Petra and Camels

I woke yesterday with my headache intact and a bit of a scratchy throat. I determined that my headache was likely due to sinuses rather than migraine, given that several people on our tour, including my roommate, have colds. I took a painkiller/decongestant and felt much better for the day, although I was still a bit weak and off my game.

We had an early start to Petra but by the time we arrived shortly after 7:30 there were already a dozen or so tour buses in the parking lot. We started down the path with our guide pointing out every little tomb and carving along the way. It was interesting but I was so anxious to get to the "Treasury" that I was hardly paying attention. We finally reached the canyon proper which was really magnificent. It is quite narrow in most spots and the original water troughs run along both sides. Finally the moment arrived and we walked out of the canyon to face the "Treasury", which is actually a large tomb that everyone thought must have been a treasury at one time. Despite having seen tons of photographs of it, it didn't fail to awe. It's really beautiful and absolutely huge.

We spent the rest of the day exploring Petra. The tour took us through most of the morning then we hiked up to the monastery which offered great views of the surrounding area as well as a sighting of Aaron's tomb on a nearby mountain top. We had lunch on the site and then had a couple of hours free to explore on our own. While the ruins are perhaps not as perfect or exciting as the ones at Ephesus or Palmyra, they were especially beautiful to me, I think because of the setting. The rocky hills are very rugged and colourful, much like Mustang is. The fact that the ruins are all carved into the rock rather than built from it also makes them very impressive.

We were pretty exhausted by the end of the day and at about 3:00 we climbed aboard the bus for a short journey to Wadi Rum. We stayed out on the edge of the desert in the tourist version of a Bedouin camp. Even though we were sleeping in tents, it was very comfortable with real beds,cement floors and fully functional bathrooms. We had a lovely dinner which we watched them take out of a pit in the sand. Later we sat around a campfire chatting a drinking a few cocktails. Some locals serenaded us with traditional music and we all danced together. I didn't stay up late as I was beat from the day and whatever bug it is that I'm trying to fight off. The good news is that there was no mosque for miles around which meant I slept past 4:00 AM for the first time in weeks.

We got up early this morning for a post-sunrise camel ride. Riding a camel is only slightly more comfortable than riding and elephant, but I did okay even though my hips were sore from a night on a very hard bed. The scenery was absolutely stunning - miles of desert surrounded by huge cliffs of beautifully coloured rock. This is Lawrence of Arabia territory, if that helps give you a mental picture. Even though we could see a highway in the distance, it was too early for traffic so it was absolutely silent and so peaceful. I could have used another day or two out there to enjoy a respite from the city.

We are now in Aqaba on the coast of the Red Sea. There's not much to do here, and I've wandered around as much as I want to so will take a couple of hours before dinner to lie down with a book. I don't know what is wrong with me as it is unlike anything I've experienced before. I feel like I'm on the cusp of a cold but given it's been three days, I'm wondering when it's going to hit full-on. I'd really like to drain my sinuses and get this pressure out of my head, even if it means sniffling, sneezing and having a red nose for a few days.

Tomorrow we ferry across the Red Sea to Egypt and spend the following day at the beach. Very much looking forward to it.