Petra

Sunset at Petra, view from the hotel. The food at the Marriott was very ho hum. Nothing special at all, actually very dull. They even stuffed up pizza or pasta. Not really worth it but the view was amazing.



A little Bedouin boy, must have been all of 10-12. Not at school but trying to get us to hire his donkey. After riding one later in the day, I am so glad that we had a more mature fellow than a child. He was out helping to provide for his family. Matthew was very generous with tips on this trip. The poverty is so in your face.

Another sunset over Petra.






A huge hall like area.







Jenny would have loved to see the layers of rock.




People lived in here. The black on the ceiling from fires. Where Matthew is standing & to the right of this photo you can see a trough size hole, maybe for bathing..



The layers in the rocks was amazing. The colours beautiful.






Me on the donkey. I have no idea how Mary did it. The donkey owner jumped off his mount to walk beside me. On the flat not too scary but going up the mountain, I had to get off. Matthew rode his stead to the top (800 stairs) and down again. But, I chickened out and didn't even make it 1/4 of the way up. I stayed with with 1 Bedouin lady her little girl and another young Bedouin woman. The stories I heard of accidents from riding the donkeys up the mountain, I was anxious for Mathew to return. The Bedouin village up and over the mountains so donkeys are their transport.


People lived in here. Notice the layers in the rocks. I was so excited to take these photos to share with a dear friend. Now I will never have that chance. I did think of her even though we were so far apart. Now the distance is greater but what a blessing to have known her.


Can you imagine people living in those hand made caves? Yet so much is still undiscovered.





A distant view of the mountainside.







A local Busker.







Here Matthew looks into a family tomb. In the upper right you may notice the scaffolding holes. When the young men are old enough to consider marriage, they start carving their burial place. Even before they marry they prepare for death. Practical I guess, a different way, perhaps they understood life better than I did. It was interesting that I had this experience before receiving news of Jenny's passing.



A policeman. :) This photo is just inside the treasury.









This is just infront and below the treasury. Still not explored. So much more hasn't been found. I took this photo through a large grate across the hole.





The entrance we walked through, so looking back from the treasury the way we came.





Looking to the right of the treasury.






Looking to the left at the treasury. There is a little Souvenir stall at the front left.





The treasury. They carved ths from the top down. If you enlarge you might see the scaffolding holes carved on each side.
























Camel and his keeper carved into the stone. Behind the camel legs is a chanel for water. The left side is for the animals to drink from and the right side is for humans to drink from. It would have been cool after such a hot ride.




The rock walls at the entrance. No wonder it was so well guarded.





Matthew paid for us to have a ride into and out of old Petra. This fellow's family (acutally all of them that work there) are Bedouins.
They only closed the site down for living about 20yrs ago. Up until then people were still born and lived there. Notice the stone road. It was a VERY bumpy ride. But I loved the sound of the horses hoofs on the stone.



The night we arrived in Petra, Matthew had organised for us to go on the candle light tour. So beautiful. We walked in with only candles and a full moon for light. A couple of men played traditional music that wafted on the cool evening air.



View of the mountains from the Marriott where we stayed. Matthew said if we were to ever go again we would stay at a cheaper hotel in the town near Old Petra. Instead of having to pay for taxi drivers all the time.