Today we are on a private tour for 8 people. Our guide is Mahommed and our driver Mahmood. We met as a group at 6.45am and were on our way by 7.30am to Petra to see the Lost City as featured in Lawrence of Arabia. It is about a 2 hour drive on a very good highway with a comfort stop at a shop selling everything but the kitchen sink. When we were leaving the shop about 3 big tourist buses arrived so at least we were at the front of the pack.... I think the guides must get paid a commission on all sales... Ours would have been very disappointed... My purchase was a 50c postcard!! The toilets certainly got good use.
Once at Petra our guide walked with us through the Siq to the Treasury explaining the history, then up to the church and to the end of the trail. What an amazing experience. Such history and amazing sights... Who would have thought all those years ago. After a very hot, long and sweaty walk back we then headed for lunch which was well worth the wait. The walk in and out of Petra is about 2.5 hours each way and around 10kms!! I must confess the last 1km I did on horseback.... bliss!! Our lunch was delicious... A lot of different salads and hot dishes but the best was the hommus, like nothing I have tasted before... Yum!!
No alcohol served in this restaurent but the bitter lemon was very refreshing. Not much alcohol served anywhere here really. After lunch we headed back to the ship which was about a 2 hour drive. A great day had by all. Four sea days now before Salalah, Oman.
Some facts about Aqaba and Petra. Petra comes from the Greek word for rock and was "discovered" in 1812. The Siq is the stunning entrance into the city through a natural canyon, no more than 16 feet wide and over 650 feet tall. Just amazing and very similar in some way to Kings Canyon and changes colour depending on the light.
The "Treasury" is actually an ancient tomb carved from solid sandstone. Legend has it that pirates left treasure in the urn that sits on its upper level. There are bullet marks on the urn made by treasure seekers.
The roman amphitheatre is believed to have seated 8,000 people and was carved out of rock by the Nabatean people in the 2nd century BC.
Next stop Salalah.
Scenery enroute to Petra
Our comfort stop... Beautiful pottery but quite expensive as all hand made.
He was heading in the same direction as us!!
Bab Al Siq - the gateway to the Siq
The Siq - 1 km long
Can you see the man at the front and the 2 camels behind him??
Al Khazna - The Treasury which is 40m high
The Theatre
The Great Temple - original height around 18m and constructed by the end of the 1st century.
The Church - original mosaics. Probably built around the end of the 5th century AD.
The Siq on the outward journey
The lifesaver
Lunch
Fantastic roads.
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