Petra - it's amazing. This enclave of rock formations would be breath-taking on its own accord, but ancient settlers actually carved their village into these rocks to create a fully functional city. This temple is the first thing you see after traveling through hundreds of meters of rock "corridors". And yeah, you can take a camel ride if the spirit moves you... This was the same building used in the movie "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom".
An example of the carvings in the rock. Rooms for rent?
Wallas were offering donkey rides to the monastery every ten yards, so we figured we'd head in that direction. What we didn't realize was that the monastery was on top of a mountain and we had to climb 800 stairs to get to it! Worth it? Definitely.
In Kerak we visited a castle built by the Crusaders. It was pretty amazing to walk in the same steps as the holy warriors back yonder.
Jerash has a large site of Roman ruins - it was a complete city with two ampitheatres. Everything was built of stone - forget the crusaders - standing in a theatre before a stadium that was once filled with ancient Romans... now that is amazing!
Here is the central piazza in Jerash. Very sophisticated. This was probably the market back some 2000 years ago!
The Romans were everywhere. This set of ruins is in Palmyra, in Syria. See the castle on the hill in the background? We hiked all the way up to it! Once up there, we discovered a road on the other side where taxis full of people were being driven up... oh well!
Tauru in Palmyra. Notice the sweatshirt ...a new addition to his wardrobe. How did he get this? Some nice Lebannese man gave it to Christi (seeing that she was a little cold) while waiting at the Syrian border. Well ...Tauru then kind of snagged it.
She's a tree! Or a statue of the Roman Goddess of Beauty.
The ancient street of Palmyra.
On Syria's Mediterranean coast, the landscape changed from desert to lush green terraces. The Crac des Chevaliers is a structure to behold - this castle built by French crusaders was very large indeed! Christi is watching vigilantly for any invaders... none to be seen!
Christi inside the Crac.
From Syria, we moved north into Turkey-land and made our way to Cappadoccia to see the rock formations that were once inhabited by people -- they actually carved out "homes" into them! Also during this time, we had to decide on where to go after Turkey. It was either to Argentina or back to the US in time for Christmas. Oh, there was also that other option of going to Thailand -- why not?! But we decided on Christmas back in the States.
Here's a "home" in the Cappadoccia region. Kind of makes you think of the Flintstones, doesn't it?
We then took an overnight bus to Selcuk on the western edge of Turkey (on the Aegean Sea coast) to see Ephesus -- 600 BC Greek, then Romans ....then don't know why it was abandoned. Here is Christi performing a Greek play or something in the amphitheatre.
Video: Amphitheatre in Ephesus...
The boulevard down Ephesus lane....
Here's Tauru, the wanna-be scholar, in front of the library. Really amazing building...
Christi in front of a statue in the front of the library. Now that's a real scholar!
Ephesus boulevard ...looking down to the library at the end.
Video: Roman toilets...
After Ephesus, we took another overnight bus to Istanbul. Here's the Aya Sofia -- built in 600- something AD when Istanbul was Constantinople. When Christiandome moved from Rome to Constantinople, this was built ...and at the time was the most impressive construction with its HUGE dome in perfect symmetry to hold itself. But when the Muslims took over sometime in the 13th (not exactly sure) century, they turned it into a mosque ...hence the minarets that look like missile silos.
Just opposite is this equisite Blue Mosque ...beautiful!
Video: Istanbul ...Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque.
Once we decided to return to the States, we decided to feast our last night in Istanbul at this restaurant. Food ...food ...food. No, Christi, you have to share those plates with Tauru!
Desert ...baclava ...and of course Turkish coffee. Next step ...flight the following day back to the States. Hence ...the end a 14 month run around the world ...but the party ain't over yet!
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