Petra

Today started early. Up at 6 am and out the door by 7 am.

Our first stop was Mt. Nebo. This spot is significant because it is where Moses surveyed the Promise Land and is considered to be the place he died.

We sat overlooking the Jordan River Valley while Todd led us in devotions out of Deuteronomy 32 and 11. A key thought from our time in scripture was the emphasis on water. "Water the land, water the man," Both rely on the Lord's goodness.

The second stop of the day was Madaba at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church. The historical significance of this stop was to view an ancient map mosaic. This map detailed ancient villages and cities of the Jordan/Israel regions. Tremendous skill and artistry in all the artwork that was on display.

Finally, we set out for our BIG adventure of the day. This was the one we were warned to prepare for, physically: PETRA. As we followed our guide, Nahem, down gravel trails, things seemed at the mild to moderate physical level. As we continued down into the canyon we all began to get a sense of the distance we would travel.

Petra is an ancient city that utilized the mountains and ravines surrounding it on all sides as a natural barrier from enemies. The natural 'siq' that is the entrance to the city is stunning in its formation. The road is anywhere between twenty seven meters wide and down to three meters wide.

Walking this long and winding road, we saw pieces of the original road that had ruts carved by Roman chariots. We stopped several places along the way to view carvings in the walls of the rocks. There were carvings representing 'gods' of the periods and places to stop and worship.

As we wound down the path we dropped approximately 70 meters in elevation. Running alongside us was the carved stone aquaduct that brought water into the city from the spring outside the walls. Truly a marvel of engineering, this aquaduct included spots to wash and basic water filtration systems.

A quick turn in the rock road brought us to the end where the "Treasury" of Petra awaited us. Breathtaking. This carving is the one that is most closely associated with Petra in all the advertisements. To stand there at the base and marvel at the accomplishment of the carvings and size was breathtaking. Simple tools made of stone and hammers created an enduring masterpiece, which was actually created as a tomb.

From this point we moved further into what was the actual city of Petra. Many more tombs later, we continued to move deeper into the treasures that Petra held. We began our 'billy-goat' climb up the rock face of one mountain. Our guide took us to the top so that we could get the best view of the theater. Some were extremely brave and went to the edge. Others did not. Yikes.

We continued on with our cross-country trek, seeing more works of art carved into the stone. Along the way we also saw the great handiwork of God in the beautiful colors of stone and sediment layers.

Finally, coming to the obvious dead-end of Petra we collected our courage to make the long trip back out of the city. Each of us was looking for any alternative to the several hours of hiking we had just done, but the options appeared very limited. Groan.

Then, just when we all settled our mind on to the walk, a group of mangy donkeys, mules, and horses appeared. They were for us! Praise be.

Our trip out of the canyon took us up a steep mountain road. We all were all so grateful for the four footed steeds taking us up out of the city. Be sure to ask your loved one about their particular animal. Lots of fun stories will be told.

We boarded the bus and headed to Aqaba, where we are tonight. We are sitting by the Red Sea writing this and laughing and talking about our day. A long day....but a very good one.