The fencing and barbwire had the decided feel of a military installation. We paid the fees, (“plastic” works here), and walked the distance to the Jordan side of the border. It was very windy AND the sand was blowing. Welcome to the Negev!With our passports stamped and visas in hand, we met Walid, our Jordanian guide. Our adventure was under way as we headed north on the Kings Highway through Aqaba to Wadi Rum. I wasn’t sure if my eyes were burning from the sand or the lack of sleep. After a mere 4 hours of shuteye, I was expecting a bit of” down” time; it was not to be!
The first things that you notice about the highway are the periodic speed bumps that require vehicles to slow down significantly. Think about this for a minute; who in their right mind would put speed bumps in the middle of a major road that extends from the southern port of Aqaba through Ammon to the northern border of the country? The King's Highway is one of the oldest trade routes in the world and runs for more than 200 miles through Jordan.
We learned about the history of Wadi Rum in a video at the visitors’ center; you only have to walk outside for the first of many breath taking sites: Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
The paved roads end at the visitor’s center, so we headed out in two open 4 WD Jeeps to explore the great sand box known as Wadi Rum. This desert interior is a series of wadis linked by the imposing red sandstone mountains (A wadi is valley, gully, or streambed that remains dry except during the rainy season.) 
This might have been the first time that I thought the native Arab headscarf, a "keffiyah" would be useful against sun, wind and windblown sand. It was the headgear of choice.There are traces of ancient civilizations in the many carvings that are found throughout the area, from pictographs to Thamudic, Nabatean and Arabic texts. The most enduring monuments in Wadi Rum, however, are those carved by Nature - the natural rock bridges, the towering rose-colored sand dunes and challenging peaks. It is a climbers’ dream.
The smooth rock faces are the granite showing through the worn down limestone.We ran up and down the sand dunes, and the more adventurous climbed to the top of the arch. Burdah Rock Bridge. This natural wonder stands 35 meters high and is considered one of the highest arches in the world.
The Bedouin people that inhabit the area still maintain their semi-nomadic lifestyle.
They are a hospitable tribe and offer a friendly welcome to visitors, often inviting them to sit and enjoy a coffee or sweet tea. Malka was enjoying Bedouin hospitality in the tent.
Wadi Rum’s claim to fame is the movie Lawrence of Arabia. Much of David Lean’s 1962 epic movie starring Peter O Toole, Alec Guiness and Omar Sharif was filmed on location here.
This spot is the ruins of Lawrence’s house; Raffi thought he had located us on the map, which was good as the jeeps were barely surviving the heat! It took many great minds to diagnose the problem. 
The best was the Tourist Police Officer who accompanied us on this outing. He was one cool dude!
There were many stops on the return trip for jeep maintenance; it’s amazing they were still running.
As we headed back to the visitors’ center with a setting sun,
the landscape was vast, echoing and almost God-like. There were seemingly endless landscapes with either camel tracks or 4WD tracks. With the changing light, the cliffs turn a deep red.
The monolithic rocks appear to rise from the desert. It was quite a day…We were staying at the Movenpick Hotel in Aqaba. It was almost
9 pm by the time we checked in. The luck of the draw had me registered in a lovely suite. What a waste to be a solo traveler on this night!
We had an early departure planned for Petra in the morning. I would going with my new family: The Golombs: mom: Dahlia, dad: Eli, son: Elad, and grandfather: David and of course, our intrepid Bedouin tour guide, Walid.
Since Petra was named one of New Seven Wonders of the World in July 2007, its popularity has soared. The ancient Nabatean city of Petra, the legendary lost city carved into the walls of a hidden desert canyon, is the most famous of Jordan's many dazzling sites. Petra is a stunning city carved from a cliff face. It is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site, since 1985, and a world-renowned monument.
The Nabataeans were a powerful Arab dynasty around the 3rd century BC. The meeting point of several major Nabataean caravan routes, Petra grew as a centre of commerce. It flourished for centuries until the Romans occupied it in 106 AD. Then, shipping routes replaced camel routes and Petra fell into decline. The site remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, when it was re-discovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.
The only modes of transport allowed within Petra are on two feet or on four feet (camel, donkey, or horse). Horses are available for travel to the entrance of the Siq, or you can choose to take a horse-drawn buggy through the Siq.
Princess Alia Clinic/Brooke Hospital for Animals, located just inside the entrance to the park, educates owners about then humane treatment of equestrian working animals and treats the animals at no cost. Walid’s brother, a vet, runs the program. There are times that the donkeys, horses and camels are mistreated either through overwork, or carrying overweight tourists or being excessively whipped. The Brooke Clinic strives to improve conditions for the working animals.
