Congratulations, the first leg of our trip is over. We have arrived in Leuce Come, a small village by the sea. There are lots of small boats near the shore. They are Dhows, and have triangular sails. They have brought the cargo safely from southern Arabia (Yemen and Oman). It is now our turn to carry the cargo north to Petra.

These incenses make up the bulk of our cargo. The incense harvest comes in July, and our Nabataean boats have collected it and brought it safely this far. It is now our turn to load our camels with this bulky substance and take it the rest of the way.

Frankincense is burned in a maqbara or incense burner. People like to use incense as a deodorant, and the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians burned it in their temples.

We also have a number of spices in our cargo. Many of these have come from the far away land of India. They will bring a high price in the cities of the Roman Empire.

Some of the most precious spices and perfumes are carried in small clay jars. We will have to be careful not to break any of these on our journey!