Cats in Jordan

And one final cat. This kitten was one of a pair running around the empty restaurant at the hotel in Aqaba.

Some things really are worth doing twice

I posted almost exactly the same picture the first time I went to Petra. But it's worth seeing again.

I may post a few more Petra pictures at some point, if I find something I missed seven years ago. But for now, this is it.

The Obelisk Tomb

This actually a funereal duplex. The Obelisk Tomb is the structure on top, with the four obelisks probably representing four of the family members buried there. The lower structure, the Bab as-Siq Triclinium, was built at the same time (mid-first century AD), and was used for ritual banquets honoring the dead.

Cave tombs

Around the Djinn Blocks

You can see some of the caves and cave tombs behind the Djinn Blocks.

The Djinn Blocks

There are three of these enormous stone blocks on the road to the Siq; there are a total of 25 in Petra. They may have been meant to be tombs that were for some reason never completed, or the shape may be a reference to Dushara, the god of the Nabataeans, who was often portrayed as a block of stone.

In Arab folklore, a Djinn (the origin of our word genie) is a spirit, often malevolent, that can inhabit objects or people. The Bedouins believed that djinn lived in these stones.

Bab as-Siq

The Bab as-Siq is the road from the Petra Visitor Centre to the Siq entrance. It's maybe half a mile, but the first time I went to Petra, I rode a horse and couldn't take pictures. I thought I'd be able to take a better look on the way out, but I ended up leaving by the back entrance and didn't go through the Siq.

This time I walked, and though I was with a group and couldn't linger as much as I would have liked, it is very much worth exploring and I'm glad I finally got a chance.

Sunday bird blogging

It's sadly blurry, but this white wagtail I saw in Aqaba was not only a first for me, but also provides a handy segue into the last pictures of my Christmas trip, from Jordan.

Return to Petra

I don't have the time or energy to start on Ephesus, so here are a few pictures from the Siq at Petra instead.

I took so many pictures the first time I was there I didn't think I could possibly have found any more interesting stone formations, but I was wrong.

Sunday bird blogging

Here's an unimpressive picture of an impressive bird: a Eurasian hoopoe I saw near my hotel in Aqaba.

Aqaba

I'm staying at a very nice hotel, one of several right on the water. I have a balcony, and can look out over the beach to the Red Sea.

But the hotel is empty. There are a few families staying here and there were half a dozen kids playing in the pool this afternoon, but when I went down to the beach to walk through the water (it was too cold to swim) I was the only person there. There were several dozen lounge chairs set up, but it was just me and the attendant. I think I'm the only foreign tourist here, except for one man I saw at breakfast. When I ate lunch on the terrace, I was the only person there (at table 65!) and I was relieved to find some nuts I took from the cruise ship so I don't have to go down to dinner.

I'd like to come back some time when things are calmer. Just because no one is bombing them doesn't mean these people aren't also being hurt by the war. As it is, I'm happy to be flying home tonight, and very conscious of how lucky I am to be able to go.

Monday flashback: Petra

These are some of the rock faces inside the city. Time, weather, and the laws of geology have turned them into their own architecture, so that sometimes you can't tell what's manmade and what isn't.

And this is the end of Petra, and of Jordan. India is up next.

Some of the more luxurious options for eternal rest

Caves

Petra is full of caves, some man-made, some natural. They may have been tombs, for the peasants who couldn't afford a fancy façade, or they may have been dwellings. There's very little in the way of artifacts so it's impossible to tell -- the only story here is written in stone.

Entering Petra

There were a few other tourists in the Siq, but for most of the walk it was just me and my guide, Mahmout. Entering Petra, walking into this plaza in front of the iconic Treasury, was so thrilling I almost cried. And I was glad that there was suddenly a crowd because I was so happy I needed to be sharing it with other humans.

(Yes, I do remember what that feels like, barely -- humanity as something I want to be around rather than a collection of potential pandemic hosts I desperately want to avoid.)

The last of the Siq

Such beautiful stone.

Monday flashback -- Petra

A few of the tombs carved into the side of the mountain.

Saturday reflections

Not the most interesting reflection maybe, but since it's from Jordan -- near my hotel in Amman -- it fits in with the current set of flashback photos.

The Siq

The walk to Petra. The Siq is a mile long, and every inch of it is jaw-dropping.

Back to Jordan

I have more photos from Petra, starting with this mule for hire.

When I took this picture, I had no idea that I would be clinging to the back of that very mule a few hours later, on my way up the mountain to see the Monastery. I was and am grateful to the sturdy Suzo because I would never have made the trek on foot, but it wasn't exactly fun.

That I somehow managed not to fall off on one of those steep, slippery trails is definitely one of my proudest accomplishments.