Jordan April 1

I am pleasantly surprised at how well I am feeling today. No aches and pains, no more than usual. I had a good nights sleep, woke up only once.

I did drink a lot of water yesterday, I took a 1.5 L bottle with me, which I finished on the walk, and then drank another 1.5L bottle within an hour of getting back to the hotel.

I have decided to stay another day at the hotel. Just relax and read. My hotel has a lovely rooftop patio.

When I started my walk the temperature was 11, by the time I got back it was 24, and very little shade.

Petra is has an amazing history. The area has been inhabitant end since 7000 BC. The city was started by the Nabateneas at about 300 BC, and reached its height at the time of Christ. It was on all the trade routes between Asia and Egypt, and the Mediterranean. The facades were carved at about this time.

Petra is at the bottom of a bowl, surrounded by mountains.

As impressive as the facades so is the system of water conduits they constructed to supply water to the city. Flash flooding was a serious and deadly danger, and the excavations discovered a sophisticated series of dams and cisterns. There are no streams, all the water had to be collected from springs and run-off. The conduits were lined with terra cotta tiles. There are mil s of these water channels.

After the Nabateans, Petra became part of the Roman Empire. By about 500 AD trade routes had changes, and a couple of major earthquakes caused the city to be abandoned.

When Petra was rediscovered by Europeans in the early 19th century there were Bedouins living there. Excavations showed a different city. In the Siq, which is more protected there was a 2 m layer of dirt and stones, which had accumulated over the years. When this was removed it uncovered parts of the original Roman road, and a water conduit running the entire length of the Siq. 

On the main site the original city was under 10 m of dirt and gravel. Excavations are still continuing.

In 1985 the Jordanian government came to an agreement with the local Bedouins to move from the historical site to newly built villages nearby. Part of the agreement allowed the locals a monopoly on all commerce on the site. All the kiosks, and there are many, restaurants, donkey, camel, and horse rides can only be run by locals, and they pay no rent or taxes. All the guides are also local tribesmen. At the moment there are still 20 Bedouin families living near the site.