Petra

I ended up in Petra spontaneously after a two-week guided tour in Israel. I joined forces with two others from the trip and we headed across the border at Eilat/Aqaba, breathing in our freedom from the windows of a cab racing through the desert.
We only spent two days there, but the time was so full its memory is that of a week. The Bedouin are beautiful, generous people, and though they try to sell you anything, they will also spend time with you and give you experiences you can’t buy anywhere.
Most memorable of these for me was the night we were taken back from Petra, through the back, to the Bedouin village, a 2 hour hike through the most beautiful desert scenery I had ever seen, along the edge of a mountain and overlooking the Valley below, purple in the haze. We got back to their village and they made us “Bedouin tea” and we watched the sunset, then the festivities began! – a full-on Bedouin wedding was in its 5th day, the day before the bride and groom actually marry. we ate with our hands from a pot shared by all, we watched the men dance, and the bride asked to pose with us. We were the exotic ones here, and they were sad to see us go when we finally lost our energy around 2am. Our guides led us back through Petra by starlight – what a sight! – and we were greeted by the tourist police when we came back through the entrance. No harm done, just a scare tactic..and well worth it!