Petra, Jordan.

 Before we left Jordan we took a day trip to Petra which is an ancient and famous archaeological site in the south western desert of Jordan dating back to 300 BC.
 It was a very interesting two hour drive to get there through the very rocky and mountainous terrain passing small towns which looked very primitive and uninviting. Further out there were many Bedouin dwellers ( nomadic Arabs ) with small herds of sheep or goats to care for.  In Jordan alone there are 380,000 people living this kind of life.
The stop we made above gave us the opportunity to take in the vastness of this landscape and feel very privileged and thankful of where we live.



 Access into the ancient site at Petra was through this narrow canyon.

 The canyon just kept getting higher and higher.

 Looking skyward was a real reminder of just how high it was and how dwarfed you felt.

 The cliffs are a pink sandstone which gives everything a red look.

 At the end of the Canyon we get our first glimpse of the most well known building, The Treasury.

 The Treasury is the most elaborate building carved into the sandstone rock face. It is just amazing and fortunately there were not many tourists the day we were there. Petra was once a thriving trading centre. The city was in near ruins for centuries and it was only in the early 1800's that a European traveller disguised himself in a Bedouin costume and infiltrated the mysterious location to rediscover the ancient town. The town is still being excavated today with 85% still underground and untouched.

 Off course there is always a downside to a lot of these places. In this case the presence of all the Bedouin hawkers confronting you with their wares, cheap jewellery etc bottles of coloured sand, donkey rides, camel rides and horse and carriage rides etc was quite intimidating. Many were young boys who did not go to school and they were  more aggressive and rude than the young men. The poor animals get a very hard time from their owners. Our SPCA would have a field day.

 In spite of these young men trying to force their wares and services on us I have to say from a photography perspective they have certainly added a cultural atmosphere to the setting.

 And now its time for the long trek out. All up hill this time!

 The Boy fancies himself as a Jordanian Arab.

Goodbye to Petra. We really loved the Experience.

Suez Canal passage

 Our passage through the Suez Canal was pretty interesting and took 7 hours. It was of course extremely hot. We attempted several times to sit out on our balcony and go up on deck but the flies were unbelievable which made it really unpleasant. If we thought Australia was bad for flies this was really horrendous. Some residents left their door out to the balcony open and ended up with flies indoors which were almost impossible to kill with fly spray.

We travelled through the Canal in a convoy of nine ships, with ours being in the lead and the only cruise ship. All the others were freight.

At some of the small towns along the way there would be ferries crossing from one side to the other packed with people and cars.

 A welcome sign on the Sinai Desert side of the canal.

 There were sporadic makeshift shelters along the way, probably for workmen, although there never seemed to be much action talking place. Usually people were curious but friendly by waving back.

 We passed numerous small fishing boats using drag nets. There never seemed to be many fish in the nets when we saw a few hauling them in and what they did catch looked pretty tiny.

 Towards the Gulf of Suez end we noticed a lot more trucks with soldiers patrolling the area.

 There was also plenty of evidence of earlier trouble times.

 Every 250 metres there were armed security towers.

No sign of the guards doing their job here. We think they must have gone to sleep.

Bethlehem

 Bethlehem was such a treasure to visit. It is located in a rural setting where church steeples are visible from a distance and it adds to the city's charm and reminds you of the many religious events that happened in and around Bethlehem.
However its such a shame that people do not respect the beauty they have and allow it to be so dirty and littered. It really was quite shocking and took away some of the enjoyment of this special place.

The photo above is of the exterior of the Church of the Nativity. Unfortunately the interior was under restoration so getting complete photos was impossible,  although the lower level where the Grotto was, was lovely.

 The tiny entrance into the Church of the Nativity. ( Looking back out on to the street.)

 The inside was all under heavy scaffolding and protection but this old pillar had been left on show as well as the ancient mosaic flooring below which will eventually be displayed under a thick glass floor. The refurbishment of the church is due to be finished and opened in December before Christmas.

 The alter in the upper part was beautiful. You just couldn't help but be impressed.

