How times have changed!

Some decades ago, on my initial visit to Petra, Jordan, I distinctly remember I ambled through the siq — a mile-or-so-long narrow opening in between gorges and cliffs — trekking the rough dirt road without any difficulties. And as we approached our holy grail of the trip, our paced walk became faster and faster in cadence, until we gleaned a tiny crack within the path ahead — which led us to the breathtaking view of the stunning Treasury.

Today, my travelling companions and I — all seniors, some more nimble than others, but everyone in high spirits — succumbed to the tempting offer of boarding a redesigned golf cart, in exchange for the once-upon-a-time attractive challenge of an adventurous hike. Though we now struggled with walking on uneven terrain, we were cheered by everyone on their way back — to believe them that it’s all worth it. But not when balance may be a problem, not to mention our wobbly knees.

Circling back, it was a sight to behold, similar to how I felt — complete with goosebumps, almost in disbelief — when I first sighted other imposing landmarks around the world. I recall we were instructed to close our eyes, then were led through the bustling crowd. Upon orders to finally peek, in front of our eyes, as our jaws dropped, was the bittersweet Taj Mahal of Agra, India. Another was the Great Wall of China, which slowly greeted us with its immensity as we ascended on a platform.

It was the same astonishing feeling when I gazed at the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, while I slowly sipped on my morning coffee on the veranda of The Sheraton in busy Cairo.

To add to the sterling list — other astounding scenes comprised of the always-looming Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, being greeted by the Sydney Opera House in Australia as I drew the drapes of my hotel room window, or driving in darkness to finally be amazed by the Angkor Wat in Cambodia during sunrise. And let’s not forget our very own steep climb towards the mountains of Sagada and the terrifying chopper ride to showcase the grandeur of the Banaue Rice Terraces to two globally leading travel editors.

Today, Petra belongs to this exclusive list of revered locales that have taken the breaths away of many a traveler. In fact, it has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is now included as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

A three-hour drive from the capital Amman, Petra served as a link for camel caravans between the Mediterranean and Arabian seas, and connected Egypt, Syria and Greece together as part of the Spice Route.

Through the centuries, this area has been covered up once again by sand and forgotten