PETRA, JORDAN - DAY 12

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PETRA , JORDAN - DAY 12

Some say save the best for last, and today in Petra this may be true. It’s hard to look back and say what was the best - Jerusalem was fantastic - but, if you’re a fan of antiquity and archeological phenomenon, Petra can’t be beat. Our superior tour guide, Madji, did a fantastic job of telling the story of Petra in a thorough and entertaining presentation. The 2,000 year old city of Petra, which the ancient Nabataeans carved out of colorful sandstone cliffs, has recently been named one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World” and is just amazing. Petra is one of the best preserved biblical sites in the world. We took a long walk through the narrow, high walled canyon called the Sig, and suddenly the huge and world famous “Treasury” is before us. Petra’s tomb facades, royal tombs, temples and other structures were fascinating and very much worth the long walk (downhill) over sometimes difficult terrain. The ladies were cautioned to not wear high heel shoes and all followed that advice. We had a buffet lunch at the restaurant and, instead of walking back uphill, Tauck (and our Tour Director Matt) had arranged for a camel ride back to the Treasury and then a horse cart back to the entrance. If you’ve never ridden a camel, it’s not the same as riding a horse and the saddle I had needed some padding. The carts didn’t have springs or rubber tires, so the ride was not smooth, but, in my opinion, it was better than walking uphill. Most agreed that it was a good experience, but I don’t remember anyone saying they wanted to do it regularly. We had some free time before some of us watched the sunset from the hotel’s (Movenpick Resort Petra) rooftop bar.

At 6:30 we took our bus to a farewell reception and dinner in a tent with local entertainment and a good time. Tomorrow we go to Amman and prepare for our trip home. ILYS

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Photos

HORSE CART
ALTERNATIVE TO WALKING

THE TREASURY
FIRST VIEW THROUGH THE CANYON

CAMELS
ONLY OTHER CAMELS COULD FIND THEM ATTRACTIVE

CAMEL RIDERS
CHUCK AND GAY

PETRA SUNSET
FROM THE ROOFTOP BAR