again and explore further, especially when I read what someone like Ruth writes on her Jordan Jubilee Website (which, by the way, is awesome, and has great tips for the hiking-trekking-camping lovers).
There was a campaign by the Ministry of Tourism last year to encourage locals to visit Petra, with transportation provided, alongside reduced rates on hotels. I wonder how effective it was and whether or not it achieved the desired outcomes. It seems to me that whenever there’s a holiday, people head to the Dead Sea or Aqaba rather than Petra, probably because, let’s face it, for the most part, challenging physical exercise is not quite people’s idea of a holiday.
So, back to voting for Petra; yes we do want it to have a higher and more proclaimed status as a world-destination, and to be a bigger source of national income. But I’d say that regardless of the final vote count, a good outcome of this fervent campaign would be for us Jordanians to realize that we just can’t keep taking this treasure for granted. It’s visiting Petra, rather than voting for it, that should be a national duty.
And it suddenly hit me… I didn’t!!
So today, when I ran across the ad that I see every single morning, I actually looked closer, got the number, and voted! I’m so proud of Petra, but for some reason, I’m not as proud that I voted.
I think it would be awesome for Petra to be recognized for the majestic world wonder that it is. It makes me blissfully happy every time someone not from here tells me how much they loved Petra. But – yes there’s a “BUT” – there’s just something about text-message voting that turns me off. It’s just one of those dreadfully abused trends of our time, and in my opinion, a misinterpretation of “power of the people”. A unique historical site, an epitome of a past civilization’s greatness and genius, should not derive its value from the quantity of messages that a small country’s populations can muster! I don’t know… that’s just how I feel.
That said, Dave asked the right question in a recent post about the topic; “How many times have you been to Petra?” As an American living in Jordan, he notes, quite rightly, that most Jordanians he knows have never been to it. I remember in our school days, it wasn’t a favorite destination for the long-awaited annual trip because it was deemed “too exhausting”. It’s a shame! Although I did get the chance to go twice with my family years ago, I still feel I should go again and explore further, especially when I read what someone like Ruth writes on her Jordan Jubilee Website (which, by the way, is awesome, and has great tips for the hiking-trekking-camping lovers).
There was a campaign by the Ministry of Tourism last year to encourage locals to visit Petra, with transportation provided, alongside reduced rates on hotels. I wonder how effective it was and whether or not it achieved the desired outcomes. It seems to me that whenever there’s a holiday, people head to the Dead Sea or Aqaba rather than Petra, probably because, let’s face it, for the most part, challenging physical exercise is not quite people’s idea of a holiday.
So, back to voting for Petra; yes we do want it to have a higher and more proclaimed status as a world-destination, and to be a bigger source of national income. But I’d say that regardless of the final vote count, a good outcome of this fervent campaign would be for us Jordanians to realize that we just can’t keep taking this treasure for granted. It’s visiting Petra, rather than voting for it, that should be a national duty.
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