Jordan (part2)- Petra

On our third day in Jordan we left early from Wadi Rum and took a bus to the ancient city. This city was built by the Nabateans; ancient peoples of Jordan. After the Nabataean Kingdom was annexed into the Roman Empire, their culture melded with the Greco-Roman culture and was eventually lost. What has survived are the ruins of their cities of Petra in Jordan, Bosra in Syria, and Mada'in Saleh in Saudi Arabia.

To start with, this is our buffet in our hotel! Dozens of types of salads, soup, hommos, chicken
potatoes, all local dishes cooked by the inn keeper. On that note, if anyone is looking for a cheap
place to stay in Petra, I recommend the Valentine Inn. It's a backpackers hotel. Food is yummy
and cheap and the rooms are cheap and simple.

As you can see Petra has capitalized on the fact that part of Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade was filmed at the Treasury 

Beginning our trek into Petra. One of the first buildings not he road there. It's a long walk just to get there. You can
take a horse to the entrance, but walking is just as enjoyable!

The long narrow "Siq" gorge that you must walk though to get to Petra. There are many
carvings and statues carved straight into the rock along the passage.

Walking though the passage.

The winding, endless passage goes on forever until it finally opens up onto The Treasury...

Me in front of the Treasury! The buildings here are carved straight into the rock of the mountains. 

Some of the more weathered facades of tombs in Petra

Most of these smaller structures are tombs.

A whole hillside of tombs. But honestly, I would rather just tell myself they are all little houses ;)

Me in one of these tombs (*cough* houses).

The Amphitheater

The Bedouins who still live here give donkey rides up to the top of the mountain where the Monastery is. These two
shouted at me "hey! Want a ride on a Bedouin Ferrari?" i.e. donkeys.... Or you could just take one of their "Air
Conditioned Camels".

The Temple. The columns all toppled in an earthquake unfortunately

A gate with men dressed as Nabatean guards

The first steps of our long hike up to the Monastery

Here is the Monastery, the largest of the carved structures in Petra. The Monastery
probably served as a temple to one of the pre-islamic Arabian gods. Check out the
people in the doorway to get a good idea of its size.

Action Shot! Me inside the Monastery.

Overlooking the Monastery

Last photo! A detail shot of some of the decorations on the Treasury as we were leaving Petra

Next (and last) Installment in my Jordan Adventures will be Nount Nebo and the Dead Sea! Might take a few days as I am waiting for my friend to send me some pictures she took at the Dead Sea (because my camera had died).