Route Map through JORDAN. Covered approx. 1,000km on the motorcycles.

April 26, 2006. Aqaba, Jordan.

Arriving at the Port in Aqaba.

Parking the motorcycles inside the Jordan Flower Hotel in Aqaba.

April 27, 2006. First view of Wadi Rum.

Wadi Rum landscape reminds us of the desert in New Mexico.

The mountains and desert is very red.

Mike standing infront of the Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

View of the Visitor Centre and entrance to the Park.

The famous landmark in the background is named after the book by T.E. Lawrence.

Here I am signaling Mike to get off the road before being run over.

14km from the Visitor's centre the paved road ends....

... and the desert sand road starts.

The sand is way too deep for the Beemers.

A young Jordanian Boy.

Staying inside the Park at a Resthouse, with pre-set up tents. They were really comfortable.

Mike cooking supper.

April 28, 2006. The Nabatean Temple - Aretas (IV).

The Temple was used by Nabatean to worship ALLAT (Godess).

This temple is located just a few hundred meters from our campsite.

Camels everywhere.

We decide to take a personalized Jeep tour into the desert.

The view from the Lawrence's spring.

Mike cooling down in the Lawrence's spring.

We are having tea in a Bedouin Tent at the base of the Lawrence's spring.

The Bedouin Tent we hang out at. They are scattered all over Wadi Rum.

Landscape of Wadi Rum.

Large Sand Dunes....

...we couldn't resist climbing.

So much sand.

The mountains are made of sandstone and granite.

Our little Bedouin guide at the Khazali canyon.

Rock Inscriptions.

Khazali canyon is a deep, narrow canyon.

The shear cliffs are excellent for climbers who know what they are doing. (Not us)

Entrance to the Khazali canyon.

Discolouring of sand. The beige sand is from sandstone and the red sand from granite.

The mountains in this valley reach heights of 1700m.

The little bridge.

Of course we had to climb up on it.

The protected area covers 729 square kms.

The Um Frouth Rock Bridge.

Our transportation...

...in the back of a Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-up Truck.

Wadi Rum is home to several Bedouin tribes.

The famous Lawrence's House.

Anfashieh Inscriptions.

Drawings of animals, humans and camel caravans.

Our transportation and excellent guides. I think they wanted to adopt me into their family.

We take a 4km walk through the desert and come past our friend the camel.

April 29, 2006. View from the King's Hwy...

...south of Petra.

April 30 & May 01, 2006. Petra Visitor Centre. Jordanians are proud of their Kings. King Abdullah II and the late King Hussein.

Entering Petra. Bab as-Siq Triclinium. 6am.

Obelisk Tomb.

Entrance to the As-Siq.

It is a 1200m long, deep and narrow gorge.

In some spots only 3m wide.

Cliffs reach a height of 80m.

Bizarre-looking geological formations.

This is the ancient main entrance to Petra.

Water channels cut into the cliffs...

... on both sides of the gorge.

Remains of ceramic pipe used to channel the water along the gorge.

Then our first glimpse of the famous Treasury.

We are the only ones at the Al-Khazneh (also called the Treasury)

The facade stand 30m wide adn 43m high.

Cut out of solid rock.

Mike stands in-front of the great structure for scale.

Ruby sitting at the front steps to the entrance.

It was carved in the 1st century BC...

....as a tomb of an important Nabataean King.

We climb up the cliff to get a better view.

This place has to be experienced in person...

...pictures does't do it justice.

View from inside the Al-Khazneh (Treasury) looking toward the As-Siq (Gorge).

Nabataean artistic touch.

The impressive front facade.

The architectural style is inspired by Hellenistic, Alexandrian Hellenistic and Nabatean.

Walking down the street of Facades.

Rows of Nabataean tombs with intricate carvings...

...and some tombs are simple.

Start of the Royal Tombs.

One of the entrances to the Palace Tomb.

Colorful rocks and ...

...bizarre-looking geological formations.

The Palace Tomb. Badly eroded, but still magnificent.

Remains of the Roman Road.

The start of the Colonnaded Street.

The colonnaded street, with the marble pavement still visible.

The Great Temple.

Column tops.

Tumbled Columns.

Petra is set in a beautiful landscape.

More large columns.

Magnificant Column tops.

A lot of restoration to be completed.

The Temenos Gate located at the end of the Colonnaded Street.

The Qasr al-Bint...

...the main temple of the Nabataean capital.

It was open to common worshippers.

It is the only freestanding building in Petra.

Taking a walk to the Ad-Deir (Monastery).

The Lion Tomb. Easily missed on the climb up to Ad-Deir.

800 stairs cut into the rock lead to this famous Ad-Deir.

It is also called the Monastery. In Byzantine time it was with all likelyhood used as a church. Hence the name.

Th Ad-Deir was an important pilgrimage site.

The design resembles that of the Khazneh (Treasury)

There are tombs cut into the mountains as far as you can see.

Ruby exploring the inside of a tomb.

The Roman Soldier's Tomb.

Another tomb we pass on our way up to the High Place of Sacrifice.

Carved stairs are everywhere and it seemed we walked them all.

Inside the Garden Tomb looking out.

View of the Garden Tomb and Complex.

More steps leading up to the High Place of Sacrifice.

The Lion Monument.

View of the Roman Soldier's Tomb.

Obelisk at the top of the High Place of Sacrifice.

View from the High Place of Sacrifice onto the Obelisks.

And finally the actual High Place of Sacrifice. Important religious ceremonies honouring Nabataean gods were performed here.

It also gave us an excellent view of the Royal Tombs.

... and Street of Facades.

Close up view of the Royal Tombs.

Inside a tomb, which has seen better days. The colorful rock formations are beautiful.

Royal Tombs.

The Urn Tomb. Carved around 70AD.

It once served as a Byzantine Church.

The immense courtyard.

Inside the 17 x 18.9m main chamber of the Urn Tomb.

Looking out through one of the eroded main entrances.

Aerial View of Petra.

View of the Colonnaded Street.

The Theatre. It looks Roman, but was built by the Nabataeans in the 1st Century AD. It could hold 7000 spectators.

A view not a lot of visitors get to, due to the climb up.

Here we sit and watch in awe.

The Sextius Florentinus Tomb. (126-130AD)

Walking through Wadi Mataha and Wadi Muthlim.

Exiting at the Nabataean Tunnel.

Locals herding goats. Looking out from our hotel window.