Petra, Timna, Fish and Theatre! (Oh- and answers to questions too)

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Petra was one of the most amazing things I have seen. I really loved it. Jordan is a beautiful country and everyone I met there was super nice. When you first see Petra, it just looks like a big canyon. Then, you see a few drawings and sculptures. As you walk along, you think...this is cool, I guess...then, you are walking some more and you turn and you see it! The Treasury. That is when you know how Petra became a wonder of the world. The Romans thought that, at the top, there was gold - that is why it was called the Treasury. Later, they shot at it - revealing that there was no gold in it. Sorry, Romans! Even though the Treasury is Petra's biggest claim to fame, the other archeological sites there are fantastic, too! One of my favorite statues was a statue of a Nabatean God. It was only two eyes and no mouth. There were some holes at the top. Because this god has no mouth - instead of sacrificing food – the Nabateans would put incense by it and the smell would go through the holes to feed the God. I really hope to go back to Petra again!


In our third visit to Eilat, we did many things. We went on a glass bottom boat. We saw herds of wild jelly fish and a coral reef along with the fish that lived there. Here are some of the fish we saw:
clown fish
cornet fish
ariidae (giant sea catfish)
and more!!!

Also, in Eilat, we went to a 6,000 year old ancient Egyptian copper mine called Timna. There, we saw cave drawings. As amazing as it was, it was about 100 degrees so I was half ready to collapse through the whole thing.


The other day, we went to Fiddler on the Roof. It was the best play I have seen since we have come to Israel. The story revolves around a poor man named Tevye who is Jewish and lives in 1905 Russia. The theme is that this town is like a fiddler on the roof and they are able to keep their balance and not fall and break their necks because of their traditions. When the traditions start to change (because of Tevye's three eldest daughters), he must figure out where he must draw the line to keep the balance.


Here are answers to some questions that people have asked me:

Q: Sounds and smells Jerusalem?
A: Sounds: Mosque, People shouting talking or selling goods.
Smells: Food, animals.

Q: Why do they grow algae?
A: For cosmetics and medicine.

Q: What did we do on Passover?
A: We had a Seder with a kind friend and his family. It was wonderful!

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Photos

No Man's land
Walking between Israel and Jordan. You are not allowed to drive across

Petra Carvings
This is what is left of a carving of a camel driver, carved into thewalls of the canyon

Walking to find the lost City
We had to walk about 4 KM though a canyon before we came across this city that had been lost for over1000 years.

Petra
And then the city suddenly appears!

Petra
The Treasury- actually a tomb, most likely for a King. This is all carved out of the wall of the canyon.

Petra
More carvings in the mountianous walls

Petra
Looking out from another chamber

Petra
Our tour guide

Petra
Bedioun musician

Petra
More Tombs carved into solid rock

Petra
This Roman styled theatre was carved into the side of the mountain

Petra
Our tour guide desribed this as the most beautiful burial chamber in the world. All the colors are formed natually in the sand stone.

Petra
Looking at the burial chamber

Petra
Many Bedioun have Donkeys, horses and camels that they use to transport people to and from the site.

Heading back
Bye Jordan!

Negev
A flat top mountian in the Negev Desert

Timna
Rock formation

Timna
A rock called "The Mushroom"

Timna
There were severl drawings made by the Egyptian copper miners. This is an Ibex

Bedioun Tent
In the Moses Valley about 80 KM from Petra

Riding to Petra
We took a short horse ride to mouth of the canyon. We had to walk the rest of the way

Carving of their gods
The Nebateans carved these images of their gods in stone. They appear as blocks- the taller figure is the Mother/Wife and the shorter figure is the son