Extrodinary

Petra, Jordan was one of the most stunning places I have ever been. It baffles me how people so long ago (sometime in the 6th century BC) carved such beautiful and intricate artwork into the side of a stone mountain. This is a picture of the largest facade in Petra. I know you can't tell from this shot but the entrance was a couple feet taller than me. We wanted to go inside but there wasn't steps. It is 164 ft high x 147 ft wide... thats a little more than 13 stories high!!! It really puts you in your place standing in front of it. I rode a mule up the mountain to see this...it was about 800 very steep steps. It was too dangerous to ride the mule back down so we walked. We did so much walking... so much. The first day we climbed about 750 steps to the 'High Place' to see the sun set, so needless to say I was happy about the mule ride the next day.

The entrance way to the city is enclosed by these towering rocks. There was such a cool echo while we walked through...so many people chatting and horses, mules, camels, and donkeys makin' all sorts of noise. It was also one of the few places with shade. There was a cool and much appreciated breeze here as well. We stopped to have lunch here. Before we went into the city we stopped and got Shwarma...it's an Arab sandwich like wrap with shaved lamb, goat, chicken, turkey or beef. I got chicken.

While we were in the car ride to Amman, we saw this Bedouin man walking with his camel and he so kindly smiled and waved. The Bedouin culture is very hospitable. In most every shop we entered someone offered us sage tea and cookies.

Ahhh, the Dead Sea. It made me feel like a kid again. You got to rub mud all over you and then get in water that made you float! How cool?! We had the best time. After I got out, my skin felt so nice and smooth. I recommend a Dead Sea mud bath for sure!

This trip was very special. I appreciated being somewhere so old and full of culture. Jordan is definitely somewhere that I am going to revisit. I met so many great people.. including one very handsome man in Petra who gave me a cd of Arabic music (that I am listening to as I post this). Also, I got to go inside this woman's house and hold her 3 month old baby! Most everyone was sincere and inviting. I was very lucky to have such a safe experience. I found this poem about Petra that I absolutely love. It was written by John William Burgon in the mid 1800's...soon after Petra was rediscovered.

It seems no work of Man's creative hand,

by labour wrought as wavering fancy planned;

But from the rock as if by magic grown,

eternal, silent, beautiful, alone!

Not virgin-white like that old Doric shrine,

where erst Athena held her rites divine;

Not saintly-grey, like many a minster fane,

that crowns the hill and consecrates the plain;

But rose-red as if the blush of dawn,

that first beheld them were not yet withdrawn;

The hues of youth upon a brow of woe,

which Man deemed old two thousand years ago,

match me such marvel save in Eastern clime,

a rose-red city half as old as time.