The MONASTERY ......If you want to see the Monastary, there is an 800 step climb facing you. We debated a long time whether we should hike or ride a donkey. Thankfully, we opted to get off our asses and ride some asses. The path was shared by pedestrians and beasts alike. Yes, I felt guilty when people had to step aside. Yes, I cringed as the poor donkey had to navigate especially steep areas. Yes, I needed to lose a few pounds. But, it wasn't enough guilt to make me regret the decision. It was a long haul up that mountain. We had to hike the last ten minutes by ourselves and that was enough for me. I would not have enjoyed the top nearly as much as I did if I hadn't gotten off my lazy ass an on another. Yep, it was worth every cent of those 5 Jordanian dinars.

It was much easier to walk down - with no embarrassment as well as plenty of chances to take photos. Walking down the mountain was about half of the hike, though. It is a very, very long hike back to the entrance. But, the Siq was especially cool and since it could be my last time in Petra, I enjoyed it as much as my tired feet would let me.

MARTIN