Petra

Hello Indiana Jones. Petra is amazing.

I had no idea it was so vast or so interesting.

THe hike in through all the canyons is astounding. I thought at every corner we would be coming out into the valley where the Treasurey was, but no. Its got to be atleast a mile opf canyons. When you do finally get a glimpse of the Treasury through a crack in the canyon exit, it takes your breath away. Undescribable.

The little valley there is packed with people and we are there at 7:30am. Got way more crowded in the afternoon. The Treasury facade which you see in my picuters is actually a facade for a burial chamber. There is a small room behind it, very disappointing. I thought there would be some great cavernous trail of rooms and pathways, but therte isn't. All of Petra is a burial site (memorials) for the Neabeatians. They never lived there. Later on the Romans came and built an amphitheater, etc. and did live/work there for a period.

My greatest moment was ahike to the top of the Sacrificial Peak. 750 steps to the top and overlooked the valley below and for miles around. (I see my pictures are sort of going backwards, sorry).

Signa rode up to the top by donkey (a death defying feat) but got off half way up because it was so scary, and sat with a Bedouin woman and had tea until I came back for her and helped her down. The walk back through the canyon to the bus took us forever. We were to meet at a certain time and if we weren't there, we would ned to catch a cab back to ur hotel. Well I left Signa behind so I could hurry ahead and tell them to wait, she was coming, but the canyons were never ending. Finally, I emerged at the top and saw our guide. He said everyone was here and wanted to wait for us, so they would wait. I went back to look for Signa and she was coming up the hill (its 85 degrees of hot beating desert sun, no breeze, up hill walk) with two Jordanian girls holding either arm helping her the last bit of the way. When I got to her to guide her back to the bus she said "I moved my ass as fast as its ever gone. And then I ran some." I'm still laughing.