Okie dokie Dr. Jones, hold onto your potatoes.. this is going to be a fun ride into some really cool stuff. We start this installment still in the land of Israel, Tel Aviv specifically.
Welcome to Eilat, Israel
Well I almost did it again with the getting to the airport on time. I had my choice of $40 USD by taxi or $2 USD by bus.. hmm… tough choice. So I’m waiting for my bus that is supposed to arrive at 7min after the hour and it’s now quarter after. After my Morocco experience I’m starting to wonder if I screwed up again. But then of course coming the other way down the street is bus 445.. my bus! Now I get to play Frogger dodging four lanes of moving traffic to make sure I get to the other side in time to catch the bus. Short story, I do and all is well but a little bit of a scare there. At the airport nothing monumental other than a shoulder to the vending machine to get it to accept my money so I can get my snickers bar. Oh and the plexiglass cubicle with holes drilled in the side for the smokers (see below) .. amusing!
Finally I get to Eilat, Israel and it is a brand spanking new airport. Beautiful, everything goes smoothly other than I cannot find an ATM so I have to negotiate a stop at an ATM with the taxi drivers. The one I get is dishonest as the day is long, I can tell as soon as I get in the taxi. He starts going off on Trump. I’m not getting into politics here, but I know as soon as a foreign taxi driver starts in on politics things are going to be bad.
Well we stop at a bank and of course the first three ATM’s I try don’t work and finally I get some money. Well when we get to the hotel, he tries to milk me for 50% more than the other taxi in front of him was going to charge me. I stand firm and get my price ’cause I already knew that was a “tourist” price that was ALREADY 50% higher than it should be.
Then the hotel .. wow.. I am SUPER pleased with the hotel. Spotless, I mean eat off the floor spotless. My room has a comfy bed, cold shower (yes this is a bonus to me), mini fridge and air con, what more could I want.
But now I’m hungry so off to find a meal (after of course being steered to every kickback location the front desk clerk wants to send me to). I find an amazing review on Google Maps for a place called Dolphin Baguette. I love it. Grilled Chicken with pesto and BBQ sauce all in a toasted baguette. AMAZING! So I got a second one for the road the next morning
Smoking in a box 
Beautiful Eilat Airport 
Welcome to Jordan Waiting at Jordan border Random Bedouin camels Random Bedouin goat herd 
View above Petra 
More View above Petra Massive wind farm
He Chose… Wisely
So yes finally to Petra. Better known to most Americans as the set to the end of the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie (think “The penitent man mus kneel before God”). It is actually the home to the ancient Nabataeans and is located along the King’s Road that ran from Damascus to Saudi Arabia. Petra was a toll collecting stop along this road and as such it was populated with traders, merchants and travelers. But like most of the inhabatents of this part of the world at that time they were Bedouin so they lived in their tents with their camels and goats and sheep with them. The did not live in the magnificent carved facades that we see left today. These are thought to be tombs instead.
So the first thing you see as you enter is one of these tombs .. and it is impressive. But it actually is only a pale hint to what is to come. Most famously the Treasury (Junior, don’t take the cup past the seal!). However there is so much more, the Royal Tombs, the caves where people actually still lived up until 1984 when it was converted to a UNESCO world heritage site.
But my favorite was the monistary. It doubled as a really cool Workout of the Day (WOD). 900 rock hewn steps and 1000 meters up the side of the mountain to find another magnificent structure (Ad Dier) carved into the sandstone. I tell you this was a hike, about 90 degrees, no air moving and stairs stairs stairs .. not to mention crap on a shelf shops everywhere hawking their wares to you as you drip sweat. “Only one Dinar, good price.. you buy, help my day.. only one Dinar”
The worst part of all of this is I had to do it in return! LOL To get to my Bedouin camp for the night I had to hike back down the 900 stairs, about 2 miles out of the canyon and up another hill to the tour company offices. I’m not ashamed to say I was wiped OUT by the end.
Welcome to Petra Burial Tomb They say elephant, I say skull First View of the Treasury The Royal Tombs Cave Tombs / Dwellings More Tombs / Dwellings 
The Treasury Mr, want a camel ride?!? Al Dinar (aka The Monastery) 900 Steps To The Monastery, and I Still Look Fresh!! Al Dinar – Petra, Jordan
Relaxing under the … stars?
Tonight’s accommodation was nice. They were Bedouin tents set up with beds. Let me tell you, when we got there around 6pm they were like sweat lodges! But the evening cooled off nicely to around 65-70 degrees and we sat around a fire, drank sweat tea and chatted with our companions. David and Gail (Dentist and wife) from Boston, Olaf and Anikka (daughter) and wife (sorry I can’t remember you name now… dang!) who live in CA work for Facebook but are good solid Germans from the motherland and Regula from Switzerland (not on our tour but sitting with us). There were about 45 people in all at the camp and it made for a lovely evening.
The food was mediocre to me so I’ll just say that. However nothing beat the feeling of a good cool shower that day.. It might have been one of the longest showers I have ever taken 🙂
Umm I got a little sweaty Seven wonders camp My tent Sunset from my bed Dining hall.. Buffett Hell Sunset Sunset The stars came out Hookahs by the Fire
So traveling companions, tomorrow we head to Wadi Rum for an experience in the desert. My trip just keeps getting hotter and hotter 🙂
Salaam Alaikum
http://Grant
Elephant.
http://john%20niester
hi bill this is john niester your brother sounds interesting put one foot in front of the other nice tombs glad the room was clean have fun.
http://Chris
WOW!
http://Michele
Great pictures. Love the tombs- so impressive what was accomplished with limited tools. Our early day engineers! Stay hydrated and enjoy!
http://Jacki
Amazing pictures, Bill! What an adventure. Also sounds totally exhausting but worth every step.
I see an elephant, not a skull : )
http://Marcus%20Brody
Some cool things Junior! Just remember to watch your step – in Latin Jehovah begins with an “I”. Glad you are having a fun time.
http://AmyB
Simply awesome!!!
As you rode away on your trusty stallion, I’m sure you blew someone’s cover and said, “We named the dog Indiana.” 🙂
http://Beatrice%20Niester
Bill,
I can see why you were so happy. This is what you live for. Amazing history. Amazing geography. Amazing company. 900 steps !!!!! 1000 feet u p!!!! Made my back ache and my breathing was cut short. You gotta be getting back in shape after this. I bet you are very glad you went to all those workouts. The terrain is a lot like Utah and the cliff dwellings out west, but, of course, on a much much grander scale. It is so hard to imagine they did all that work so long ago. Loved ALL of the pictures. The stars at night ……… Peaceful. Can’t wait for the next installment.