Jordan Day 8 - Petra Rest Day

A welcome day off the bikes today, as we get chance to explore the ancient city of Petra, accompanied by a knowledgeable English-speaking guide. We set off through the narrow ‘Siq’ that leads to the heart of this site. The Nabataeans, an industrious people of Arab descent who came to this part of Jordan some 2000 years ago, created Petra. Ancient Petra was occupied for around 400 years at around the time of Christ. Later, it appears that the city lay entirely deserted and forgotten for a period of approximately 300 years before its more recent rediscovery in 1812.Approaching through the gloomy kilometre-long chasm of the Siq provides a dramatic contrast as we reach arguably the most spectacular of the city's rock-hewn buildings, the magnificent Treasury, with its intricately carved facade. There are over 800 individual monuments atPetra, including temples, tombs, arched gateways and entire streets, carved from the colourful native sandstone. Other highlights are the High Place of Sacrifice, which offers views across the whole area, and the Monastery that is even bigger than the Treasury and is reached by way of 800 steps. The guide will be with the group for 3 hours or so, after which time you are free to relax or continue with independent sightseeing. We return to spend a second night at our hotel in Wadi Musa. - KE Adventure Trip Notes

Rest day? I am exhausted from all that walking! This is my second visit and I got to see the Monastery which I missed last time as it was a one day tour from Eilat with more time travelling than on site. For me, my first EFI day, although the Poms did an extra climb to the lookouts past the Monastery. For much more information on the amazing Petra, click this link Petra

Thanks again to Andrew Douglas for the photos.