Waiting for 1am.

Well I am back at ACOR for a few hours after 2 days in the land of Petra.

It was pretty fantastic really.

The first day there we sat in the back of a truck and drove for almost an hour from Um Sayhoun to Wadi Sabra.

Unfortunately, the truck can't make it all the way there.  

After that long drive along large drop-offs, and sections of road that...don't look like road at all,

we made it to the end of the line.

So we hiked for another hour DOWN into and through the Wadi Sabra

so that we could make it to an unexcavated and quite amazing theater built by the Nabataeans in the Roman period.

By the way, this water theater was fed by a waterfall that was then channeled into cisterns and/or into the orchestra floor.

Awesome huh?

That is why I am writing my thesis about this kind of stuff.

Because it is awesome.

After taking tons of pictures and measurements (it really was an amazing water theater),

we had a spot of lunch.

During which time Kristin saved Holly's life a little bit.

Turns out that Holly had an incredibly small and very POISONOUS black scorpion that was highly attracted to her feet.

Kristin brushed it away from her before it could get her,

and our Bedouin guides threw it in the fire.

It was a bit of a heart stopping moment.

After that I got some final measurements and we were off...at midday.

The hour hike nearly doubled in everything,

time,

heat,

and elevation.

While the hike down was nice, the hike back UP out of the Wadi was rough.

But we made it.

By what I call divine intervention.

It was an unusually cool day for the first of July, which is why we made it back really.  

I don't think we would have otherwise.
The heat made us a bit goofy.

After that theater we went to the theater at Petra, got some stuff, and then headed back to our beds to leave in the morning.

Busy day.

Today we drove the 4.5 hours to Jerash in northern Jordan.

It was MUCH, MUCH hotter today.

I have the sun burns to prove it.

We did the 3 theaters in Jerash, it was beautiful, but by the end we were glad to be done.

Now we are at ACOR trying to get everything re-packed for our flight to ITALY!!!!

There you go.

Good times,

more to come.

I should say how grateful I am for this entire thing.
I am constantly overwhelmed by how great the people are that I am with,
and what an amazing experience this is.

I am learning so much.

I also must say, hiking up and down these theaters for pictures and measurements is giving me some fantastic legs.

Just sayin'.

♥ ♥ ♥