I am dodging puddles in the desert. What are the odds, I think to myself, that my trip to Jordan has coincided with the wettest week here in three decades? But quickly, the water starts to dry up as the hot sun steadily climbs in the sky.

I am on my way to the archaeological site of Petra, the historic city cut from rock. The path is worth the trip on its own, through a 1,200-yard-long gorge. Deep and narrow, it was carved through the stone by centuries of rainwater and rare but fierce storms just like the one the area has endured the last few days.

As-Siq, as the entrance to Petra is known, is less than nine yards wide in most places. The surrounding cliffs are nearly a football field tall, engulfing me on my journey.

I continue my serpentine hike, avoiding tiny streams that carry water to a basin below. It's only fitting that I get my first glimpse of the ancient city reflected in a shimmer of water. The massive Al-Khazneh, or Treasury, with its signature red hue, is barely visible through the narrow entrance ahead.

Like many, I suspect my first encounter with Petra came at the end of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." Indy and his father prepare to ride off into the sunset, having survived the travails of their attempt to recover the Holy Grail. They sweep past Petra's Treasury building, then ride their horses back out of the gorge I have just traversed.

By SCOTT KLUG (View Source)