On Wednesday morning, we left St. Catherine's and the Bedoiuin camp, transported by one of the Mohammeds (who has invited us to his upcoming wedding that will last for three days - we will have to send regrets!) Between St. Catherine's and Tabah, we stopped for tea by a cave. A group of Bedouins (not the same tribe as Mohammed's) was gathered around a fire, and we took off our shoes and socks and sat on the ground to drink sweet, hot tea with them. We said good-bye at the border and proceeded through numerous check-points. Another female customs agent flirted with Leroy (Agent, asking standard question: "Do you have family in Israel?" Leroy: "No, I do not." Agent, winking: "Well, not yet, anyway!")Our home for one night back in Israel was the Eilat Youth Hostel. The word "youth" was used loosely in our case, and apparently there are no age restrictions. The place was teeming, though, with teen-agers and young adults visiting Israel. Our room was on the top floor, opening to a large balcony above the Red Sea. We dropped our packs on the floor and headed to the beach across the street. After a few days in the desert, it was delightfully refreshing to swim in the cool, crystal clear water of the Red Sea. In the evening, we enjoyed our nearly-private balcony and watched airplanes swooshing by at almost-eye level. The Eilat airport is about three doors away from the hostel.
This morning we hurried to the border of Jordan to start our trek to Petra and Wadi Rum. After innumerable checkpoints (again) we hailed a cab to drive us two hours to Wadi Musa at the edge of Petra. After checking in at our hotel (almost across the street from the preserve) we bought our tickets to visit the ruins for two days. By mid-afternoon, we were heading down the "siq" - a narrow, deep, winding canyon that leads into the ancient red-rock city. I have been to Petra twice before, but it is always an amazing moment when the finely chiseled, red facade of the Treasury emerges at the end of the siq. This is Leroy's first visit to Petra, so it was exciting to see it through his eyes. By 3 pm, the throngs of tourist who arrive by bus in tour groups are mostly leaving for the day. The longer we stayed in Petra, the quieter it became. By the time dusk arrived and we left, it was eerily silent. Petra is located in a region Moses and the Israelites passed through on their way to the Promised Land. It is reasonable to assume the Apostle Paul visiting Petra during his three years in the Arabian desert.
Throughout Petra are Bedouin who operate little souvenir stands that all sell the same inexpensive items. There are also opportunities to ride a donkey every fifteen feet or so. We didn't want to buy anything or get a ride, so we said "no" a lot. Halfway up the mountain to the Monastery, Leroy had a weak moment. When a woman urgently asked him to stop and buy something on his way back down the trail, he made a tactical error and said "maybe." When we finally passed by again, the woman told Leroy she had kept her stand open for him. He agreed to look at her items and then decided to buy the smallest, cheapest item he could find. I stood at a distance and watched him negotiate and then pull bills out of his money belt. When we were on our way again, he told me proudly how he had bargained the woman down from twelve dinars to nine. "How much is that, anyway?" he asked. He wasn't so happy to find out that he paid almost fourteen dollars for two small refrigerator magnets!We're back at the hotel. The promised wireless connection only works in the lobby, and it is quite slow. I wish I could post photos from this most picturesque day, but they will have to wait until another time!
