The Monestary


Us at the Treasury

Petra

Sore, but happy best describes us after two days in Petra. We've trekked about the place for hours and still have another day to go. Yesterday we stayed closer to the Treasury and climbed around the Royal Tombs. We also took the tough climb up to a hidden gem of the ancient city, the Place of High Sacrifice. There was a cult in the town that believed in the sacrifice of animals, and they would do so upon this high cliff platform looking out over the entire region.

After a few hours of trekking yesterday (and enjoying the occasional stop of baclava, we have found the best yet in Petra) we popped into a pub at the Petra Palace Hotel. Of course other joined us and we ended up staying the entire afternoon and into the evening talking with an English teacher working in Cyprus and a few Aussies working on an archaeological dig in the region. Feeling surprisingly fine this morning despite Petra beer being 8%.

A Night in the Arabian Desert and First Thoughts on Petra

We spent Australia Day (as we found out upon arriving at Sunset Camp, when a hopeful Australian, Jason, approached inquiring as to our nationalities) traveling through Wadi Rum in a 4x4. Leaving early from Aqaba, we arrived at the Gate (right next to the famous Seven Pillar's of Wisdom) to the Wadi Rum Protectorate at around 10am.

We started the journey after tea with the tour organizer Mohammad. Five hours took us through some of the most amazing desert scenery in the world. The landscape that Laurence traversed almost one hundred years ago is best seen at this time of year. We hardly ran into any tourists, the exception being a large tour group who we only saw at one point, of course they were all sporting white headdresses quite similar to those worn by the famous Englishman.

We arrived at Sunset Camp a bit before the sun went down. Greeted by the fore- mentioned Aussie, a young Frenchman and a Dutch couple all volunteering at the camp in order to save some money to continue traveling.

A little later on a group of three Americans, one Canadian and one French woman showed up after doing the same trip as us. We had a great time discussing the state of global affairs over some lovely Bedouin food prepared by the Sudanese cook. More pictures and info on Sunset Camp can be viewed at http://www.wadirumsunset.com/.

Getting up early we enjoyed another desert sunrise before catching a taxi to Wadi Mussa, the town which provides tourist services for those visiting Petra.

The hotel we chose has been great. The very funny manager Moussa has made us feel very welcome, the breakfast is great and they ferry us to Petra whenever we would like. Last night, he arranged tickets for us to see Petra at Night. What an absolutely amazing experience it is to walk down the path or the Siq, that leads to the Treasury by candle light.

Upon arriving at the Treasury, we were offered tea and then entertained with Bedouin music and stories. It is by far the best way to first see Petra.

We have purchased a three day pass and spent our first full day climbing up the 800 steps to what has to be the most impressive part of the whole ancient Nabataean town, the Monastery. Petra is so much bigger than the most famous Treasury, and it is believed that 80 percent is still uncovered. After day three I will write more of our experiences around this world wonder, for now I am very tired.

Dahab and Sinai Photos

The beach in Dahab with the Moutains of the Sinai in the background and at the top of Mt. Sinai at sunrise.

Up Mt. Sinai and on to Jordan

Yesterday, after a lengthy wait for the ferry in Nuweiba, we arrived in Aqaba, Jordan. Two days prior to our exit we took-on the all-night challenge of climbing Mt. Sinai. Leaving from Dahab by shared taxi at 11:30pm, we arrived at St. Catherine's Monastery a bit after 2:00am. The seven kilometer hike up the mountain, with oxygen slowly decreasing took us about three hours; of course that included stops along the way to rest and snack. Our trip was also a bit slower because one of the ladies decided it would be a grand idea to wear sandals (no she was not a pilgrim, she just didn't research before she made her decision).

It was a bit touch going, even for the both of us who have done a bit of hiking in our times, but the end result was worth it. After an hour of sleep just below the summit, we ascended to take in the incredible sunrise over the Sinai desert. Although a bit chilly, it was well worth it.

The descent was of course much easier and we got to take in the view we missed on our middle-of-the-night trek up. The Monestary, though not fully open to the public, was interesting to peek at. What is believed to be The Burning Bush and all.

Arriving back in Dahab at noon, our final full day in Egypt was spend sleeping. We arose the next morning to a power outage, so no showers after the long hike and before the long boat journey (only about 2 hours, although they quote one, and of course it was also two hours late).

We are not in The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and happy to be here. Although the accommodation is a bit more than we have become accustom to in Egypt(40JD for a mid range hotel, the JD being worth between one pound sterling and one euro), the food, so far, is great and the people friendly. We have already seen the sights of Aqaba and are curious as to what we will do for the next two days. Those sites include a small museum, which houses the result of excavations done by students and staff from my Alma mater The University of Victoria and funded by the Canadian Government. We also walked about the Aqaba Castle, a fortress started by the Crusaders and added on throughout the ages.

I suspect the next couple of days will be spent figuring out how we'll be getting to Wadi Rum and where we'll be staying. Pictures will be up shortly of the previously explained adventures.

A Week in Dahab

Located on the South Sinai, one hour north of Sharm El-Sheikh is the small town of Dahab. Built up over the past twenty years or so, or since the Egyptians took it back in 1982, this place is a chilled out destination for travellers and ex-pat scuba divers alike.

We've spent the past week at the Red Sea Relax Resort completing our open water scuba course. Usually it takes the average person four days to complete the course; we begin day six tomorrow, due to some unpredicatable problems with my small ear canals, which are quite full of water. Tomorrow will complete our final dive to 18 meters among some pretty interesting coral.

Apart from our underwater adventures we've just been relaxing. The beach is lined with restaurants, which all have lounge chairs looking out at the Sea. The cuisine is more international for the most part, and the seafood is fresh. Our absolute favorite place, which we usually eat at once per day, is an Indian restaurant called Nirvana. The dishes are gorgeous. All come with fresh naan bread, basmati rice and salad. So way too much for one, so we usually share a dish between the two. The guy behind the stove has found himself a goldmine cooking up his mom's dishes. Tom has a serious addiction to the strawberry milkshakes, which are better than most I have tried at home.

Plans for the next couple of days are to continue reading and swimming out in the relaively warm water (abou 21C), and of course to take in the excitement going on in Washington. Nothing but excitement here in Egypt as well.

Our next destination will be Aquaba, Jordan, but not before we head out into the Sinai Desert to climb Gebel Musa, Mt. Sinai.

A Few More of Egypt

Around Luxor Temple