Wednesday April 16 (Day 47)

We wake up at 6 am in order to be at the entrance to Petra at 7.  We've heard that the busses arrive at around 9 so if you want some peace and quiet to go in early.  Well, as we pull up there are throngs of people heading to the gate.  Bus loads of Russians, Italians, Americans.  Julia was in Petra 15 years ago with Megan and they more or less had the place to themselves except for some of Megan's colleagues excavating at the church and temple – it is an amazing difference!  We decide to take a hike up above the royal tombs.  This was a workout for us having been sitting in a car for the better part of 6 weeks!  But gave us a beautiful and largely private view of Petra including spectacular birds-eye view of the theatre and the treasury.  We then spent an hour or so at the Byzintine church filled with beautiful mosaics before heading out at noon.  We stop for one more chicken shorama and then head north along the King's Highway to Karak.  We arrive late afternoon and check into the Tower hotel which is around the corner from Kings restaurant – cheap and great Jordanian food, and around the corner from Karak castle.