Petra

We finally know what it feels like to be Indiana Jones.  

The most famous monument in Petra is the Treasury, where Indiana finds the holy grail.  If we were looking for the holy grail, that is where we would look too.  We would start underground -- there is an entire story which isn't visible in the picture.

The Nabateans built Petra around 300 BC, and were their peak from 100 BC to 100 AD before they were annexed by the Romans.  Petra is filled with incredible structures (mostly tombs) carved into rose-colored rocks.

 

The Nabateans were incredibly wealthy -- and not very war-like -- and expected the Romans would be interested in taking them over.  They lavished the Romans with gold and other gifts, and must have built this theater to keep them entertained when they visited.

Besides the Treasury, the monastery is considered the most spectacular ruin in Petra.  It is a strenuous but beautiful hike from the main city (the biggest complaint about Petra is the number of stairs).

 

We weren't disappointed when we made it to the top.  It is hard to believe how big the buildings are.  Here is the monestary, with a tiny little head at the base as point of comparison.


The view on the way back down reminded us our trip to Utah.

The Byzantines made it to Petra, of course, and spent enough time to tile the floor of a church.

The land was beautiful, and must have been more so when it was a bit more lush.  But even when Petra was inhabited, it was very dry, and the Nabateans built an elaborate system to store water during flash floods.  The floods were enough to create an oasis and support agriculture during prolonged droughts. 

Later, we walked up to the High Place of Sacrifice, which the Nabateans thoughtfully situated where the sacrificed would have a great final view.

We spent parts of three days in Petra, which was enough time to see everything we wanted to see.  The final day we arrived as the park opened, and it felt like we had it to ourselves (other than the locals who live in / on the outskirts of Petra) for hours.

Dead Sea

We think the water in Abu Dhabi is salty.  It is so hot here that water from the surface evaporates and the remaining seawater feel like brine.  But our part of the Arabian Gulf (4% salt) has nothing on the Dead Sea (35% salt).  The Dead Sea is exactly as it's been described to us -- it feels normal at first, but the further you wade in, the harder it is to keep your feet on the ground.  And even for the less buoyant among us, floating in just about any position is possible.

Across the sea is Palestine -- if we could somehow carry drinking water with us, we think it would be an easy swim.

There are reefs made of salt, which is quite prickly on the toes -- all the more reason to float on top.

Swimming in the Dead Sea was an interesting experience, but there is more to see in Jordan so after one night, we continued our tour of the country...

Our empty nest

It has been over a MONTH of living in a hotel. And though the hotel is dignified and such - it has a very grand lobby, and looks kind of like an MC Escher print from the elevator....

....we are so excited to move to our new house, a block away.

Which house, you ask? We are living in one of the blue towers on the right hand side. Doesn't look like a house, does it? It is a bit funny looking, we admit. At least one of our parents thinks that the architecture is absolutely hideous. But it has a Waitrose (yes, the Waitrose that gave us our groceries on trust) and ... a lot of jewelry stores. And we like it.

It is near our favorite camel burger joint....

....and across the street from the Corniche and our windsurfing/paddle board rental spot....

...and best of all, it has room for visitors, which isn't true of our current abode. Here is the guest room. It is the most furnished room in the whole house (the process of said furnishing was an epic cross-city adventure from which we are still recovering).



And here is where your breakfast gets cooked. No windows, but there is a washer-dryer and an ice maker - all the better to make smoothies!

 Based on our current habits, this is what you will get.



And this is our study/yoga room/mini-library. That's Coconut Island behind the two buildings.



And here is the bedroom. We haven't figured out how to cover the extremely creepy window from bathroom to bedroom (not pictured), but there's time....



And this is the future room of ping pong, movies, reading, and lounging of all kinds. Nick is happy because he can see Coconut Island from here. And I am happy because I can see the Emirates Palace helicopter pad. To each his own. We can also see a football field (not the American variety - poor Nick), the real palace (where the Sheikh lives), and Marina Mall.



We can't wait to settle down, play some ping pong, and get some bikes to hang on the wall like trophies. Nick's sister Katie has got us dreaming of indoor hammocks....and Margaret is contemplating electrical DIY projects to spoof the local chandeliers and testify to the glory of the mason jar....but those things may wait a while. In the meantime, come play!

Yoga in Abu Dhabi

Our best description for the weather here at the moment is a comparison to Flying Yoga's studio (oh how we miss you!) at the beginning of a hot yoga class. And so as we walk around the city, we feel perpetually primed for yoga.

We have tried two classes, and both meet in the world's most beautiful hot yoga studio - on a wooden plank platform next to Gate 1 on the Corniche, which is the Abu Dhabian term for the road running along the Gulf. (Don't try finding Gate 1 on a map - it's impossible! We discovered it by accident, near 32nd street, by the pedestrian underpass).

Classes on Monday and Tuesday nights start at 7:30. The sun goes down during class; we hear calls to prayer as we practice; pedestrians amble by, looking curiously and occasionally intervening (one onlooker urged us to "relax" during the final relaxation).

And, we can walk home, happy and peaceful, by the mosaic man carrying a rifle.

It's no Pradeep, but it's something.