"although mt. sinai is only a few hundred miles off, it is the stones of petra that appear to burn and burn without burning up. the scarlet sandstone of the rose-red city is streaked with whites and purples and yellows in patterns that evoke flickering flames. the approach to the city is through a narrow gorge with 600-foot walls that open up into the larger canyon, and the hikes all over the site are littered with fantastic rock patterns of dripping, bursting, and dancing color. and, oh yeah, the 2,500-year-old nabataean city carved into the cliff face is pretty cool, too."
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