Petra

Petra, what can you say? It's as amazing as you think it's going to be and so much more. Seeing the Treasury peaking out from between the canyon walls was a thrill each and everytime we approached (made better by gently humming the Indiana Jones theme song).

Petra was built in the 3rd century AD by the Nabateans who carved palaces, temples, tombs, storerooms and stables into the sandstone. And they did an incredible job. What struck all of us was not only how beautiful the site is - and it is incredibly stunning - but also how big it is. We ended up walking about 5km from the start of the Siq (canyon) to the immense Monastery at the other end. Along the way we checked out loads of palaces, churches (built later), tombs, and the colonnaded street. We climbed up all of the grueling stone steps in the intense heat of the day to see the beautiful and huge Monastery which looks more or less like the Treasury but on a bigger scale without some of the finer detail. And, at the end of the day, we walked back through the valleys and past the ruins, enjoying each one for a second (or third) time; it's a place that I think I would never get tired of.