Jordan - 2009

On our second day at Petra, we climbed to one of the lookouts high above the Treasury. Over the edge, this was the view. I sent a “coo-eee” down, but my voice cracked part way and we just laughed so much that I was unable to do a proper one.

Most of the tomb interiors are undecorated, and are only coloured by the natural rock. The Palace Tomb, one of the Royal Tombs, is especially beautiful.

In the foreground, the remains of Petra city. Most prominently, the great temple and the colonnaded street. In the background are the Royal Tombs. This photo is taken from a hilltop with the ruins of a Crusader Castle.

Looking across to the Great Temple in Petra. This structure was only discovered in the 1990's. It has some great nooks and crannies for exploration, and even had its own theatre.

Early evening in front of the Treasury, Petra.

Leaving the archaeological site, we captured the moon over the Obelisk Tomb, near the main entrance to Petra.

Shobak Castle, Jordan. This secret passage descends almost 400 steps, in pitch darkness, with many steps worn or missing. It starts in the castle, at the hilltop. Eventually, after walking or sliding down, listening to loose gravel bounce away from us in the darkness, we emerged at the base of the hill, a few hundred metres away from the walls. This secret passage could be used to bring supplies in to the castle during times of siege.

If Germans and Americans can run around Australia photographing kangaroo warning signs, then we can do the equivalent when we travel.

A layer of ash, a foot or so, covers all that remains of what was once a major town. While no records survive, some historians believe this to be Sodom (Gomorrah is just down the road, in a similar state). These towns were destroyed about 2300 BC, probably ending in a great blaze.