Petra

Trip Start Nov 13, 2006

Trip End May 13, 2007

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Flag of Jordan Petra, Jordan
Thursday, January 11, 2007

We were looking forward to Petra for a long time and it certainly did not dissapoint us.
Petra is an ancient city carved into the mountains, and offers the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. The mountains are rugged and grey yet where the city is carved the stone almost looks pink and orange especially the famous treasury building.
We bought 3 day entrance tickets for 31 Jordanian Dinar or about 35euros and found out our 4th day would be free. The first day we spent with Sergei our Ukranian friend just looking around the city taking it all in, from the amazing 2km long Siq ( tunnel entrance ) to the Treasury to the "high place of sacrifice" and the monastry.
That night our hostel manager Nasser was really excited to tell us another Irish person had checked in. He introduced us to an "older gentleman" (sorry Peter) from Cork who had lived in the UK most of his life

A First view of Petra

. Peter told us he has a yacht and is just travelling all over the world picking up some travellers here and there as crew and company and his yacht is his home. Jimmy asked Peter would his name be Peter Bannon by any chance and we were shocked when Peter said yes !!! It turns out Jimmy had answered an advert 6mths ago looking for crew but a guy called Peter Bannon had replied telling him he had no places at that time. It was so freaky and proved what a small world we live in. Peter had a friend with him Joanna who is his crew at the moment. Joanna is Texan and they are both lovely people, and we spent the next 2 days in their company.
On day 2 in Petra Jimmy and me split up (Sergei went back to Dahab today). I un- successfully tried to climb accross a mountain alone and Jimmy claims I spent an hour crying on the side trapped and calling for help !!! Not true but we called this place "The wall of tears " anyway. Later that day I climbed the 850 steps that take you to the Monastry and met Peter,Joanna and 2 very funny Australian girls from our hostel called Jaqui and Hilary at the top. You are not allowed climb onto the roof because an American girl was killed in a fall there last year, but Sophie told us she had gotten up there so not to be outdone I climbed it with 2 local Bedouin guys before sunset. It was amazing up there and one of the Bedouin climbed up onto the urn at the top which I refused to do. After dark we walked back down and thought we were the last people left in Petra but we were wrong !

B Entance to Siq

! At the Treasury a bedouin guy called us over and told us there was a lost little tourist having tea with 3 bedouin guys and asked would we lead him out in the dark because he was scared !! Believe it or not that tourist was Jimmy!!!! We got back to hostel and met another Irish person Emily from Newbridge in Kildare. Went 2 months without meeting an Irish person and all of a sudden this hostels full of us !!
Third day Me and Jimmy, Joanna and Peter took Emily on a guided tour of Petra and again finished up on the Monastry roof at sunset. Got back to hostel shattered after 3 days up and down steps and mountains but took Emily back again on day 4 and we went to a Bedouin cave and had tea with a lovely woman called Nora and her 3 year old Noirr. Lovely people and so hard to believe people live like this today but they really live in a cave and Nora's husband Abdullah has another wife with 10 children and Nora is 8mths pregnant with his 12th. Did'nt have the energy left for much climbing today but we bought Indiana Jones and the last crusade which was made here and went back to hostel. Met another Irish girl Marney and her American husband Ryan and they had Borat on dvd so we watched both on Emilys laptop. Happy days in Petra !!!!
If anyone has a holiday coming up and want to do something different than the normal package holiday check out Jordan, its not too dear (except 6dinar beers) but its a fascinating place I hope to see again !!!!

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C End of Siq	D Treasury	E Caves	F View of main roedway in Petra
G Monastry	H Me on roof of Monastry	I Bedouin on the Urn	J Sunsetting over Monastry
K Cave bar	L Reception area in Petra gate hostel	M Peter "The Arab"	N Jimmy and Nora and little Noirre
O Noirre	P Jimmy and me at High place of sacrifice	Q Jimmy and Emily	R Acting the eejit
S Sheesa on a mule	T Jimmy and his Friend	U Ampitheatre	V Me and Ampitheatre
W Jimmy and Emily of Arabia	X Wall of tears