Petra

The next day, we left for Petra.   On the way, we toured Little Petra for a taste of what we would see when we visited the holy city of Petra. Little Petra was used as a resting place for the caravans that travelled from the Far East to Europe.

snow left two weeks after it fell

Petra cannot be seen from the road.  It is hidden in the canyons.

Little Petra

We got up early to visit the holy city of Petra. We would spend most of the day climbing up to the top of three high points--each high point included anywhere from 650 to 850 steps to the top.  We even got a view from above  the Treasury,  the most recognizable carved building in Petra.

Top of a column at the Treasury

The Treasury

Looking at the Treasury from above

It is a long way down 

Lion Fountain

Garden Temple

Roman soldier's tomb

Interior of the Roman soldier's tomb.  You could put two or three of our houses inside this tomb.

Monastery

Pieces of the Great Roman Temple

Great Roman Temple

Mosaic Floor of a Christian Church

Silk Tomb--the exterior is so smooth it looks like silk

They carved two waterways on opposite sides of the canyon.  The lower one brought in water for general use.  The second waterway was up higher on the opposite wall and was hidden.  This hidden channel carried drinking water.

Waterway carved in the walls of the canyon

Leaving the Holy city of Petra

After an exciting and exhausting day, we collapsed into bed to dream of floating in the Dead Sea.