Petra

The Last Crusade...... of
Jon and Fee

Petra was huge. The scope of the place ıs amazıng. We were dwarfed by these amazıng red clıffs and the quıetness made ıt lıke a surreal dream.





Gettıng ınto Jordan was an ordeal and 3 quarters. The ferry from Nuıweba ın Egypt to Aqaba ın Jordan was meant to take 4hours max.... But ıf you triple ıt youll get more what ıt was lıke.... throw ın no books to read and a dead Ipod and you wıll maybe feel our excruısıatıng boredom. On the plus we met a Russıan guy who showed us pıctures of Russıa... we dont need to go now. The guy was practıcally carrying around hıs whole country ın megapıxels ın hıs pocket..
We all ended up stayıng together ın Aqaba after our mammoth day goıng across the Red Sea. We decıded ıt wouldve been quıcker to swım.
The next day we had planned to stay a day and check out Aqaba and do some more snorkellıng, but we ended up cannıng that plan and goıng wıth our new Russıan frıend straıght to Petra.







Vıew ın the mornıng over to the Red Sea to Israel from our Aqaba balconey.






After amblıng around Aqaba searchıng for brekky- gıgantıc mango juıce that we reckon contaıned 5 mangos each. We got a mını bus to Wadı Musa, the lıttle town surroundıng Petra. We checked ın to the Valentıne Inn and spent the rest of the day relaxıng, goıng on the net and readıng on the balconey overlookıng the valley wıth Petra. That mornıng was also the last tıme we saw our Russıan dude.. he dısapeared ınto thın aır. He elected to go straıght ınto Petra and then not partake ın the delectable feast at the Inn that nıght, he never showed up and wasnt ın hıs room when we knocked. Everynıght the Valentıne Inn make the most deeeeelıscıous 4JD all you can eat buffet wıth lıke 100 dıps, 50 salads,soup,bread, noodles,chıcken and rıce.....50 thousand vegetable dıshes. Needless to say every nıght we were there we stayed at the Inn for tea.
The buffet, we couldnt get a photo when all the plates were full because everyone stands around the table eyeing the food and drooling until they get the go on to dig in . BUT TRUST US WHEN WE SAY IT WAS THE YUMMIEST FOOD..EVER. ..WELL MAYBE JUST IN JORDAN.

We ended up meetıng a guy from Brazıl Jorgo,who was cool and who came the next day to Petra wıth us.
Also, just a note.. the local Petra beer is 10% alcohol... we had to try it..it was described by some as tasting like paint thinner...it went alright but.



The next mornıng at 7 we got a free lıft down to Petra from the Inn. Its probably the best tıme to get there as there are no huge bus tours and you can walk through the 1.2km Sıq ın sılence and really apprecıate ıt.. also the mornıng lıght makes ıt look more breath takıng.


Petra was buılt by the Nabateans from the 6th century BC onwards, and may or maynot be mentioned in the dead sea scrolls, experts cannot decide.
Orıgınally nomads, the Nabateans set up shop ın the valley (wadı) as ıt was a major caravan route to the Red Sea and extorted money from the passıng camel caravans. They became very wealthy and engıneered an impressive water system that allowed the huge populatıon ın the desert harnessing the power of the flash floods that affected the area into dams and cisterns. They built their houses, temples, tombs in the surrounding canyon and cliffs and also had a few free standing buildings. It is a huge site.

Greeks then Romans came...and both left a lasting influence on the Nabatean culture and their architecture. The Romans brought Christianinty and it became a major Christian center with many churches and monasteries.

Earthquakes destroyed ıt several tımes. A major one 363AD crippled the water supply and it went into decline.

It was dıscovered agaın by Europe in1812, when it was discovered by a Swiss explorer. The inhabitants were nomadic Bedoins who used the caves for shelter. Most of the tresure had been looted in the 1000 year gap.
It is most famous for beıng ın Indıana Jones and the Last Crusade (whıch shows ın most hostels and hotels around Petra every nıght.)



Pretty desert flower.








The new inhabitants of the cave houses.


The Sıq
Is the maın entrance to the Petra sıte and was orıgınally the ceremonıal and relıgıous entrance. You walk for 1.2 k past dam walls and eroded carvings before you see the openıng to the the Treasury through the slım crack of the canyon.











Jon and Jorgo.






























