Port Aqaba for Petra, Jordan

We arrived in Aqaba for the 1 ½ hour drive to Petra Jordon. Aqaba is interesting and important to Jordan as it is a busy port. It is an interesting part of the world as four counties come close together. Aqaba is 5K to Israel; you can see it across the Gulf of Aqaba. It is also a short ferry ride to Egypt and shares a border with Saudi Arabia. Aqaba population is 100,000 and it is known for its beautiful beaches, crystal clear blue water and has a coral reef. People from all over the Middle East come here to relax and to see Petra and Wadi Rum. It does not hurt that Aqaba is a duty free zone. On the Drive to Petra we passed through a small part of the Wadi Rum, this is where the Desert has different colored rock formations and it is most famous in that this is where Colonel Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia fame) had his Headquarters during World War I. He is famous for capturing with his Arab allies, the Turkish Port which is now Port Aqaba. Once we arrived at Petra we walked in through the SIQ., a stunning entry into the city through a natural 1 ¼ mile canyon, often no more than 16 ft. wide, that winds through towering rock walls over 650 ft. opening up at the end to the majestic Treasury. Petra has remarkable architecture built by the Nabataeans and an ingenious water system. It was settled more than 2,300 years ago, Petra served as an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked the Asian and Mediterranean civilizations. With its temples, tombs and alters carved into the dusky-pink-colored rocks, Petra was voted one of the new Seven New Wonders of the World and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. As you look at the pictures, I will tell you that they do not do it justice. As Randy and I we standing inside the Lost City of Petra we were amazed at the size of it and how big and busy it must have been over 2000 years ago. It was a very prosperous city, the richer you where the more decorated your home was. The old Petra was lost to most people except the desert Bedouins until it was rediscovered by Europeans just two centuries ago. After Petra, we were taken to a wonderful Jordan lunch. I would highly recommend where we ate in Petra named Thousand and One Night Restaurant. They offered a buffet of over 10 salads, rice with Lamb, rice, Fish with tomatoes and potatoes and a pasta and cheese dish. It was wonderful, fresh and delicious. Our last stop of the day was downtown Aqaba where did a little shopping and saw the city night life. Next, one day at sea, then Suez Canal and then Cairo. Then we are on to the Pyramids.

P.S. I forgot to tell you that they carved the Treasury from the top down. Smart it did not collapse on top of the workers.