The Oldest Bar in the World

It's true irony that the Cave Bar, the oldest bar in the world, is in Jordan, an Islaamic country in which alcohol is forbidden. People have been drinking here in the cave for over 2000 years. I was fortunate to get these pictures yesterday because today it's SNOWING and I may never have a chance to hoist one at the oldest bar in the world. There is also the small issue of roads being closed, so I'm beginning to worry about getting back to Amman to make my flight to Cairo. I'll just worry about that tomorrow......

Petra Magic

One of the locals told me - "all of the other Gulf countries have petrol, we have Petra." Petra is the monument that draws people to Jordan, but Wadi Musa is the small town (16,000 people) that hosts all the visitors to Petra. The town is at the top of a hill and it is a major hike down and up the hill to visit the site.

Petra as Community

The name Petra, for many, is associated with the Treasury building, carved out of the red sandstone mountain - just as you see it in the Indianna Jones movie. It is actually an entire community, also carved out of the sandstone rockface. The photo is of an ampitheatre, but there are also caves used for homes, caves used for tombs, and also an indentation that runs through the entire community that brings fresh water through the community.

Your Camel is Waiting.

You can take any combination of camel ride, horse and buggy ride, horseback ride, or mule ride to see Petra, but after being there, I highly recommend going through Petra on foot. If you must, take a cab to get to the visitor's entrance, but any of the ride choices through Petra takes away from the experience of seeing this extraordinary place for the first time. Part of the impact is the slow reveal and catching that first glimpse of the Treasury through a small crack in the passageway. It's one of those moments.

Petra Restaurant/ Gift Shp

While you are traveling through the passageways of Petra, you find a small rest stop run by Bedouins where you can buy overpriced trinkets or something to drink. The spot is so remote that I was amazed to see the cats resting along with the tourists.

The Last Crusade

If you saw the movie "Indianna Jones and the Last Crusade" you saw Harrison Ford galloping on a horse through the Petra passageways of sandstone rock. During the summer the movie is shown throughout the town of Wadi Musa until everyone is sick of it.
I was lucky on the day I visited. I had the place almost to myself, but as I was leaving I passed massive tour groups making there way in. This is off-season for Petra so I can't imagine dealing with the crowds in the narrow passageways during peak season.

The Petra Moment

There are times in our lives when we come across something that is so remarkable - we know that we will carry the memory of that first sight forever. The Grand Canyon was like that for me - and now Petra.

Petra: Master of the Slow Reveal

You have to walk almost half a mile between sandstone cliffs before you see the golden light and faint outline of a carved temple ahead of you.

Petra Treasury, Wadi Musa, Jorden

The entire Petra area was carved out of the sandstone cliffs by the Nabateans, a pre-Roman group of Arabs who contolled the frankincense trade. It remained hidden for 100s of years until a Swiss explorer named Burckhardt, disquised as an arab, accidently discovered it in 1812. He was also the explorer who discovered Abu Simbel, the Egyptian temple that I hope to visit on Feb 21.

The Petra Treasury