Petra

Last week, we traveled to Jordan for four days, and the highlight of the trip was Petra. It's a bunch of cool natural rock formations where ancient civilizations lived and carved incredible tombs and monasteries and other great stuff. We spent the day exploring the sites, kickin' it with the local Bedouins, and admiring the camels. I took about 1,223,433,523 pictures (so maybe I exaggerate a little) but here are just a few. Please excuse my extreme fashion blunder with the skirt and tennis shoes. It was hot, okay? When you can't wear shorts, you have to improvise. And I didn't want to smash my toes. I'll try to get up some more Jordan pictures soon, but seeing as we have final exams this week, no promises.

This is the treasury in which Indiana Jones found the Holy Grail

Petrificus Totallus: A petrifying experience

This lady came to Petra as a tourist when she was 18, then promptly fell in love with one of the local Bedouin shopkeepers and married him. I thought about doing it myself. Just think of all the romantic donkey rides I could have in the sunset. I'm sure my mother would approve.

This is Jack Sparrow, or so he said. And no, that is not eye makeup. It's a natural sun-shading technique he so happily applied on one of the guys in our group, just before telling him it doesn't wash off for 4-7 days.

A local Bedouin girl

Don't mess.

Hurdling over the monastery. No big.

Tons of the men in Jordan wear these red and white kaffias

Yep, I rode a camel, and it didn't even spit on me. Life goal: Check

We kept having to step to the side as these chariots came thundering through the Siq, or canal area.

Posting the colors.

Sitting on top of the world after a hot, sweaty climb.

The Siq

First glimpse of the treasury early in the morning. Truly spectacular.