Petra and the Dead Sea

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we left dahab and took a busride up to the gulf of aquaba, which is where egypt,israel and jordan meet. we took a ferry from egypt to jordan and then another few hour bus ride to wadi musa. this is the closest town to petra, the ancient nabatean city. we chose probably the HOTTEST day to go check out these scorching ruins, well city built into the rocks. its better known for being the spot for the film indiana jones and the last crusade. it was all very facinating but all the walking/hiking in 40 degree weather made it all a little daunting!

after petra we mosied on up to amman, the capital. we heard a little rumour of a starbucks coffee shop could be found in this city, considering we havent had drip coffee since october, we were on the first taxi straight to the........mall, which is where it was. then we spent another 6 hrs shopping, which is completely out of character for both of us, but when in rome! we had some stocking up to do; new shoes, underwear, hoodies, magazines ect. and all decent quality, not like the one timer wears you buy in outdoor markets for a couple cents. ( okay dollars ) we even checked out an art gallery ( featuring work buy a sudanese artist ) and had dinner at a organic nature cafe on the hill where i bought a hand made silver ring, which proceeds go toward conserving nature in jordan....... very cosmo dont you think?

second day we went to the dead sea! for bobby and i , it was one of those must do's on your life checklist so it felt good to be there. but also very very strange! everything you've heard about being able to float so well you can read the paper , is one hundred percent true! its the oddest feeling, but so fun. everyone, including us, giggled for the first 10 minutes of entering the water. we also covered ourselves in dead sea mud....supposedly thereputic? dont know, but they do package and sell it for expensive prices at the shop. we literally just grabbed handfuls at the bottom and rubbed it on. the water was sooo exteremely salty ( due to being 400m below sea level ) that once you dry , the salt crusts all over your skin, it looks exactly like sea salts. it tastes horrid bythe way.

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Photos

wadi musa
friendly roadside cactus with the city in the background

wadi musa
city at night

jordanian buffet
at our hotel in wadi musa

entrance to petra
gotta take advantage, eh

canyon hallway
this area of the city was a long canyon corridor, almost completely in the shade, it went on for about 5 km, it was a nice relief from the searing sun that day!

exit from canyon
you can see a splinter view of the treasury

the treasury
i believe there was an infamous scene shot here with indy

nabatean homes
cave like houses built into the rock

the monastary
800 stairs in the blistering heat to get here, we hid in the entrance you can see for a while after we got there, like natural air con

bobby and the donkey
along the way up to the monastary

the dead sea with palestine in the background
we made the mistake of asking the driver is the land was israel, he vehmenently proclaimed " NO, palestine"

salt crystals
after the sun dried off the water, crazy amounts of salt crusted on my skin

salt rock
bobby broke off this chunk of salt from the edge of the water.....pure salt

ahhh the dead sea
the classic pose

for real
i didnt have to strain a muscle to maintain this pose

on the shore
salt and rock pebbles

dead sea mud
covered head to toe

Amman
capital city in jordan, taken from the balcony of the art gallery

mosque mineret
in amman

at yet another, roman ampitheater
we've seen so many of these throughout M.E. so we didnt even pay to get in!