Crossing the Border to Petra

After an incredible time in Israel, we made our way across the border to Jordan. We decided to do a guided tour of Jordan since we only had a few days; didn't speak the language; and wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything. I think it was the right choice.

We got started right away with a visit to Petra. Previously, my main source of information about this ancient city was from Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade. I had no idea that Petra is more than just the famous Treasury building. It is a whole city!

Petra's Treasury

Treasury; Photo by Sarah

Petra was built into the caves, which helped keep the ancient Nabateans cool during the summer and protected them from the floods in the winter. They carved intricate designs into the rock façades  but didn't bother painting them because nature did that for them. The striations in the rock were so dramatic.

Photo by Kyle

Photo by Sarah

We spent most of the day in Petra, and we still didn't see all of it. Lots of people recommended going to the monastery  but I heard it was a pretty steep hike. With both Sarah and I pregnant, we decided to skip it. The parts of town we saw were absolutely amazing though.

Photo by Sarah

If you only have one day in Jordan, definitely make time to see Petra. If you have more than one day though, hire a Bedouin guide to take you off-roading in the sand dunes. With three days at our disposal, that's exactly what we did. Stay tuned for pictures tomorrow! 

Read about our stops in Israel and Jordan:
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel
Northern Israel
Ein Gedi; Masada; Dead Sea, Israel
Eilat, Israel
Wadi Rum, Jordan