The staff of the Cleopetra served a simple but nice breakfast and then gave us a complementary ride down to Old Petra. Although we'd walked the same walk the night before, it was completely different by day, and we were amazed at the colors and contours of the canyon walls. Petra is the site of an ancient civilization which served as a trading hub for many kingdoms. They controlled the caravan routes and were formidable businessmen. Because they came into contact with so many cultures, they picked up the best of everything. Sadly, Petra gradually disappeared into history after the Romans annexed it and trade routes shifted. It wasn't rediscovered until 1812. It took us five and a half hours to walk through everything (the Treasury, street of facades, the theatre, royal tombs, palace tombs, colonnaded street, and temples, and a gruelling 800 step climb to get to the monastery) - totally worth it, though! It was a great day and Jordan continues to be one of our favourite countries! When we got back to the hotel, we took the advice of our hotel manager and walked down the street to a restaurant. We arrived at the same time as many of the locals, having come at the end of the day's fast for Ramadan. The locals got served before us, but we totally understood. It makes for a long day when you have nothing to eat. We knew, as we also hadn't eaten since breakfast! When we were served, however, it was worth the wait. We had pita bread, dip, barbequed chicken, spicy rice and drinks. It was filling and good and cost $16.00 Canadian for the four of us! We spent the night relaxing and trying to decide how we would get back from Jerusalem to Cairo which is a few days away but starting to loom. One thing is for certain; Petra was definitely worth the trip, and Jordan is a great country!