13 June 2010

The call came over the radio.

"Golf Mike Alpha this is Delta, message over"

I responded and was told to give a call to a friend when I was back in Tiberias.

So, within a few minutes of arriving I got the computer up and running and found out that Roger wants to go to Petra in Jordan. Did I want to go?

It took me all of half a second to make up my mind - after all this is a pretty special part of the world.

And didn't Harrison Ford make his first Indy - Indiana Jones - film here?

Had to go.

So we started out and headed down to the crossing between Israel and Jordan. We drove through the sand near the Dead Sea.

And we crossed over into Jordan. We saw all sorts of animals and even managed to take a few photographs of these guys as they were grazing near the road. It was a hot day but the camels seemed to be quite happy in the dry wind. They took no notice of us.

It is a hot and dry part of the world and quite desolate in some areas. However there are always little surprizes when you travel in a country you have never been in before. This tree has beat the odds and seems to be doing quite well.

This is a country of contrasts. It has green and lush growth in some areas. The area we traveled through was definitely not like home.

We drove south through Jordan and on the west side of the Dead Sea. We crossed over some very rugged and picturesque gorges. This one was so inspiring I had to take some pictures. The water looked very inviting but we were pressed for time. So a picture would have to do.

As we drove south along a highway that is probably the lowest highway in the world and more than 1300 feet below sea level we finally reached the intersection that we needed. So we turned east and entered the mountains.

The road is very winding and twisting. The grades approached an estimated 15% and possibly more. The scenery was incredible. I kept thinking about being a Roman soldier. Wearing sandals and carrying a short sword, a shield, some food and water and traveling through this country. It would be absolutely brutal to move an army on foot through this terrain. 

This is what it looks like up close and personal. Makes a person appreciate modern technology.

In this country only the tough can survive and the locals do it well. Generations of living in conditions like this have created a very adaptive and capable person. They have no trouble in places where the average person would not make it.

This country is dry.

It is unusual.

It is tough country.

It can be dangerous. we carried a full load of first aide equipment and water in event of trouble. We drove past a few villages that were essentially in the middle of no where.

And we eventually approached the mountains that sheltered ancient Petra.

There are a lot of horses in Petra. This is perhaps appropriate as the horse has been an integral part of the middle east for thousands of years.

It is common to see them "dressed up" with bright colours.

As we entered Petra after paying the approximately $50 US dollar entry fee - for those that are interested, be sure to have Jordanian Dinars on hand as they do not accept American money here. The entry fee is $33 JD.

When you enter you will see some very unusual carved tombs, houses and places of possible worship. It is ancient - dating back to several hundred years BC. It is a bit of a walk. You start out and it is all down hill. The length of the Petra trail is about two kilometres. Remember it is all up hill on the return trip. And the temperature when we were there was around 42 degrees C or just over 107 degrees F.

If you are real tired you can hire a buggy to haul you up the hill. We spent all day in the area and walked for about 6 hours in the sun. We walked back to the top and were quite happy to be able to find some shade when we arrived back at the top.

There are many initial interesting sites - but for me the first interesting site you will see is this:

The story above and the picture below.

The gorge.

Here is where it really gets interesting.

If you want to ride instead of walk you can always take a buggy - for a negotiated fee! Notice the old paving stones. This gorge was once entirely paved with these stones.

Another story for you to read.

In order to control the water that would come with the flash floods of seasonal rains, the ancients cut a tunnel through solid rock and diverted the flow of water when it became dangerous due to heavy winter rains.

There goes another buggy. It is something to see the tourists go down the hill and not be able to get back up without help. Many people underestimate the heat and the effect it can have upon you. Drink water and walk slowly. The sites have been there for a couple millenia you do not have to race to see them - they will wait for you!

One of the most interesting and magnificent sites is the place where Indiana Jones was filmed. You can see it start to come into view here.

Before we get there I need to place a few hero shots of me.

Now that you all know what I look like and are not likely too impressed - LETS MOVE ALONG - NOTHING TO SEE HERE FOLKS! LOL!

It gets exciting when you start to leave the gorge and the actual view of the treasury comes into view.

As you can see there are quire a few people here. They tend to clear out as the heat rises. By the end of the day we were basically on our own, other than a few die hards and the local workers.

I was quite taken to be here.

I was here on my youngest daughters birthday and have to admit I wished I could have had her here with me as I was thinking about her - it is an incredible place.

Lots of folks want to ride these things - been on them a few times. Not much to write home to Mom and Dad about, but they can go every where - just not at a real high speed.

There are a lot of places to get some refreshments so there is little excuse to get dehydrated. There are also a lot of places to buy some interesting keep sakes. As I am not a collector of trinkets I did not buy. I just took a lot of pictures and drank a lot of water.

A common sight. It would have been exactly the same two thousand years ago as the camel trains came through Petra. The commerce would have been vibrant.

Another story.

The picture.

The story.

The picture.

There are vast numbers of tombs carved into the walls of the canyons. Some are incredibly ornate and some are quite plain.

Some are open and have been examined by archeologists. Some are still waiting to be explored. You have access to those you are brave enough to climb up and into them.

It is always interesting to see people dress as they would have dressed years ago. There is a difference in this one - notice how old meets new?

A cellular telephone!

An interesting story.

The amphitheatre.

Another story.

The actual place. It is pretty spectacular. We met a couple of Canadians while we were here. Nice people.

After a long and hot day in Petra and an excellent chat with my wife on the satellite telephone, we walked back up to the top of the trail and found our vehicle. We drove to the hotel and checked in here.

After finding our room and changing we hit the pool.

Then we had supper on the terrace. The weather was terrific, the beer was cold, the steaks were grand and the service excellent. The hotel was the Crown Plaza.

My colleague took this last picture. Yes, it is me in the pool talking to an Aussie who was visiting Petra with her husband. He was a good guy (bought the beer!) and we had a fine chat over beers at the pool until the wee hours.