Petra

To be frank, I'd not heard too much about Petra before coming on this trip, well apart from that it had featured in one of the Indiana Jones' movies...

According to Wikipedia, Petra was the capital city of the Nabataeans, Arabic-speaking Semites, and the centre of their caravan trade. Petra's really amazing, surrounded by rocks, you would never imagine a city to be in its midst.

Apparently it was the ability of the Nabateans to control the water supply that led to the rise of the desert city. The area was prone to flash floods but the Nabateans controlled these floods by the use of dams, cisterns and water conduits, meaning water was available even during periods of drought.

The first entrance bit (we rode horses down this part)

This tree is literally growing out of rock! The sandstone is porous so absorbs water which the roots extract from the stone.

Heading into Petra - you'd never think there would be a city in there eh?

Look like an elephant to you?

The first glimpse of the Treasury

Pretty big huh?

Some random security guard, with a cool uniform. Check the cigarette in hand...

Tombs cut into the rock - all over...

The amphitheatre. Paul & I climbed up to the top (the nose-bleed seats) and Bex & Johnny performed for us - the accoustics weren't too bad...

More tombs

Funky rock formations...

Which we needed to pose in. Obviously.

The only time I will ever post photos from inside ladies toilets on the internet. They are the coolest loos I've ever been in!

More tombs

The Monastery - if I remember our tour guide correctly, just the (little) dome bit on the very top is 8m.

You can maybe appreciate the size with this photo. This is me in the doorway bit from the photo above.

These guys must have decided it was time to have some R&R

Goats!

Climbed up to the top of the Sacrificial High Place - you can just see a columny thing (used in sacrificial rituals) just left of the middle of the photo.

Loving the sun :)

And how high up we were!

And of course the amazing colours of Petra's rocks!