Petra 10th & 11th October

Met our guide, Moath, at the Petra gate 6am. Plan was to be hikong before the hordes of tourist start arrived. Was really quiet first three hours so excellent for getting about. The Petra site is 264 sqkm so not just about the famous Treasury building but multiple buildings and places of interest. It is a 2.5km from the gate to the Treasury building  which is actually a royal tomb to King Aretas 3rd in the 1st century BC.

The whole area is dated from the Nabatean civilisation who were the central point in the trading routes and charged 25% tax to utilise their caravanseri for animals and traveller's. About 30000 people were estimated to have lived their with sophisticated water systems.

Buildings were carved out of sandstone, iron and various minerals that create the colors.

Some of the figures have eroded over the years but given the age incredible detail.

Beautiful colours in the ceilings of some of the spaces.

Theatre fully carves seating five thousand

Mosaics on the floors in the Byzantine church show the animals and seasons which had been buried under metres of earth.

Known as the soldiers tomb showing the fashion of the day.

A lion which used to have a water spout. Also saw camels and more soldiers carved into the stone.

Inside a cavern with surreal ceiling.

So that was the end of our first day at Petra covering some 10km+. Next day we parked the car at Little Petra and hiked to what is known as the monastery in behind Petra then scaled 900 steps or so to get back down to the main thorough fare and up back through Petra again so feel after the two days we missed nothing. Many people ride donkey, camel or buggies so as not to walk in the heat or are basically incapable of scaling the stairs. You see some pretty hefty people straddling a donkey or folks half our age struggling  up hill.

This was at the carpark Little Petra. Note the obligatory Arabic coffee close at hand.

This was a ceiling painted including winged cupid with bow and arrow and animals found recently under centuries of grim

A wine press would you belive for the  famous white grapes of Jordan 

Orb on top of the Monastery  was carved out the hill as a memorial to Obodas the 1st again first century BC.  Then in a later century used by monks hence the name. The circles under the Orb mean eternity.

Our guide Moath had invited us the night before to his home for a meal. Jordanians sit on the floor in a room spreading a sheet of plastic on the floor. Pots of rice, vegetables are the put down, salted yogurt served and the guests start first. We had balloons with us for the two children and some other Kiwiana  small gifts. Moaths wife teaches 8 years of age but no English. We bumbled along conversation wise and had a nice evening.