The last couple of weeks were hectic as we made a short trip to Oz for a wedding and then returned to Bahrain via Thailand and Jordan. We got back to Bahrain a couple of nights ago and it's nice and cool now, there's a definite chill in the air and it's been raining too...the warm, balmy nights of just a couple of months ago seem like a distant memory.
In Bahrain, just a few raindrops can cause chaos on the roads and even minor flooding (the roads here weren't really built for wet conditions) so when a friend told us (just before we got back) that there was "lots of rain" - we were skeptical. It turns out the rain did wreak some havoc as we returned home to find our phone/internet and television out of order. Luckily, in Bahrain - tradesmen don't make you wait -even on weekends (clearly, there is a surplus of labour in the country - we're not complaining). So it's all fixed and we're back in business.
Anyway, getting back to our sightseeing - Petra in Jordan was definitely a highlight. Getting there was a bit of a disaster - it's a 3.5 hour car trip from the Dead Sea (where we stayed) - and we chose to take the scenic route up to Mt Hor (where Petra is located), which didn't really agree with poor H's tummy. So a couple of vomits later, we made it there to see this amazing site:
Also knows as the Rose City (because of its colour) or the Lost City (as it was unknown to the Western world until 1812), Petra was once home to the Nabatean people and provided a centre for their caravan trade around 100BC. My understanding is that Petra is also referred to in the Qur'an in Sura Al-Fajr where it is called "Thamud".
People say it usually takes up to 4-5 days to explore all of Petra - we were there just 4 hours!
Just a glimpse of our snaps...
Holiday's over - back to real life!
Wow! Very Indiana Jones! And great (for tourists, maybe not the site?) that you could get so close to the structures.
ReplyDeleteWhat was inside the large (famous) building?
Yep, the main building is known as the Treasury building (the main one featured in Indiana Jones). Nothing is inside the structures and you can't go inside the main one. Surprisingly, they're pretty well preserved - despite all the tourists.
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