Jim, the American archeologist, arrives in Petra, a 2000 year old Nabatean city in the southern Jordanian desert. Shortly after his arrival, he receives vital support from Raji or Lizard Boy, a young peasant from a nearby village. Together, they pursue Jim's dream to find a special cave mentioned in the diary of an old French explorer, but natural disasters, traditions, and unusual friendships lead them to discover wealth far beyond a cave carved in colored sandstone.