petra has come and gone...

i made it to petra in one piece, sniffles and all. i found myself taking a lot of pictures to preserve what i was experiencing yet really, a picture cannot even begin to share what it feels like to walk through the rose stone city of Petra which was built in the 3rd century BC by the Nabataeans. the huge sandstone clifs provided the area where they carved palaces, temples, tombs and more. the picture provided is of Al-Deira (the monastery) and proved to be a worthwhile hike through a long rock-cut staircase to it and to a fantastic view of Jebel Haroun. next stop, Aqaba, by the sea or the Gulf of Aqaba.