Aqaba is in Jordan, not wherever I put it last time. We spent 4 days at sea getting here from Oman, going around Yemen and entering the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has no cruise ports to visit, so this was our first stop. This was a big deal, we were going to Petra, along the ancient Silk Road.
On the tour bus on our way to Petra, a two hour drive plus rest stop. The view outside is desert. We climb over the mountains to get there, going over 5500 feet (according to my GPS). When we get out at altitude for the rest stop, it's cold.
View along the road
Modern Bedouin camp. They still live in tents, but travel via truck and use metal frames to hold up their blanket covered tents.
We did NOT eat lunch here.
After the gift shops and entry plaza, you start walking downhill along a gravel trail.
Alongside, cut out of the sandstone.
Our tour guide Basil. His motto was "Slowly, slowly" along the sometimes slippery slope. Cynthia and I felt that we could go "Slowly" and still be safe. Basil stopped every 50 meters to talk about something new, and we "Slowly, slowly" left him behind. But there was only one trail in and one trail out.
You could hire a cab to take you to the Treasury. The people riding inside didn't look very happy as it was quite bumpy going down the hill.
Along the way
Faux Roman soldier guarding the entrance to the Siq, the narrow part of the trail.
The path becomes a very narrow slot canyon, formed by several million years of water rushing through it.
The road was paved back in the first century BCE. Notice the water channel carved into the sandstone to funnel rain into cisterns along the way.
At the end of the narrows it opens up to the famous Treasury
Camels to pose in front
The slot canyon opens up into a large area with housing along both walls.
The old Roman Amphitheater that holds 4000 people.
These are tombs along this wall
After too short a time we began the hike back up. By GPS we had hiked about 4.5km and gone down 500 feet in elevation. It was a long slog back up to the top. We could have taken one of the cabs for an extremely bumpy ride, but we felt strong and confident.
This was the only bench along the trail.
Back at the top, one of the donkeys decided to freelance and took off down the street on his own. We went across the street to the Movenpick and had lunch.
The drive back was another two hours plus rest/gift shop stop.
Sights along the road back
Contrast between old and new: Beduoin tent and wind turbines
Along one section of highway we saw three or four people hitchhiking. I don't think they were hailing a cab or bus....it looked like a regular passenger car that stopped for one of them.
Back aboard ship, 15K steps completed during the day, we had drinks in the forward bar and looked out over the tallest flagpole in the country.
Golden hour light on the mosque on the hill.
A great day
On the tour bus on our way to Petra, a two hour drive plus rest stop. The view outside is desert. We climb over the mountains to get there, going over 5500 feet (according to my GPS). When we get out at altitude for the rest stop, it's cold.
This was the only bench along the trail.
Back at the top, one of the donkeys decided to freelance and took off down the street on his own. We went across the street to the Movenpick and had lunch.
The drive back was another two hours plus rest/gift shop stop.
Sights along the road back
Contrast between old and new: Beduoin tent and wind turbines
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