The "city" is only accessible through a narrow cleft in the rock, known as the Siq. The Siq, is a winding, 2 mile-long fissure ((in places only 3–4 meters wide) in rose-red sandstone cliffs over 300 feet high. Just walking through the Siq is an experience in itself. The colors and formations of the rocks dazzle your senses.
As you near the end of the Siq, there are glimpses of the city that are OMG (oh my God) moments.By far the most famous, and most beautiful of Petra's buildings, the Khazneh, or Treasury, is the view that greets you as you come to the end of the narrow Siq.
Its name Kazneh means "treasure" and comes from the Bedouin belief that the Pharaoh chasing the Israelites hid his treasure in the urn at the top of the Kazneh. It was carved in the early 1st century as the tomb of an important Nabataean king and represents the engineering genius of these ancient people. This is also the place that was made famous by National Geographic and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (as the resting place of the Holy Grail).
At its end, the Siq emerges into a sunlit canyon surrounded on all sides by magnificent cliffs into which the Nabateans carved hundreds of temples, tombs, burial chambers, dining halls, baths, staircases and other amazing structures. The site had all its water piped in through clay water channels you can still see in the Siq. When Romans captured the site, they built more temples and a Roman theater seating 3,000. Today you can see the city's central street, several large stone temples and other buildings, but most of this 20-square-mile city hasn't even been excavated yet.
Throughout Petra, vendors will offer bottles of decorative sand art.
While they may appear similar to other such souvenirs found on locations, these are unique in that the sand used to create the art is naturally colored sand that is scraped from the rock walls of various Petra canyons. Walid demonstrated great technique.
We (me, my adopted family and Walid) opted for a donkey ride up to the Monastery and a walk down. Riding a donkey is an experience onto its own. The donkeys required little direction, as they knew their way up the steps by heart. Dahlia’s complaint that they smelled was very true! It was quite a site at the top; it was also teaming with humanity.
At first glance, the Monastery's facade is much like the Treasury, but it is larger measuring 50 m wide and 45 m high and much less ornate — in fact, there's virtually no decoration at all. The flat plaza in front provided an area that could contain the huge crowds that gathered for religious ceremonies. The Monastery is the largest tomb façade in Petra. Despite its name, it was built as a tomb monument. The journey is well worth it: all 847 steps (according to Walid). There are sweeping views of the entire Petra basin.
The next day was a day off for me. After 2 very long jammed packed days in Jordan, I thought I should take advantage of the 4 star hotel and hangout! The view from my balcony was of the City of Aqaba beneath its protective mountain range. I started with pictures from the balcony and the detail work of the hotel.
I spent most of the day staying cool in one of many bodies of water!
I rendezvoused with the group at Wadi Rum and we drove to Petra for an overnight.
My second day at Petra would entail an early morning hike to The High Place of Sacrifice. Walid sent me off with directions and a meeting place later in the day..High Sacrifice is a popular destination in Petra. The site at the top of the mountain contains elaborate rock altars used for sacrifices.
From the High Place, one can view much of Petra from above. From the top I could see for miles and we began to get an appreciation for how big the area actually is. The trek down the backside of the mountain reveals many interesting tombs and carvings. The colorful rock striations inside the tombs are amazingly beautiful.
Excavations have demonstrated that it was the ability of the Nabataeans to control the water supply that led to the rise of the desert city, by creating an artificial oasis. The area is visited by flash floods and archaeological evidence demonstrates the Nabataeans controlled these floods by the use of dams, cisterns and water conduits.
These innovations stored water for prolonged periods of drought, and enabled the city to prosper.On the way back down I followed the route down the beautiful Wadi Farasa (Butterfly Valley), which still remains the highlight of my trip.
The garden tomb was fantastic and I was able to go inside many of the ancient buildings and tombs I was able to listen in on some English speaking guides with small groups, but for the most part, I was enjoying the tombs, the goats, the vistas and the solitude.My approach to the crossroads gave me a very different vantage point to see the excavation of the Great Temple.
On the street level it is barely noticeable; from the backside of the Sacrifice, 
the ruins were impressive. Brown University, alma mater of Marj and Hank (my parents), currently has an excavation team at Petra. Here is a link to their website, which has a succinct history.http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Anthropology/Petra/excavations/history
The real beauty of Petra, in addition to its antiquities, is the ever-changing hues of the canyon walls. As the sun sets on this day, I was leaving Jordan and flying back to Tel Aviv for a flight to Philadelphia on the following day.
Saying goodbye is never easy; this Jordanian excursion felt like the frosting on the cake!
And the adventure continues…
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