Petra

Petra was amazing - buildings carved into the mountains, caves for food storage, water systems. The Nacabateans controlled the trade routes and you could see in their work the mixture of Egyptian, Roman and other influences.


To begin with, you walk through a 1.4km Siq (gorge), avoiding the heat and trying to not to get trampled by the horse and carriages.


Then you see it - the Treasury (of Indiana Jones fame).

It is breathtaking - the size, the detail are amazing (see right). The trek up to the Monastery (see right above) was made a little less enjoyable by having to fend off children selling postcards, boys offering donkey rides and uni students wanting to 'practise English'. Still, it was another amazing sight.