Petra Trippin’

Nabataen Guard Salute

Bruce and I took Meme down into the park today, passing down through the As-Siq to The Treasury where Bruce worked with the PAP Ranger. Meme & I visited the shop of my nephew Makmud/Makmood (where they call me “Uncle Phil”) at the base of the Stairway to the High Place of Sacrifice for some tea. Then we traveled on past the Theatre, into the Temple at the Temenos Gate, the Qasr al-Bint and up the stairway to Ad-Deir/The Monastery.

Meme at Ad-Deir

In all my pedometer said 7.62 miles (but, I think it needs to be recalibrated = it isn’t that far).  As we proceeded out to the final view point above the Monastery we saw the sign indicating: “The End of the World” and noticed it is pointing west to Wadi Araba and that un-named country in that direction, across the rift valley that contains the Dead Sea.

Meme was very popular with many shop-keepers (Atef, Menaul, and Noel) scoring gifts from Bedouin hospitality in the form of Jordanian made cloth and jewelry. I chipped-in with some silver and moonstone ear-rings. We have all been invited to Atef’s for dinner tonight (inshallah), and Meme heard that  am now considered a Bedouin local (they are so kind with their inclusion). I might be wrong, but Meme was probably not offended by the times she was told how much younger she is than me. I certainly enjoyed hearing her being told what a "good fellow" I am...

Tomorrow afternoon Meme & I journey to Wadi Rum for tour and stay at a Bedouin camp, followed by a couple of boat dives in the Red Sea (from Aqaba) the next day. Sunday is a national holiday (Labor Day: May 1^st) so we’ll probably head to the Dead Sea for another look-see. Might not be posting for a bit…