Day 09 - Petra, Lost City of the Nabateans

A sunrise camel ride in the desert of Lawrence of Arabia began our day complete with the theme song from the 1962 movie. We returned to the camp for breakfast and then loaded the bus for our trip to Petra. It was tough to say good-bye to Sun City Camp, which for GTI is like a second home. On the way to Petra, we learned about Jordanian culture and discussed the road we were traveling - the ancient ridge route of the Jordanian highlands known as the King’s Highway.

We arrived at the gateway of Petra and began our walk through the Siq (the ancient, hidden, canyon)mwhich allowed access to the enigmatic city in ancient times. Mohannad, our fantastic guide, gave us the history of the Nabatean people, who built the red-stone city, as we walked along the canyon and he  pointed out the various features of it such as cultic niches, Roman-era pavement stones, and rock-cut caravan reliefs.

At last, he surprised us with an breathtaking view of the Al-Khasne also known as the treasury. After some time enjoying the treasury, we toured other royal tombs as well as a Roman theatre.  We viewed the center of the ancient ruins of the city of Petra from a high trail above the city and enjoyed lunch in a restaurant at the edge of town..

After lunch, we all mounted mules and donkeys for our ride out of the canyon. We then checked in at our hotel. The evening ended with some free time, including  refreshments at the Cave Cafe and Bar, which used a 2,200 year old tomb to create a beautiful Middle-Eastern atmosphere.

A sumptuous buffet and off to bed  gets us ready for our last day of the tour.