 Communion was being held for pilgrims in the Holy Manger of the Grotto of the Nativity next to the spot where Jesus was said to have been born. It only held five or six people and there were crowds waiting to get in.

The circular recess containing a large silver star which designates the spot where, as tradition has it, Jesus was born. The star has fourteen points and is inscribed with a latin inscription which translates to "Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. Next to this was an Altar devoted to the Three Wise men who saw the star in the east and came to worship the baby Jesus.

Well I hope this explains a little of what we saw during our two days in the Holy Land. I will never be an authority on Religious beliefs but I do wish I was able to remember all that we were told by our guide. He was very knowledgable but aways finished off his talks with   " but you must believe what you want. I can only tell you the history as I have learnt it.)

Jerusalem continued

 Orthodox Jewish schoolboys filling their water bottles after school from the portable water truck. It had many different taps with many different labels which I never found out what they were. There is another photo below where the adults joined in too.

 Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives. This the most ancient and most important cemetery in Jerusalem. It started 3,000 years ago and still continues today. It contains about 70,000 tombs from various periods. It was a most spectacular sight especially with the sun shining.

 This Jewish man shook Richards hand and removed his hat. Covered his head with his hand, and touched his eye. Then put his hat back on his head and asked for Money. Was not pleased at all when Richard refused to pay him!!

 The Coenaculum is said to be the building where Jesus is said to have celebrated the Last Supper on Passover night before being captured at Gethsenane and trialed to death by crucifixion.

 Dome of the Rock is a muslim shrine located on the Temple Mount in the old part of Jerusalem city.
Its is a shrine for Pilgrims but was built as a mosque in AD61. It can be seen from all over Jerusalem.

 And then Jesus and his donkey come to town!!!  This man has been arriving at the Mount of Olives Lookout for over forty years to fleece the unsuspecting tourists.

 His donkey got amorous with Richard and then 'Jesus' got a bit the same with me. Hilarious! But of course it all comes at a cost if you take photos. He spoke perfect English and had a great sense of humour  but thats about all he had going for him. He smelt heavily of BO plus his teeth were in a serious state of decay and his white tunic was very dirty.

 Jewish school boys just out of school for the day.

 Dormiton Abbey. A Catholic church which marks the spot where the Virgin Mary fell in to her 'Eternal Sleep'.

The Israeli West Bank barrier wall. Israel considers it a security barrier while the Palestinians call it a racial segregation or aparthied wall.

River Jordan, Dead Sea and Jerusalem

 Arriving at the River Jordan Baptismal site was quite surreal but exciting. The site is south of the rivers outlet from the Sea of Galilee near a kibbutz which manages the site. Its a very pretty and tranquil area.

 The Jordan is a very narrow river which only widens to 100 metres in places. We are not sure whether what we witnessed below was a genuine baptism or whether this group wanted to be dunked in the holy water however they were dressed in the official baptism attire

 And of course you always get one to burst your bubble!!!! Baptism by selfie!!!
He put his head under the water while holding his Mobile photo in one hand above the water and clicked.  I just don't get it????

 The dead sea with Jordan in the background.  The water is very concentrated saline and said to be a cure for a number of health conditions. It is 10 times more salty than the ocean.Nothing lives in the water. It is landlocked and in the lowest valley on earth

 We didn't find it very appealing looking at it from the top of the cliff so didn't bother to go in. It was a long walk back up to the top from the beach in scorching hot conditions. Big turn off.

 The city of Jerusalem above and below.

 The Wailing Wall is an ancient limestone wall in the old city of Jerusalem and is one of the holiest of Jewish sites. It is a small segment of a far longer city wall. The Jewish people gather at the Wailing wall to remember the Temple where sacrifices had been made.
Orthodox Jews can be seen standing at the wall chanting and swaying and reciting the Book of Psalms.
There was one side set aside for women only and one side for men. Visitors from all religions are welcome to approach the wall to pray silently beside it. I did not have my shoulders completely covered as I had left my wrap in the car so a very kind jewish lady kindly lent me a shawl.

 Back at the dead sea. Not quite sure why these odd photos want to pop up out of sequence!!