Petra Ampitheatre
Tombs of Petra
In front of the Treasury
Petra at nightAfter a whirlwind last few days we finally arrived in El Gouna, Egypt and were able to unpack our suitcases. We are set to stay here for 9 nights and are staying in a villa we rented on the red sea. The weather is much warmer here and we can get our bathing suits out. After we left Cairo we took a short hour flight to another Continent and got to Jordan. We were there to see the lost city of Petra. We got there in the afternoon and found out that 3 times a week they have a night walk to Petra and we got there on one of the nights. I was thrilled! We set out at 8:30 at night and we hiked the mile down the canyon, they had lit it up with at least 1000 candles down the way until you reached the Treasury--the most fantastic carving out of sandstone that still remains for over 2000 years. There were probably 200 people that came out for the hike and for some reason the guide picked Doug out of the crowd and whispered to him to follow him and we were the leaders for the hike. It was amazing--all of the stars in the sky and the canyon walls illuminated by all of the thousands of candles was awe-inspiring. When we got to the treasury we listened to some local musicians play and drank hot tea. Now the walk back wasn't so easy...it was uphill another mile and the kids had fallen asleep to the music so lugging an extra 40 pounds of Olivia and listening to Collin complain sorta took away from it...but we made it, and got our exercise in for the day for sure.
The next morning we had to see all of Petra again, it just goes on forever into all of the villages and tombs the Nabotaen people carved out of this rock. It is no wonder that this place made the new 7 wonders of the world list. This morning instead of hiking down again we got 2 horse drawn carriages to take us down and then got to explore the rest by foot. Climbing all the rocks and seeing it all was great.
We left Petra and headed to the coast of Jordan to stay on the Dead Sea. We got to our hotel just before sundown so got in our swimsuits quick and headed down the the Sea. It is crazy to see this water with these huge crystals of salt all along it. We got mud on our bodies and then got in the water--it was crazy, you just floated because of all of the salt in the water. But it really was so salty it started to burn your legs so we got out and then enjoyed the warm water of the heated pool for the rest of the evening.
The next morning we headed out right away to fly back to Cairo and then to El Gouna. We were so happy to finally get to our villa and see our friends Jeff and Tami who met us here. We had a great Christmas Eve...Thai takeout...doesn't really scream Christmas but that's okay. We hung stockings by the patio and decorated the house with some Santa cutouts and streamers. Santa found us too!!! The kids had their stockings filled and Santa left Collin a watch and some magic tricks, and Olivia some magic tricks and a necklace. It was a fun morning. This afternoon we met up with Santa in the town square and got a picture with him and listened to the school choir of El Gouna sing Christmas Carols in the square. Then we went on a really fun desert safari in the Sahara. We rode on 4 wheelers through the desert and canyons and watched the sunset. It was really spectacular. That desert is so enormous and vast, unbelievable. There was a village of Bedouin People that live out there and we stopped to look around there also.
Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!! We miss being home for the Holidays..maybe not with ALL of that snow though!
The next morning we had to see all of Petra again, it just goes on forever into all of the villages and tombs the Nabotaen people carved out of this rock. It is no wonder that this place made the new 7 wonders of the world list. This morning instead of hiking down again we got 2 horse drawn carriages to take us down and then got to explore the rest by foot. Climbing all the rocks and seeing it all was great.
We left Petra and headed to the coast of Jordan to stay on the Dead Sea. We got to our hotel just before sundown so got in our swimsuits quick and headed down the the Sea. It is crazy to see this water with these huge crystals of salt all along it. We got mud on our bodies and then got in the water--it was crazy, you just floated because of all of the salt in the water. But it really was so salty it started to burn your legs so we got out and then enjoyed the warm water of the heated pool for the rest of the evening.
The next morning we headed out right away to fly back to Cairo and then to El Gouna. We were so happy to finally get to our villa and see our friends Jeff and Tami who met us here. We had a great Christmas Eve...Thai takeout...doesn't really scream Christmas but that's okay. We hung stockings by the patio and decorated the house with some Santa cutouts and streamers. Santa found us too!!! The kids had their stockings filled and Santa left Collin a watch and some magic tricks, and Olivia some magic tricks and a necklace. It was a fun morning. This afternoon we met up with Santa in the town square and got a picture with him and listened to the school choir of El Gouna sing Christmas Carols in the square. Then we went on a really fun desert safari in the Sahara. We rode on 4 wheelers through the desert and canyons and watched the sunset. It was really spectacular. That desert is so enormous and vast, unbelievable. There was a village of Bedouin People that live out there and we stopped to look around there also.
Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!! We miss being home for the Holidays..maybe not with ALL of that snow though!
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