Dead Sea

My last early evening and morning was spent at the Kempinski resort on the Dead Sea - the lowest elevation on earth - more than 1200 feet below sea level! Having done the Everest thing, I thought it was appropriate to add this to my list. I did the floating & mud bath things - messy but felt great afterwards,
Above pic is of Dead Sea at a spot where they say Lott's wife was standing when she "looked back" and God changed her into a pillar of salt for eternity. Bottom pic is where I'm staying. Background in both pics are Israel - Jericho being directly across sea from my resort.

Petra 1

I spent most of the day trekking about 5-6 miles through Petra - one of the 7 ancient wonders of the world built by the Nabateans beginning in 100 BC reeaching its apex in about 100 AD & featured in "Raiders of the lost Ark". Petra has been on my "bucket list" for decades. It was everything I expected & more!
Top pic is of me at the end of the .65 mile long "siq" (narrow & deep cleft in mountains) leading to city. That is the famous "Treasury" in the background.
Middle pic is of the Treasury - one of the largest "structures" in Petra. It is really a royal tomb noted for the urn at its top center which has been almost totally destroyed by people shooting at it thinking it was filled with gold!
Bottom pic is of me with a friend I met - that is the Treasury in background.

Petra 2

Most of the carved structures in Petra were tombs. The most magnificent ones are the royal tombs shown in the above pics.
There are large, impressive "banquet halls" but none have the beautiful exterior carvings seen on the royal tombs.
It is believed that both the royal & common citizens of Petra lived in wooden structures in the large open areas of Petra.

Petra 3

Top pic is of some of the common tombs found in Petra - exteriors are not nearly as ornate as the royal tombs.
Center pic is of the large amphitheater in Petra - built by the Romans that seats 875. Note rear-center where the Romans carved out some of the exterior common tombs to make room for more seating.
At the end of Petra "city" you can hike up 900+ steep steps carved into the rock to the top of a mountain and see a single structure called the "monastery". It is the largest structure in Petra - bottom pic. For scale - note the person at bottom center. It is huge & I think more impressive than the Treasury. Worth the difficult upward trek!

Little Petra

About 12 miles from Petra is an area called "Little Petra". Like Petra, it is accessed by a narrow siq. It has few "structures" & was passed through by most silk road caravans on their way to Petra where they would request permission to enter Petra & probably pay tribute to the Nabatean kings.
There are 2 major structures in Little Petra - the most impressive being the banquet hall shown in above pic. This is the only Nabatean structure with preserved Nabatean frescoes - really impressive. Other structure in Little Petra are primarily lesser banquet rooms & cisterns. There are no known tombs here.

Crusade Fortresses & Mt Nebo

Visited 2 "well preserved/restored" fortress built by crusaders in the mid-12th century. Top pic is Ashopak fortress & center pic is Al Karak fortress built in 1181 AD.
Also visited Mt Nebo (bottom pic) where Moses is believed to be buried. From vantage point on Mt Nebo you can see Jerusalem, Jericho, & Bethlehem!
I am now in Wadi Moses where Moses' brother Aaron is buried. I didn't know that Moses stuttered & his brother Aaron was his "interpreter"!

Jordan's Khans & "Pavilions"

Jordan was once part of the vast Moghul empire when it stretched from the middle east to southeast asia. "King's Highway" in Jordan is known for its ancient palace & fortress ruins. Most have been reduced to rubble. But, some are remarkably preserved. Today I visited 2 of the "best preserved".
Top pic is of me in front of the Khrina. Because "the photographer" omitted some of it, I am including the middle pic which shows it all! Scholars have debated the Khrina's origin & purpose for centuries. One inscription on an interior wall was dated 710 AD - but scholars believe it was 500 years old when that inscription was made - estimating that is was built about 215 AD. Although it appears there are arrow slits in the walls - many scholars believe they were only for light & air circulation. Most believe it was a "khan" or inn. The interior 2 floors support this belief because they are each comprised of small rooms with a large interior courtyard. All are incredibly intact.
The bottom pic is of the Quseir Amra built in 740 AD as a "hunting pavilion" for the Moghul king. It is known for its well preserved interior frescos and "baths".
Both of the above are near one another in a barren desert < 130 miles from Iraq. Also saw a huge military facility where US & Jordanian troops train Iraqi "security forces".

Goodbye Maldives

I made many short-term friends here (many playing 8-ball!) & as a consequence really enjoyed the experience. The diving - especially the mantas & my AOW certificate will always be reminders of a worthwhile journey to a place that will likely disappear in the not too distant future.
Forgot to mention that the resort atoll had many fruit bats aka "flying foxes" which the locals call "flying dogs". They are not nocturnal & feed during the day. I saw many & tried for 8 days to get a pic - but regretably no success. They are really neat critters & I enjoyed watching them fly, feed & hearing their incredibly loud "howling"!