PETRA IS AMAZING!!!

PETRA:

We were up and ready to go by 0830 for the short drive to the Petra Visitors Center/ Entrance. The weather is overcast and there were a few drops of rain. Here one get the ticket and runs a gauntlet of shops before the trail starts to descend toward the site. It is about 1K to the Siq entrance. The Siq in a natural entrance which runs 1.2 K to the site of the Treasury, made famous by one of  the Indiana Jones movies. At times, the Siq narrows to 3 meters wide and the cliffs tower 200 meters above. The elevation change from the Visitors Center to the bottom is in excess of 300 meters. 

The whole route into Petra is about 5-6K in and another 5-6K, out so a total walk of about 6 miles can be expected. The trail is downhill to the end and uphill on the way back. Yes, there are several modes of transport available, from horses to donkeys to a horse drawn cart. A one way trip in a horse drawn cart is $40. We chose to walk. 

Petra was is more than 2000 years old and it is not know when it was really built. The site prospered in the First Century with the trading of spices along the trade routes. An earthquake and changes in the Spice Trading Routes led to it being abandoned and only remembered by the Bedouins in the area. It was in 1812 a Swiss explorer Johannes Burkhardt rediscovered the site, dressing as an Arab to convince the Bedouins to guide him.  

One first passes Bab Al Siq, The entrance to the Siq. Here we see massive square blocks carved by the Nabateans in the first century. 

Next, one arrives at the SIQ, the narrow gorge which provides a dramatic entrance to the Treasury. 

The Treasury is the most recognized feature of Petra but there are many more features of note. 

Then one passes the Street of Facades, which are truly worth seeing, all carved from the sandstone with the colorful layers. 

The Theater, which can accommodate 4000 spectators, looms before you as you continue the journey. This theater was used for funerals by the Nabateans and then later the Romans used it for entertainment. 

Next, higher on the hillside, one sees the Royal Tombs.

Continue on to the Great Temple as you pass by the Nympheum ( a public fountain), till you end at the Qasr Al Bint,  the main temple in Petra. 

The weather turned and it started to rain and we decided to make the trip back to the entrance. Yes, the return is all up hill, a 300 meter elevation gain. The weather cleared a bit and we were able to get a few more pictures. 

We did stop at one shop near the  entrance and contributed to the local economy.  Back to the hotel where we sorted and downloaded photos and did some other chores.  

Yes the Bedouins still live in tents