Ferry ride

We catch the ferry from Nuweiba, Egypt to Aqaba, Jordan. Our ferry is of Spanish origin and the bathrooms are a nightmare. I counted about a dozen small cockroaches skittering about during the three hour ride.

 

Driving across the desert

The fifteen people in our group are divided between three trucks. We drive out into the desert heading to Wadi Rum.

Our drivers are crazy. They like to drive fast.

We stopped for a minute to view the scenery and some of our crew started climbing a rock outcropping to get a better look. We followed.

More driving. Another stop. We climb out and scramble up and walk across the arch to a vantage point overlooking the surrounding desert.

Climbing down off the arch.

We stop and build a fire. Our Bedouins make sweet tea and we watch the sunset.

Sunset in the desert:

 

Desert camping

We’ve arrived at Wadi Rum. The sun has gone down and it’s cold. The Bedouin have made us a delicious dinner with chicken, lamb, and side dishes. We eat voraciously, then sit around the fire and tell ghost stories. Soon everyone wanders off to their tents for sleep. The next morning we’re up early and make preparations to drive to Petra.

The dining area is the open tent behind and to the left of everyone.

Sleeping tents:
. We slept on cots! Most of us ask for extra blankets.

Another view of our Bedouin camp:

 

Al-siq

The ancient main entrance to Petra. The deep and narrow gorge runs 1200 meters long and the cliffs soar up to 80 meters high.

Water channels cut into the rock face:

More water channels:

 

the Treasury

First view of the Treasury.

This is what we came to Petra for: to visit the Treasury. It’s so incredible to be here! It’s huge at 30 m wide and 43 m high. It was carved in the 1st century BC as a tomb of an important Nabataean king.

Group shot:

Looking back at the narrows we’ve just come through.

 

the Street of Facades and the Theatre

Passing from the Outer Siq the road opens up and before us is four stories of the Street of Facades carved into rock face.

Across the street is the Theatre constructed in the early 1st century by Nabataeans. It was enlarged and improved by Roamans shortly after 106 AD to seat 3000 people.

Our guide, M, is very excited. He wants to introduce us to a Dutch woman who married a Bedouin. He runs up ahead to see if she’s here. Her name is Marguerite van Geldermalsen. I meet her and she’s delightful, warm, and kind. She came to Petra in the mid ’70’s and fell in love with a Bedouin and married him. She lived here in Petra for seven years, in a cave without electricity or plumbing and had three children. She learned the Arabic language and the customs of her new culture. When her husband died in 2002 she wrote a book about her life changing experiences. I bought her book Married to a Bedouin and enjoyed reading her adventure.

 

Royal Tombs

The Urn Tomb is the largest of the Royal Tombs. It was carved around 70 AD and altered in the 5th century and reconsecrated to serve as a Byzantine church

Close-up of entrance facade:

Interior shot:

The Corinthian Tomb is very worn, but similar in appearance to the Treasury.

The Palace Tomb is very wide and has three stories in it’s facade.

We’ve hiked across the valley and looked back at the Royal Tombs:

From right to left you can see the Urn Tomb, the Corinthian Tomb, and the Palace Tomb.

 

Byzantine church ruins

The Petra Church was built around 450 AD over Nabataean remains.

Each of the side aisles is paved with 70 sq meters of beautiful mosaics in remarkable condition.

 

standing in a tomb doorway

 

Climbing stairs cut into the rock.

During our climb we meet a 90 year old Bedouin woman with a tattooed face and sparkling eyes. She’s no fool when it comes to bargaining for trinkets.