The wonderful Petra

Treasury

Petra is a Unesco World heritage site. We had no idea but it is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataens, Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago. Apparently it was a junction for all the trade routes and linked China and Egypt. It was left by its people. reason unknown but most likely due to earthquakes. Anyway, to enter this city you have to walk almost 2 km through a very narrow kind of canyon known as the Siq. If you have seen the movie : "Indiana Jones and the last crusade", which was featured here, you know what we mean. Of course lots of tourist, but once you enter the city you are rewarded with a wonderful view of the treasury or Al-Khazneh. It served as a tomb but if the sunlight radiates this tomb it is really breathtaking. After that you enter the city, however, most of it is still under the grounds. There is a street of facades, a 7000-seat theatre, lots of tombs, a colonnaded street where the market used to be and various temples. we climbed up a hill (yes, again) to see the monastery (yes, again) of Al-Deir, a long rock-cut stair case but with some rewarding views.

The next day we returned before the crowds arrived and were all alone in the Siq. On the way back the boys had a lift on the horses and after that in the hotel a nice shower, breakfast and into to car up north driving along the King's Highway.