Petra - The Ancient City Carved into Sandstone

It rained overnight and it was supposed to rain most of the day today. But our prayers were heard (& Nana and Papa's too) and the rain was stayed. And what a miracle the overnight rain turned out to be - wet sand meant no sand blowing in our faces all day long! We felt so blessed!!

Our hotel is just across the street from the entrance to Petra, so that was very convenient! There was a little ways to walk to get to the Siq (the narrow gorge that leads to the ancient city), then through the lengthy Siq, and finally it opened to the amazing view of the Treasury. We enjoyed the Treasury and the girls were able to share American candy with all the Bedouin children who were there selling trinkets and pictures. We learned saying "gift" was the best way to help them

understand it was free. Then a few of the boys came over and one said "hold this" and I held the last set of pictures he had in his hands and he said "gift". So cute and funny! Little trickster. A few hours later we ran into them again and he grabbed my arm and said "friend friend"! So adorable! Addy gave them some more candy and he adamantly gave her 15 cents. So cute.

We walked up to the High Place (700 steps), which is their most sacred place. I read quite a bit about it in the Bedouin book I've been reading. So cool to see it! The kids were troopers!! We saw a scorpion on the way, which was a good reminder not to disturb rocks. Such a great view from the top! And super windy! Some of those gusts could definitely push a grown person right off the edge!

I saw an advertisement for the Bedouin book outside a shop, so we went in, but it wasn't a bookstore (more like a cafe/souvenir shop). I spoke with the person behind the counter and it was Lafi (the writer's brother-in-law)!!! SO COOL! I got a picture with him and he gave me the update on the family. So fun!

Peter and Leesie wanted to hike/climb up to some more high ruins, so the other girls played in the sand while they hiked up. Then we walked down to the Theater and stopped for a rest and lunch break. The donkey and camel owners were relentless. One in particular ("Eagle") kept asking and asking and following us. After our rest, we fed the apple cores to the donkeys. Peter decided on a price with him and we hopped on 4 donkeys (2 girls to a donkey). They had lots of blankets padding them, which was nice. They took us down the road past more ruins and some old Roman columns, and then up 850 stairs to the Monastery. It is huge and you can climb inside, which was fun. Then the donkeys bounced us back down the 850 stairs and back up to the Treasury. Eagle kept calling me "Madaam" which

made me smile. It was really nice to give our legs a break and still get to see what we wanted to in Petra! It was dark by the time we reached the Treasury, so by phone light we walked back up the Siq and to our hotel. They were starting to put out the candles (in bags) to show the way for "Petra at Night" (many catching fire because of the wind). Originally that was something I wanted to do, but with all of us exhausted and cold, knew that wasn't happening tonight. But it was fun to get the feel of it with the lights on the way back.

Eagle told Peter they took Visa, but everyone with a card reader had gone by the time we finished, so he walked up with us to find one. While they tried to work it out, the girls and I got dinner at the hotel and the kids watched more "Paw Patrol" while they ate (to Emma's immense satisfaction). As we took the elevator up at the hotel, a couple asked in broken English if all the girls were mine. I replied in the affirmative, and the guy responded: "Now looking for husband?" Haha. :D Thankfully no!

What a full and exciting day! Seeing Petra, first ever donkey rides (for all of us), and seeing a very different way of life!

Theme: Grow Through What You Go Through

Things we learned/favorites:
Emma: My favorite thing was that we got to ride on donkeys.
Clara: My favorite thing was going on the donkeys.
Leesie: I learned a lot. I learned about the Siq- that armies can't get through unnoticed. I learned that for riding on a donkey when going up you lean forward; and down you lean backward, so it helps balance it out so you don't fall off. I learned that the Nabateans used to carve out of the red rock a home where they lived, and they sell things to make money so they can live. They have to go up and

down the stairs to get to the place of sacrifice. They had to haul a lot.
Addy: The people with the donkeys will follow you until they get a deal. So I learned that they won't let up and will do whatever they can!
Kathy: How grateful I am for our warm comfortable home! Today it was especially real. I felt like a wimp, but I couldn't wait to get out of the wind and cold and into a comfortable bed. Seeing how little others have, makes me really appreciate what I have. I take it for granted way too much.
Peter: Things were a lot bigger than I expected. The other thing that surprised me was the ancient people did amazing things with the sandstone. It surprised me how beautiful the ancient people worked to make it. The modern Bedouins just dig a hole in the rock.

Miracles:
- It didn't rain on us today!!!
- We had winter hats/gloves because we packed for Iceland- who knew we would need them here!?! They made the cold and wind today bearable- thank goodness!
- The rain from last night weighed the sand down, so as the wind blew the sand clung to the ground! Our eyes we especially grateful!
- The rain also made the sand more "grippy" for our shoes as we climbed up and down from the High Place. The sandstone is very slippery, so that was a great blessing!
- We experienced the sand in our faces yesterday for a relatively short time, so we knew to be so very grateful for our experience today!