"A week in Jordan" a Jordan Travel Page by guilbert

You enter Petra through the siq a natural gorge which is 1km long, with water channels on both sides, their are many carvings on the rock face of the siq and many monuments, the largest niche monument being two god blocks facing people on their way out of the city. A beam of strong light breaks in at the close of the siq and you get your first glimpse of the treasury through the tall narrow opening, it was clearly designed to strike awa into all who entered Petra. From the Treasury the outer siq leads to the theatre and the wide bowl of Petra. The walk to the summit of Jabal Madhbah and the High Place of Sacrifice is tough but well worth the climb. The climb to the monastery via a series of steps is also well worth a visit.

The unique geology of the Wadi, its history and majestic vastness are a splendour which can be appreciated immediately. Over thousands of years the Bedouin have become another element of this environment. "It is the wind the clever surrealist sculptor still at work, which has carved the walls of rock" The desert of the Wadi Rum known as the Valley of the Moon lies in the southern part of the Kingdom of Jordan. Over 4000 rock inscriptions are scattered, dating from various epochs, many of the reproduce hunting scenes. With the passage of time writing, usually difficult to interpret was added to the simple hunting scenes. The two best known places: Lawrence of Arabia's spring and Jebel Khazali, in whose narrow gorge are the main rock inscriptions found in the area can be visited in a day but if you can extend your visit the Nabataean temple, the Thamudic, Kufic and Bedouin rock inscriptions and pre-Islamic tombs are of great interest. During the hotter hours of the day the sun is scalding and the air is dry; one dare not undertake a visit without a head-covering of some sort, sun glasses, protective sun cream and a bottle of water.

Aqaba a coastal town with a population of 70, 000 is strategically important and it is the country's only seaport. The town borders Eilat and Israel and there is a border post where it is possible to cross between the two countries. The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. Occupying a part of the Great Rift Valley, it has extensive narrow shelves noted for their marine life and corals. It is a very popular area for divers.