Maze: Petra

Maze: Petra, One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Jordanian Nights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT2OFAjvSPI
A Royal Welcome in Petra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkzYkz9Y95E
Petra - Ancient Capital of the Nabateans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4LPOWadKJA

Leaving Mt. Sinai we headed towards the eastern shores of the Sinai Peninsula and on the Red Sea where we stopped for lunch at the Hilton and thereafter went on our way north of the Taba Border (Egypt/Israel border). At the border, we were screened, interviewed, and checked four times. My luggage was randomly checked and put aside for more than 2 hours. Then, came an inspector, lifted up the heavy luggage and 5 times he had to screen it because something was suspicious inside. Finally, he took out a metal camel souvenir out of the luggage, told it's okay and off I went to the waiting bus. It took almost three hours, maybe 4 hours, for the tour group to pass the Israeli border. We were met by the Eilat representative and took a short city tour in Eilat - Israel's southernmost town on the Red Sea. We crossed to Jordan where we were met by Naj, our Jordanian guide, and drove via the City of Aqaba along the King's Highway to Wadi Musa - the Jordanian village located at the entrance to the ancient city of Petra.

Big handsome photos of Hashemite Kings Hussein & Abdullah greeted us at Petra Visitors Centre. Hashemite is the family name of Jordan's kings.

Published  11/20/10  lib's labyrinth blogspot
Web Page:  Maze: Petra

The Ampitheater

Petra, also known as rose-red city, was the ancient capital of the Nabateans from the 3rd century BC to the 2nd century AC. Carved by the Nabateans out of solid rock, the city was forgotten for hundreds of years until it was rediscovered in 1812 by Johannes Burckhardt, a Swiss explorer who convinced his Bedouin guides to take him to the lost city. Most of the buildings, built after establishment of Roman rule in 106 AD, are rock-cut fronts of tombs that look like temples.

I looked like a mysterious Bedouin in this snapshot with fellow explorer Susan in my favorite Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) scarf.