Team Shirey: Petra

When Jonathan and I moved to Jordan three and a half years ago, we quickly became disenchanted with Amman. Don't get me wrong, there are some great things about this place. However, for two people who love the outdoors and become giddy at the sight of green, Amman can be a rough city to live in. It is a rolling forest of concrete buildings as far as the eye can see. It is full of people, traffic, and noise.

On the positive side, we've got loads of modern conveniences one cannot find in a more primitive environment. There are plenty of American restaurant chains, modern grocery stores, and huge malls. There are even some remarkable Roman ruins smack in the center of town. But the highlights of Jordan are beautiful and numerous when you leave the city limits.

All that to say that we LOVE getting out of town when the opportunity arises. While Lou and Becky were with us we spent several days exploring various parts of Jordan. We made the trek down to Petra, which was voted one of the new seven wonders of the world a few years back. Petra is an ancient city that was built by the Nabataeans around the 6th century B.C. The ruins are remarkably well-preserved, and you may remember seeing them in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. There is plenty of information available about Petra online if you are interested in learning more.