March 2017 - Petra

We spent two days in Petra. The first day was with a tour and we saw most of the main sights, then the second day we were on our own and we did some hiking to some of the more remote parts of the city. I was really excited to visit Petra after seeing it so many times in The Last Crusade. Check out the Indy Photo Op in the gallery, and then also the video at the bottom (make sure your sound is on!).

The first tomb visible walking into the city		The aqueduct bringing in water
The first tomb visible walking into the city		The aqueduct bringing in water
The Siq, the canyon leading into Petra	Original Roman pavement	A wider spot in the canyon
The Siq, the canyon leading into Petra	Original Roman pavement	A wider spot in the canyon
An array of colors on the canyon wall	A hint of greater things to come	The remnant of a camel caravan carved into the canyon wall
An array of colors on the canyon wall	A hint of greater things to come	The remnant of a camel caravan carved into the canyon wall
The first glimpse of the Treasury	Our first view of the Treasury. Midday so it was a bit busy.	Standing where Indy stood!
The first glimpse of the Treasury	Our first view of the Treasury. Midday so it was a bit busy.	Standing where Indy stood!
	Detail on the Treasury. It is extremely Greek.
	Detail on the Treasury. It is extremely Greek.
More around the corner from the Treasury! I didn't know there was more to Petra than just the one tomb until a few years ago.		The theatre, carved into the rock like everything else
More around the corner from the Treasury! I didn't know there was more to Petra than just the one tomb until a few years ago.		The theatre, carved into the rock like everything else
The back end of Petra	Canyon walls full of tombs or houses	The main restroom. Carved into the rock like everything else. I ended up having some bowel distress on the 2nd day, so it was a very welcome place.
The back end of Petra	Canyon walls full of tombs or houses	The main restroom. Carved into the rock like everything else. I ended up having some bowel distress on the 2nd day, so it was a very welcome place.
The baptismal font at the old church	The mosaic floor of the church
The baptismal font at the old church	The mosaic floor of the church
Mourning wheatear	A whole complex of tombs off in the distance	The Royal Tombs
Mourning wheatear	A whole complex of tombs off in the distance	The Royal Tombs
		Beautiful colors in the sandstone
		Beautiful colors in the sandstone
Once as majestic as the Treasury	The very small me shows the scale of these massive tombs
Once as majestic as the Treasury	The very small me shows the scale of these massive tombs
The color of the sandstone on this tomb is really exceptional
The color of the sandstone on this tomb is really exceptional
On our way out of Petra in the evening. The Treasury was empty, and the lighting really brought out the rose color.
On our way out of Petra in the evening. The Treasury was empty, and the lighting really brought out the rose color.
	The sun setting on the Siq
	The sun setting on the Siq
The obelisk tomb on the way out	A bird of prey flying overhead. A common buzzard, I think.	Wadi Musa, the town right outside Petra
The obelisk tomb on the way out	A bird of prey flying overhead. A common buzzard, I think.	Wadi Musa, the town right outside Petra
End of our first day	Back at Petra in the early morning	The stairs to the Monastery
End of our first day	Back at Petra in the early morning	The stairs to the Monastery
The canyons on the way are full of niches	The bedouins using carved out rooms as garages. They do their best to ruin the atmosphere of the site, but fortunately aren't entirely successful.	On the way, the lion triclinium. A triclinium is a Roman dining room, in this case one for funeral banquets. This one has a lion carved into one side, and a Medusa head along the top.
The canyons on the way are full of niches	The bedouins using carved out rooms as garages. They do their best to ruin the atmosphere of the site, but fortunately aren't entirely successful.	On the way, the lion triclinium. A triclinium is a Roman dining room, in this case one for funeral banquets. This one has a lion carved into one side, and a Medusa head along the top.
Exploring the triclinium, at the end of a small canyon		The Monastery! With a very small me for scale.
Exploring the triclinium, at the end of a small canyon		The Monastery! With a very small me for scale.
		A Tristram's starling singing on the rock
		A Tristram's starling singing on the rock
Around the corner from the Monastery	The desert beyond Petra	The Qasr al-Bint temple
Around the corner from the Monastery	The desert beyond Petra	The Qasr al-Bint temple
Ruin of the Great Temple. It was pretty huge.	On the Great Temple	Me and the base of an _enormous_ column
Ruin of the Great Temple. It was pretty huge.	On the Great Temple	Me and the base of an _enormous_ column
Huge toppled columns	Steps carved into the rock, leading up the canyon to the cliffs overlooking the city	Beautiful colors in the canyon wall on the way
Huge toppled columns	Steps carved into the rock, leading up the canyon to the cliffs overlooking the city	Beautiful colors in the canyon wall on the way
At the top!	The theatre	A male Sinai agama
At the top!	The theatre	A male Sinai agama
Another pair of agamas, interrupted while trying to get busy	Overlooking the Treasury!
Another pair of agamas, interrupted while trying to get busy	Overlooking the Treasury!
	The enormous canyon wall into which the Treasury was carved
	The enormous canyon wall into which the Treasury was carved
The old stairs leading up the canyon wall from the Treasury	A High Place of sacrifice, up on the cliffs overlooking the city
The old stairs leading up the canyon wall from the Treasury	A High Place of sacrifice, up on the cliffs overlooking the city
One of a number of birds of prey (common buzzards?) that flew right over our heads while at the high place	10 buzzards circling overhead while catching a thermal. Before long they went so high they were completely out of our sight.	Yet another agama
One of a number of birds of prey (common buzzards?) that flew right over our heads while at the high place	10 buzzards circling overhead while catching a thermal. Before long they went so high they were completely out of our sight.	Yet another agama
One last look at the Treasury on our final way out
One last look at the Treasury on our final way out