At the end of the 1.2 km walk through The Siq, the walls towering to as much as high as 190m above the you, the space as narrow as 3m at times, with each turn you are eagerly awaiting the sight at the end, and finally you are rewarded with Al Khazneh - the Treasury of Petra
I first dreamt of seeing Petra when I read about it in an Agatha Christie mystery "An Appointment with death" and later by visions of it from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I finally achieved that dream on 4 January 2006 when I travelled alone to Jordan specifically to see Petra. I was a little anxious due to bombing attacks in Jordan shortly before my visit, but that was not enough to deter me.
As I walked around (in my minds eye) I had Hercule Poirot on one side and Indiana Jones on the other. As you walk around Petra you are often approached by locals offering a lift on donkey or camel which is the only transport within the area, the first time I heard the hopeful enquiry "donkey taxi" I was mildly amused, after 8-9 hours of hearing it numerous times I was glad I had my iPod. There are certain songs that still bring back vivid memories of sitting on a hilltop overlooking the valley.
This magical "rose red city" Petra was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom from around the 6th century BC. It later was made part of the Roman Empire in AD 106 and the Romans continued to expand the city. An earthquake destroyed buildings and the water management systems around AD 663. Overtime the city was abandoned and largely forgotten to the outside world. Swiss explorer, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, disguised as an Arab scholar/pilgrim, was taken there by the bedouins he had befriended around 1812. It was declared to be UNESCO world heritage site in 1985.
@chewyteeth I kind of like being a James Bond type, maybe I need to ham up this element up a bit. Not that I really need to, we had a lot of bombs in Islamabad, also a few around the time I was in Jakarta ... 80,000 died in the earthquake in Pakistan, the riots on Christmas Island and so on... then I seek it out with the great white sharks an so on
@bobfoto thank you, I am really enjoying the opportunity to revisit my photos, the experiences and associated memories.
When my life here seems a little dull and ordinary it is wonderful to be reminded how many great things I have been fortunate enough to do and it is great.
I am sure you feel the same, reliving your time in PNG, I am certainly looking forward to each new shot of story that you share.
I am very glad you inspired and encouraged this new direction for the 2nd year on 365
@lbmcshutter - Its gonna make for an interesting 366. Because I know I cannot just go out and take a shot, or a selfie... all the shots have been done, I just gotta remember where I put them ;)
I can't get over the detail and beautiful pink of the building peeping out between the rocks. When I saw Indiana Jones I thought it was all movie-magic and found it hard to believe it was a real place! What a magical place
When my life here seems a little dull and ordinary it is wonderful to be reminded how many great things I have been fortunate enough to do and it is great.
I am sure you feel the same, reliving your time in PNG, I am certainly looking forward to each new shot of story that you share.
I am very glad you inspired and encouraged this new direction for the 2nd year on 365