1 down, 6 to go

Seeing one of the wonders of the world is....pretty awesome. Yeah, so I hit one of those up this past weekend. Recently chosen as one of the newest wonders of the world, Petra is an gorgeous display of ancient craftmanship and artistry dating thousands of years old. It is a spectacular site that shows both the history and the culture of the ancient Nabataeans. So it was pretty cool. And the 7 hour hike to get there didn't hurt much either.

Well, backing up a bit, I went on a trip with my program down to the south of Jordan to visit Petra this past weekend. We made a stop at Karak Castle, a 2000 year old castle that is one of the largest and best Crusader castles in the region. So, basically, lots of history, lots of information. Some pretty cool photos.

Then we headed on down to Petra. We made camp at the only Bedouin camp inside Petra. Sat by the camp fire, drank some tea, climbed some rocks, slept in some tents...all the usual. The next morning is when all the fun stuff began. Waking up at 6 am, we began our hike an hour later. The sun began beating down our backs at about 7:30am. We took a back route through Petra, so not the normal route through the Siq and to the Treasury (the Treasury is the most famous part of Petra). We saw the Monestary, so called because a cross was found carved into the facade. It's actually a tomb for some important person. Most of the monuments in Petra are carved into the sandstone and mainly tombs, funerary halls, temples, etc. A little morbid, but on the whole some pretty stunning sights.

We ended up at the Treasury (see picture below). It's out of this world. The architecture and artistry is stunning. This building isn't actually a treasury, but is believed to be either a tomb or a temple. It was a great end to a really fantastic hike.

Well, the walk ended around 4 (with an hour break in the middle), but a nice little jaunt through the sandstone. But Petra is gorgeous and deserves a second visit....in shah allah I'll be able to go back. Actually headed out to Egypt in less than 24 hours for Spring Break! 9 days visiting some of the most amazing sites on Earth...gotta love it. Oh, and I'll be able to knock off another Wonder of the World too while I'm at it.

Karak Temple, one of the best preserved Crusador forts in the world...i think.

The blazing sun. Gotta love it.

The walk to the sites. Some stunning views.

A picture of the Monestary. Almost as cool as the Treasury,

and finally...the Treasury! Probably the most famous part of Petra. It's stunning...you really do have to see it.