Hus av Turtle: March 2008

The last post of the trip. Some odds and ends...

-Old City from the Citadel.

-Old City from the Mount of Olives.

-Beit She'an

-Beit She'an from the Tel.

-The Galilee.

-Caeserea (hippodrome).

-Jericho.

-Tel Aviv.

Some impressions:

-Lots of machine guns. Never felt like I was going to get hurt. Maybe it was because I was American.

-Much hillier than I ever imagine. Especially in Jerusalem.

-Israelis really like their clogs (crocs).

-Drivers use their bumpers and horns to drive.

-Checkpoints all over.

-Tension near Jerusalem. The coast feels like California.

-High heels, even at ruins!

-Dressing warmly, even when it's warm.

-Giant bottles of water.

-Drying up bodies of water.

-Ruins everywhere and everything is built on everything else.

-Fields of the kibbutzs, falafels on every corner, great citrus.

-After making it to Petra after an adventure getting there (actually Wadi Musa - Valley of Moses - the city at the entrance of Petra), I happened to be there on a night where they do a program - Petra at Night. So I got my tickets at the VC.

-Not too many pictures with the luminary lined Siq down to the Treasury. I did get this picture...

-...only to find that it was because they had a impromptu fire. No one was hurt. The tea, music and song continued (see you tube).

-It was pretty cool to walk the 1.5 miles down by the candles. Not much of a program, but the atmosphere was cool.

-The next day I got up early to get down as soon as possible. I walked through the Siq, lined by the gulley used for water in the past.

-Me in the Siq.

-And the first glimpse of the Treasury. One of the best views in Petra.

-Looking back at the Siq from the Treasury.

-The Treasury in the best light. Not really used for a treasury originally. The urn on top was supposed to be where the Egyptian pharaoh hid his treasure.

-People, of course, recognize this from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. There's really only empty rooms on the inside. Amazing outside.

-On to the Outer Siq with the theatre tombs and the streets of facades.

-The freestanding tomb.

-On of the openings to the tombs.

-The theatre.

-The colors of Petra.

-The largest tomb - the Corinthian Tomb.

-I found a path going up the side - so I started. It was long, but once started... I met a lizard along the way.

-The Theater from the top.

-A Beadouin was at the top and showed me another path to see the Treasury from the top of the East Cliff.

-You can also see Wadi Musa and the Beadouin village.

-My first of three long walks up to the top of something.

-More colors.

-The Urn Tomb.

-The East Cliff with the Royal Tombs.

-The City of Petra- during Roman times. The Grand Temple.

-The elephant topped columns.

-It was on to the Monestary. I decided to try riding a donkey up. Here he is, with his master, who really likes Bob Marley.

-The huge Monestary. Very impressive. Massive really.

-There were gasps from the crowd and I believe the guide up was with a kid and jumping from top to top. Then he played the flute.

-A little further up you could overlook the wadis...Little Petra and all.

-I finally got to the top, had to have a picture.

-The way up.

-With beautiful views.

-And camels below.

-The fortress and other buildings above the City.

-I saved my energy for the back way (wadi fusa) to the High Place of Sacrifice.

-Another long way up, but scenic vistas all along the way. Steps are my friend...I think I drank a gallon of water by this point.

-The High Place of Sacrifice. Not an impressive ruin, but a high place with great views. I got a bit turned around at this point. They said not to be high up after the sun goes down because of trying to get back in the dark. I found another gal from Ireland and we got down eventually. I could have stayed longer, but I was wiped out.

-The Royal Tombs.

-A great show of Petra colors.

-The Treasury after the light goes off it.

-Coming back through the Siq. Light is everything here.

-Leaving Petra and the Siq after over 10 hours of hiking. I didn't do much that night. Tons more pictures, but I will only subject you to a choice selection.