Leaving Egypt was an interesting experience: the ferry to Jordan was 6 hours late, the faster one was 'on holiday', the price was high and the service bit. The upper deck mosquitos, though, were fittingly ferocious. Negotiating the ferry port was also an experience. Think of how dirty ports usually are, then imagine how filthy an Egyptian port can be. Then double that. After being bounced around from one office to another, our passports checked over by countless junior eyes, the senior clerk then gave us the final OK and we were off to the security check. There we had our backpacks scanned by a machine that looked and smelled like some animal had once exploded inside.
Arriving in Aqaba was a pleasant surprise. No piles of garbage, no stray cats & dogs digging through waste, no ripped up pavement, broken-down pickups, mewling kittens and no constant sales hassle. I enjoyed Egypt but grew a little tired of being covered in flies every time you sat in a restaurant. It was a bit like being an Ethiopian refugee except for the no-food part. Aqaba isn't perfect but it is relatively affluent, minus the Palestinian refugee camp on the hillside. You can see clearly into the Israeli port of Eilat, just a few km away. 
Petra is in the valley below, by my right shoulder.
The Treasury: carved out of the solid sandstone.
Visiting the ancient city of Petra is definitely a highlight of Jordan. Built by the Nabataens, it was a large trade centre that grew wealthy taxing the frankincense and spice caravans. A whole city lived in the Petra valley, carving living space, banquet halls and temples out of the 'soft' sandstone. The more worthy spots had seriously ornate outer decoration - pillars, plinths, porticos, etc. Today, the area is a well-tracked tourist spot and all those carved out 'homes' have been mistreated by the local touts over the years. Some sandstone caverns are covered in trash, some are used as donkey stables during the day and most spell like a toilet. Petra is best toured without going inside any of the halls.
