Steve and Ibrahim
Amman turned out to be a very nice, friendly place. The people are really warm. The highlight, of course, was the trip to Petra. I didn't really know much about Petra so it was a nice surprise. Our driver, Ibrahim, was a fun guy, very talkative after we got him warmed up. On the 3-hour drive there he gave a lesson in Islam and the Hajj, the trip to Mecca. We told him a few bible stories. Mostly, though, he talked about his 6 girlfriends scattered all over the Mideast. When we got stopped at a roadblock he opened the glovebox and pulled out a handful of ID cards, then proceeded to explain to the police that we were on business for the Jordanian Royal Family, which was apparently not so outlandish because they just nodded and we drove on.
To approach the site of Petra you walk down a narrow canyon, then enter into the Siq, a deep crevice in the mountain that extends nearly a kilometer. After walking 45 minutes through this channel suddenly you can see a narrow opening of light. Then, unbelievably, you are standing out in the open looking at a huge shrine carved out of the solid rock. The whole city is carved from the stone, tucked down into a protected valley. It was the perfect defense for the Nabateans, who built it around 6th century BC.
To approach the site of Petra you walk down a narrow canyon, then enter into the Siq, a deep crevice in the mountain that extends nearly a kilometer. After walking 45 minutes through this channel suddenly you can see a narrow opening of light. Then, unbelievably, you are standing out in the open looking at a huge shrine carved out of the solid rock. The whole city is carved from the stone, tucked down into a protected valley. It was the perfect defense for the Nabateans, who built it around 6th century BC.
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