Wednesday, March 30, 2022 – Photo of the Day – Petra, Jordan

WEDNESDAY, 30 MARCH 2022 AQABA (PETRA), JORDAN Overnight stay
TODAY’S WEATHER Sunny High: 87°F 31°C Low: 61°F 16°C
DRESS CODE: CASUAL
For Ladies: DRESSES OR BLOUSES AND PANTS
For Gentlemen: SPORT SHIRTS AND SLACKS
No shorts or flip flop type footwear after 6:00 PM in indoor venues

Today’s Schedule

GOOD MORNING
7:00 Morning Walk (signup required) with Personal Trainer Nemanja Jogging Track
8:00 Stretch and Release Class with Personal Trainer Nemanja Aerobics Room (10)
8:30 Today’s Silver Quiz & Sudoku are available on request. Please ask at reception
9:00 Table Tennis is available for your enjoyment throughout the day Lobby (3)
9:00 Shuffleboard is available for your enjoyment throughout the day 10:00 The Library is open with a selection of books.
10:00 Board Games are available on request – please ask at reception Reception (5)
GOOD AFTERNOON
12:00 The Zagara Beauty Spa – Come to view our beautiful Spa
2:00 Bridge Play with your fellow Guests (unhosted) Conference Room (7)
4:00 Afternoon Teatime: music by Cocktail Pianist Alex The Bar (5)
5:00 Pathway to Yoga with Personal Trainer Nemanja Aerobics Room (10)
GOOD EVENING – DRESS CODE: CASUAL
6:15 For any dietary requirements please meet Restaurant Manager Gilbert The
6:30 Introduction to the “Cappadocia Overland Event” in Turkey for the World Cruisers Guests presented by Yasar Karadag, Cappadocia Tour Operator
6:30 The Whisper Trio entertains you while you enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail Panorama
6:30 Cocktail Pianist Alex and Piano Vocalist Remon captivate you with their beautiful music
7:00 Solo Travellers – Get Together with fellow guests and Gentlemen Hosts David and Tom Panorama Lounge (8)
8:30 Boutique Service: Forgotten Essentials, if you have forgotten any essential items
such as a Toothbrush or toothpaste you can purchase these from reception
9:30 The Whisper Trio plays enchanting melodies for your listening and dancing pleasure
9:30 Cocktail Pianist Alex and Piano Vocalist Remon play a selection of beautiful music The Bar (5)
9:30 Big Screen Movie: “Jersey Boys” 2014 | R | 1h14min | Musical/Drama Director: Clint Eastwood; Stars: John Lloyd Young; Erich Bergen; Michael Lomenda; Vincent Piazza; Christopher Walken
10:15 Our Resident DJ Gabor invites you onto the dancefloor till the late hours

AQABA (PETRA), JORDAN – GATEWAY TO PETRA
Improbably carved into the rusty-red rock of the Jordanian desert the ancient city of Petra has been mesmerizing visitors since being rediscovered by Westerners in 1812.

Siq Canyon provides a suitably grandiose welcome cutting a deep track through layers of fiery sandstone and building up the suspense before you first set eyes on the Lost City’s majesty.
An early start is best to explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site giving you chance to beat the crowds and avoid the brunt of the heat.

The Treasury is perhaps Petra’s best-known structure having featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade as the mystical
hiding place of the Holy Grail. Imprinted deep into the sheer sandstone it’s a dramatic spectacular achievement of human endeavor.

Petra developed as the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom and the sophistication of the Rose Kingdom’s rock-hewn buildings is
matched only by the elaborate and advanced water collection and transportation system that quenched its thirst and provided the means to thrive despite its remote location and the intense burn of the sun. Look out for the delicate water channels that lace the city as you explore.

High above the city – up a daunting 800-step climb – stands the Monastery. The High Place of Sacrifice is an even tougher hike – with only occasional electric-blue lizards scattering from your footsteps as you rise – but the views of the remarkable city embossed into the mighty sandstone cliffs below will last a lifetime.
SHOPPING
Look for Bedouin rugs and tapestries created by local women. Brass and copperware are also popular. Small bottles of colored sand from Petra with intricate patterns make nice souvenirs. Ladies may want to get some of the Dead Sea beauty products.

SIGHTS
• Aqaba Archaeological Museum
• Aqaba Fortress
• Petra
• Wadi Rum Desert
• Sharif Hussein Bin Ali Mosquee
• Aqaba Aquarium

Today’s Excursion – Petra – Jordan’s Treasure

We enjoyed the opportunity to visit Jordan’s most famous attraction the spectacular rose-red City of Petra during this full-day tour.
We departed the port in comfortable coaches and traveled north along the Desert Highway. After a couple of hours, we stopped at a combination tourist/coffee shop that boasted it has “The Best View in the World”. The last stretch is down a country road into the gorge below and through several small villages. Upon arrival at Petra, we began our visit on foot. The long, narrow gorge with steeply rising sides all but obliterates the sun. For those who wish the entrance to the siq may be reached on horseback. (There is no charge for this service since it is included in the entrance fee but the horseman will expect a gratuity.) The narrow gorge presented spectacular scenery with each twist and turn.
Khazneh (Treasury)

As we exited the gorge it suddenly opens into a natural square dominated by Petra’s most famous monument the Treasury. Its intricately carved façade presents a magnificent sight in the dazzling sun. If you have seen the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, you will no doubt recognize the façade. If you go further into the site and discover other impressive structures carved out of the rose-colored stone. They include temples, royal tombs, and an amphitheater that could seat 3,000 spectators. The Petra basin boasts over 800 individual monuments. To explore it all would take several days.

Our visit of approximately three hours concludes with the walk back the same way. We hired a golf cart to take us back up the steep 1.5-mile-long narrow pathway of the Petra Valley as it was getting hot afternoon. Upon exiting the siq, we visited the Petra Museum which housed many of the ancient artifacts of the Nabataean Kingdom.

Afterward, we had lunch at a local tourist hotel, and re-join the coach for the 2.5-hour drive back to Aqaba.