On the day before we travelled home, we visited the accepted site of Bethany beyond the Jordan where John the Baptist resided and also where Christ was baptised by him.

Elijahs Hill - Supposedly the place where the prophet Elijah ascended into Heaven (2 Kings 2:11)

John the Baptist Spring - the waters of which were used for drinking and baptism.

John the Baptist Church : built between 491 - 518 AD and marble steps leading to unique monumental cruciform baptistry at spot where it is believed John baptised Christ.

Modern Greek Orthodox Church at Bethany - Interior

Modern Greek Orthodox Church at Bethany - Interior

Modern Greek Orthodox Church at Bethany - Icon

From our base in Aqaba, we moved to a base on the Dead Sea. Unfortunately, due to the extraction of the minerals and the diversion of feed waters for irrigation purposes by both Jordan and Israel, unless some action is taken, the Dead Sea will have disappeared within 10 years.

Desert - this is the type of terrain we passed along in our journey from Aqaba to the Dead Sea.

The line of crystal deposit shows how fast the Dead Sea is dropping.

This is supposed to be Lot's Wife who was turned to a pillar of salt.

A picture, courtesy of Mike Goodey, of me floating in the Dead Sea and pretending to read a French Periodical. This is a breakthrough for me since I just do NOT float.

Thence a visit to Wadi Rum which was the base for Captain T.E. Lawrence and Sharif Hussein bin Ali during the Arab Revolt 1916 – 1918.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom. This is a photograph of the rock formation in Wadi Rum known as the Seven Pillars of Wisdom - whether this was named as such by T.E. Lawrence or was named as such by others after Lawrence's book is a matter of debate.

Convoy. Since time was short, we toured the area is a convoy of 4 wheel drive vehicles of uncertain age. The same could be said of our driver who looked about 12 years old!

Wadi Rum cliffs. This section of desert is not sand dunes, but large canyons with steep walls.

Alameleh Inscriptions - ancient rock drawings or Nabataen graffiti!

Follow my leader - you don't travel in the desert by yourself!

Wadi Rum Sunset - note the tyre tracks off into the distance which gives a clue as to the scale.

Dinner in a big Bedouin Tent

Looking for the meat course (lamb) for dinner.

Meat course found - having been cooking for over 3 hours.

On our return this greeted us. I think it was meant to look like a swan, but I thought it looked a bit snake-like.

The following day we just lounged about in Aqaba.

Morning in downtown Aqaba, watching the world go by while having a drink (of fresh orange juice).

I didn’t take any other shots in Aqaba Town – there was no way to convey the sounds and the smells which are vital to really appreciate this brilliant place.

Quite what a Norwegian vessels is doing in the Royal Yacht Club in Aqaba is anyone’s guess.

We came down to the Royal Yacht Club to watch the setting sun over the Red Sea.

Here is a sunset video for you.

A picture of the top of our hotel in the late sunshine with the Rift Valley wall behind.

A photograph of some of the vessels to be found in the Royal Yacht Club.

From Petra we headed South to Aqaba on the Red Sea.

This photograph was taken from the side of the Desert Highway.

Flying proudly above Aqaba is the flag of the 1916-1918 Arab Revolt. The Jordanian flag is similar, but has the green and white bands reversed and has a seven pointed gold star in the red triangle.

This is taken inside the Mamluk Fort in Aqaba.

Arabic inscriptions from inside the fort.

Looking inland from the Red Sea, you can see how Aqaba is ringed by one side of the Great Rift Valley.

Looking in the opposite direction over the Red Sea, we find Elat in Israel, with the other side of the Great Rift Valley towering over it.

An evening shot over the Red Sea.

A last set of photographs from Petra.

This is Qasr al-Bint, a Nabataean temple, and one of the least damaged free standing buildings in Petra. Layers of balsa wood were incorporated into the structure at the time of building and this allowed the temple to flex a little – very clever these old builders.

This is the ‘Great Temple’, but the jury is still out on what it actually was. It seems more probable that it was some sort of Royal or Civic building.

On the opposite side of the valley from the Great Temple is the partly excavated base of a Byzantine church, probably built in the mid-to-late 5th Century as the Cathedral of Petra. The next two photographs are parts of the original mosaic floor from the North aisle.

Finally a last view of al-Khazneh, from later in the afternoon as we slowly left the site, just to show how the colour changes according to the light.

Honestly, I’m happy!! You can get camel rides from the Treasury to the far end of the site and back.

From the Treasury, the way proceeds down the Street of Façades which is lined with tombs, both of the modest citizens and of those who considered themselves as nobility.

This particular set are known as the Royal Tombs because they are so decorative – even if eroded quite badly.

A slightly closer view of the Royal Tombs.

This is the inside of one of the tombs.

I’ve also given you a small video from one of the Royal Tombs, and yes it is me ‘singing’ to show you the echo.

Now you begin to see what most people think of when you say Petra….

and a little bit more…

practically there …

and we have the Al-Khazneh. All right, I know it is normally called the Treasury, but that is a complete misnomer since the only thing it definitely was not is a Treasury. It might have been a tomb or a memorial mausoleum and there has been a suggestion it could have been a library, but who knows.

This is one of the rectangular ‘rooms’ behind the carved front.

This is looking back from Al-Khazneh to the Siq we entered from.

Amazing though the sight now is, it must have been even more amazing when it was built. The courtyard in front of the building has been filled in with flood material and was originally some 4 metres lower as this photograph of the excavations show.

This is taken from a slightly different angle….

with a close-up of part of the carving.

This was my reason for coming on this trip to Jordan (although by now you’ll have realised that I found so much more).

This set of photos was taken on the one mile walk into Petra down the Siq (or gorge).

Tower tombs on the way to the entrance to the Siq.

The ruins of the Roman triumphal arch at the beginning of the Siq.

Beginning to close in….

Just a little closer…

A little wider again, allowing room for a niche monument.

Closing in again…..

and…………….. (wait for it till tomorrow!)

This was taken on the way from Karak to Wadi Musa, when we stopped for a short break on the Desert Highway. A definite lack of light pollution.