Pinch Me Places: Petra

I honestly never really imagined I'd see Petra, the ancient rock city ("petra" is Greek for "rock") referred to in the Bible as "Sela" (Isaiah 16:1 and Obadiah 1-4). It just seemed so remote and inaccessible (which it kinda is!). It is located in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which run from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba.

That's why it's on my list of "Pinch Me" sites, since the lovely Robin and I visited Petra in 2010. There's no way to describe the impact of walking through the siq (crevasse) and seeing the "Treasury" for the first time!




Not a treasury, but an elaborate mausoleum (which could also describe the whole place), it continues to yield new discoveries (six years ago, tombs six meters beneath the facade were discovered).
The area also provides a picturesque spot for a camel ride....which the lovely Robin laughed and screamed through). It's a one-of-a-kind spot on the face of the earth. And another place in which I felt like I had to pinch myself to make sure I was really there.