Petra

Sometimes dreams really do come true.  And thus was Petra for me --a wonder I've hoped to witness since I was about Eleanor's age.  You really do emerge from the slot canyon onto the Treasury, just as I imagined. (Of course, so do the throngs of other pilgrims around you.)  But then, there is this whole context that I just couldn't get before... What's immediately around the treasury and what's further along the canyon.  It turns out, the slot canyon opens up into a whole valley rimmed with carved facades.  Petra was once a bustling city of 40,000.  Anyway, here are some images... Note how desperately hot we're looking by the end.  I really felt my head might explode from the sun bearing down on it.

And then, after it all, our guide took us for a lovely Arabic buffet. Civilization rarely tastes as good as it did at this moment.