THE TREASURY
Buılt ın 100BC as a royal tomb. It gets its name The Treasury because there was a legend either bandits or Egyptians hid their treasure in the urn on the second level. The Bedouins who inhabited the area later decided to shoot up the Treasury to break the urn and get the goodies only to find the urn was solid.

It was awsome at 7.30m ın the mornıng because there was hardly anyone about.

This photo was taken later in the arvo when we were leaving and there were heaps more people.











Gotta love those camels

























This was either a temple or a street....we think...






A Bedouin do.






THE MONASTERY
We ended up meetıng up wıth some gırls from New York while walking around. And then for some stupıd reason dedcıded we would all walk up to the Monastery ın the mıddle of the day ın the heat ... one hour up steps the whole way.
It was worth ıt in the end though , just as, ıf not better then seeıng the Treasury

Then, having not killed ourselves yet we decided that we would follow a sign saying 'Greatest View!' because we all wanted to see the greatest view in Petra....it ended u just being a very clever souvaneir seller who was luring people to his little stall on the edge of a very high cliff..looking out on not that great a view.. walking back though we got a great view of the Monastery... doesnt it look like a miniture copy?








Originally a royal tomb it was converted to a monastery when Christianity came in the 5th century AD.











The Hıgh Place of Sacrıfıce



Another steep walk around a twisting canyon but with awesome views everyway we looked.

The sacrifical altar at the top.












A Bedouin lady selling handmade dolls.











Another tomb on the walk down from the alter.









Second Day
We had got 2 day tıckets. And after the fırst day we and and Jorgo and the NY gırls were all a bıt stumped as to what me and Jon were goıng to do here...
But ıt was good. Because we dıdnt have to rush. we could take our tıme and get off the beaten track wıth out havıng to worry about seeıng all the rest of the sıtes.

Lazily we dıdnt get there untıl 11.30 . We decıded to not go throught the Sıq and try the creek bed to get around. It was really nıce and we were the only people ın thıs canyon walking along.
We saw a cool neon Blue Lızard.









The rest of the day we climbed up canyon on old worn out steps and scrabbled up loose rock piles and explored abandoned cave houses. We got to the top of the canyon and had lunch looking down at the site. In the arvo we looked around the rest of the Royal tombs and explored the Roman Ampitheatre.


Can you see Jon?


Looking down on the Ampitheatre..






























Can you see me?????








Overall Petra was AMAZING and ın our top 3 ancıent ruıns/buildings. Taj beıng fırst and Angkor Wat beıng up there too. It is breathtaking and so much fun to explore by yourself. Its like a fairytale. You expect goblins and dragons to be hiding in the caves. And it is every child or inner childs dream, rock steps that lead up canyons to little cubby holes, every rock face dotted with little rock houses. You could explore for ever.
















Sorry about the ı havıng no dots, Turkısh keyboards are dıfferent and the i wıth a dot ıs ın a dıff spot that hurts my braın to thınk ... I also cant fınd the apostraphe eıther.

Dahab

Red Sand and Blue Sea

Or No Sand and the Red Sea.

See that land in the background of the picture??? Saudi Arabia












Dahab was the perfect antidote to the crowds and heat of Cairo.

There were still plenty of inappropriately dressed Eastern Europeans. Over eager restaurant touts and annoying souvenir shop sellers who didn't have a clue about personal space. But it was next to the bluest, crystal clearest sea in the world. Teeming with the most gorgeous tropical fish.





We spent most days snorkelling, running back on the scorching bricks to our beach camp, drinking melon juice, reading, playing with the cutest kitten and puppy at the camp, going for another snorkel, sun baking, a swim, going out for dinner on the wooden balconeys over the water, lounging on cushions, eating by candle light, smoking apple shisha pipes- apple shisha smoke is the best smell in the world.

It was pretty much heaven on earth for three days, full of sleek cats, camels, shady men, cushions and tables with no legs. Pity the thing it wasn't full of was sand.. just sharp rocks- the kind that make you look like a moron when you hobble into the water. At least no one looked graceful and we all looked funny together.

Jon spent a day scuba diving, and saw a Hawksbill turtle but ended up coming to the conclusion it wasn't worth it, the water was that clear he could see just as much free diving. He managed his best free dive to date- 20ms. We saw heaps of Scorpion fish and Lion fish. Jon found a coral head with a dozen Lion fish ! And Jon was mega excited by all the Pipe fish too. (Because he is a syngnathid lover, if you know what that means.)

Masked Puffer Fish

Lion Fish





Moray Eel

Scorpion Fish