The ancient city of Petra

We walked down the dusty road and passed between the giant rocks and suddenly we were walking through the cavernous rocks towards the ancient city of Petra. Petra city existed as a market, meeting place, hidden city from Romans and marauding tribes on the route of the camel caravans from the port of Aqaba in the Sth to Mecca in Saudi in the east. I loved the treasury building which was also the calendar. 12 columns, 31 flowers, 7 animals all carved into the rock. I also climbed the 1000 steps, up and up to the Monastery right at the top with spectacular views of the surrounding area and the valley of Wadi Arabia. Petra too is the home of the Bedouin people, who wander, tend their flock of animals, make and sell jewelery in Petra and are so apt at hiding between rocks and in the caves. We met Essam's best friend Tazarn who is Bedouin, born in a cave in Petra. He took us out onto a rocky hill top by his tent were we enjoyed billy tea Bedouin style and his stories. For a man who can't read and write, his English was spectacular. There are lots of kids making a dinar or two offering camel and donkey rides to the tourists. School is not a priority for this group, instead they prefer to learn the language of the tourist and gather what un-taxable revenue they can. Hash was also evident and available. I watched this old lady make herself this cigarette as she sold her jewelery. Somewhere in and around these hills and caves lives the NZ lady who wrote the book Married to a Bedouin, which is for sale from her shop in the newer town of Petra. So old, so fabulous and so hidden away.