Petra - the Treasury

Here we are in front of the treasury. Some say the reason it's called the treasury is because pirates were believed to hide their treasure here. Others say the devil hid here after he tried tempting Christ.

Petra means rock, like Peter. The Edomites populated Petra in 120 BC. Not a lot is known about them, they were industrious and developed the water system to bring water down the canyon from the occasional flash floods. It is so huge as you can tell by the people in front, it is truly awe inspiring to be standing here in front of this amazing building.Even the camel looks small. Just below that gate thing I'm sitting on they are excavating. There are stairs that go down and underneath the Treasury. Only 1% of Petra has been excavated. Imagine all there is under the ground to find!!
I took this shot so you could see how truly tall it is when you look up.

The carving is beautiful!! We didn't ride the camel here, but later on. I was glad we waited the later ride was longer and probably more expensive, but we had so much fun. Our guide told us the bedoiuns that run the camel ride and sell things in the canyon actually lived in these ruins until 1986 when the government moved them to a settlement outside Petra. He told us about a camel driver that looks like Johnny Depp--I believe this was Johnny Depp actually with an off season job driving camels!! Camels are so cool!! Of course there was a shop there, I bought a magnet--they even have magnets here--do they know tourists or what!!Chillin with the locals.

Doves sitting on the cliffs.