Al Zaitouna Aqaba

... ft.), and the elevation at the summit is 2,285 m. (7,500 ft.) for a vertical climb of about 762 m. (2,500 ft.). We start out at a good pace and within a half an hour we are already stripping off some of our clothes layers. We are really fortunate to have a full moon to help guide our way. The lights of St. Catherine’s Monastery start to become dimmer as our distance and elevation increases. Watching for rocks on the path in the overall darkness is still ...

... so we didn't have a long wait.<br><br>We got our backpacks on and loaded into a bus, standing it what looked like the luggage compartment. Then we walked onto the ferries, left our bags on the car deck and went up the stairs. We had to show our passports going up the stairs but once they saw Canada on the front they waved us all through and into the cafeteria section. We were told to sit at a table, so we did. Then we were told to have one person from ...

... colorful mountains in the distance on either side. Men and women in the towns wore particularly conservative head-to-foot garb, despite the heat (actually, we never saw anyone in anything immodest in the least). Once, we paused while a young boy herded some goats over the freeway, and we often saw signs indicating that one could expect camels to cross. Our driver/guide was surprisingly taciturn, once in while offering a factoid or a place ...

... a situation! We also thought - wow, what a dramatic place for some Via Ferrata types of climbs. (Via Ferrata are climbs where the route has been bolted and cabled in the tricky bits. They were originally put into the Dolomites during WW1 to allow the Italian soldiers to navigate the mountains with heavy packs and equipment. They can now be found in other areas as new routes have been added - they allow you to climb faces that you might otherwise not be able ...

... We stopped at a local shop as I was looking for a Jordan cookbook that I had found last spring with Mom and Dad and bought the last one. Gas was next up as I didn't know where I was going to get to Wadi Rum.  Anita and I had come down the main highway and I didn't know the cut across or where it would come out.  On the way, we saw some amazing views and the moon rising.  Needless to say, we stopped for pictures and both took lots. :-)  It is so easy to travel with Curt and Mary Jo ...

... of those "Next Gas 50 miles" signs. Or in some cases ancient carvings denoting long ago passages that are essentially grafitti (and unfortunately some not so ancient grafittis as wel). Our favorite part was our walk through a long and narrow canyon with towering walls soaring hundreds of feet above us encasing us in a cool and shady micro-climate complete with trees and bushes. At night we camped bedoin style at the base of a huge cliff in a semi-permenant encampment ...

... roof of the hostel tonight. It's only 2 Jordianian Dinars!! And I've never slept on a roof so we'll see how it goes. ;) We went to our fave falafel joint, bought some salted nuts (Jordan is "nuts for nuts"), some "bum wad", and water galore and now we're set. <br><br>Tomorrow Joe and I are going to Petra, while Andrew and Nick are heading up to Amman. I'm extremely happy right now, I've met some amazing amazing people and I'm having such a great time. I ...

... East for several more miles, passing to our right as we drove the mountain named by Lawrence "the Seven Pillars of Wisdom," after which he named the book about his wartime activities. Finally we arrived at the Captains Camp, made up of Bedouin tents divided into two bed "rooms" by cloth hanging walls. We were welcomed by hot tea, and rested a little, taking the time to leave in our rooms the things we would not need for the 4-hour, 4WD tour of Wadi Rum ...

... your-own-hands-and-m ay-the-best-man/vehicle-win' dash across the road. The drivers even took time to return our stunned 'thank you Mr. Local' wave with one of their own and an accompanying smile that clearly said 'Welcome to Jordan, Johnny foreigner.' One more safety advocating difference - there's not a gun wielding guard to be seen anywhere. According, once again, to The Rough Guide, <br><br>'no violent group exists within Jordan that holds any grievances against the ...