Petra & Aqaba!

I'm not a big fan of backtracking but this was a necessary. We came back through Jerusalem to the King Hussein crossing. Most other Arab nations, with the exception of Egypt and Jordan, wont allow you entry with evidence of Israeli travel i.e. stamp. Due to a bureaucratic grey zone in Jordan, the authorities will not give you an exit stamp as the west bank was formally theirs. Israel on the other hand is sensitive to the needs of tourists traveling the middle east so they'll stamp on a separate sheet of paper. This, technically, meant I never left Jordan (although the guards did hassle me on the way to Hebron).

We decided to rent a car for the scenic drive on the Kings highway. Madaba and Karak was the first stop on our way to Petra.

Good ol Petra! Spice route/crossing for most of the middle east until the city state of Palmyra took over. This city was the only way through the mountains. The Siq got so narrow at some points that the Nabateans had to widen the road.Sniffin' at my bag of chocolatesThe colours of the rock face where stunnin'
Sheund!

On top of the monastery.

Chris kept telling me to take a few steps back for the "perfect shot". I didn't believe him so I kept feeling for an edge with my right foot...what are friends for eh?Who doesn't love looking at a shitty bridge? If you had the minerals to cross, the sights were worth it!

Back to Egypt in search of paradise....

The Jordanian Lonely Planet offers the following advise "Only use public Jordanian washrooms in an absolute Emergency! Worse ever" Obviously, they've never been to Egypt...


Up next: Dahab in the Sinai