Al Zatari Aqaba

... br><br>We stopped to see sme rock drawings and had some tea with locals - Bedouin is great - tea with cardomon plus other herbs and sweet - everyone was a fan.<br><br>Kept going and stopped in the shade of a massive rock formation for a picnic lunch then on to a rock bridge, some great sand dunes and Lawrence of Arabia's house.<br><br>Got to camp just before sunset and ...

... around 26C so perfect to cool off and escape the heat, but warm enough to stay in and enjoy the reef.<br><br>Jordan has turned out to be far more expensive than we'd thought - pretty much like living in Australia - and a massive shock after Asia. Also Ramadan started the day after we arrived, which is the month where Muslims fast during the hours of 4am ...

... wishing I was elsewhere or home. At the port we went through immigration and got our visa for Jordan and then arranged a taxi south to a small area which is on the beach where we would stay a few nights if it was ok. The Garden village hotel proved an oasis with a room and ensuite and aircon with brekky for 20 US a night. AND it had a pool and internet which we had not accessed for over a week-YAYYYYYYY!!. We dived into the pool on arrival and also ...

... civilized parts of my own state where I don't get cell reception. At any rate, I'm game, so I texted back and realized that I should probably be holding onto my camel rather than texting. I didn't fall off, but I wobbled. Maybe it was the camel equivalent of not looking up in time from your texting to realize that the car in front of you has stopped.<br>I'll gloss over lunch (of the 5 things served, poor Rich could eat only the pita bread) and what it's like to ...

... was awsome and well worth it. We jumped in into a beat up land rover with our guide who didn't speak hardly any English and we started off at Lawrence's spring which is basically a spring in the rock that provides natural water to the Bedouin people which are the local people who live in the desert. We scrambled to the top to get some great views of the desert. From there we Khazakhi Canyon which was one of the best things a large canyon with a small crack that you ...

First stop on today's travels was Mt Nebo from where Moses was said to have spotted the promised land. He then died and was believed to be buried on the mountain but no tomb has been identified. Naturally there were spectacular views across the Jordan Valley, Dead Sea and Jericho in Israel and we were told you can see the spires of Jerusalem but it was a bit hazy to make them out. There were also good views back in the direction of Amman. There was a ...

... our time in the desert. The jeep pulled into the Bedouin camp just as the sun was setting and after a simple but satisfying supper, we moved our mattresses out of the tent and onto the sand dunes behind. It was here that we spent the next two nights, sleeping under what can only be described as a pure, near-perfect sky, tainted by nothing more than the occasional Bedouin camp fire. On the second night I set my alarm for 3am and awoke just as the moon ...

... looks you've ever seen.. I wanted to cry. I quickly befriended a Libyian med student who was also crossing to Aqaba, Jordan. Once he left to pray again I was alone again.. I then got chatty with 3 awesomely cool guys from Palestine who were traveling w/ a giant shisha. Hah They were cool as hell. They adopted me with open arms and showed me the ropes.. but since I'm a woman I got to go to the front of the mad dash once these giant cellar doors opened ...

... hot sand seeping into my sandals and burning my toes, I was relieved when our young guide took us back to his family's camp for a midday rest. Sitting cross-legged on rugs under the shelter of the cliff, we ate a simple lunch of flatbread, olives and yoghurt. We gradually got to know the rest of the family, most dressed in more traditional clothes. The father was clearly in charge. At a quiet word or gesture, his four sons obeyed him ...

... when we first met &amp; we're still not sure if that - him resembling an Arab - is a good thing or not). He's a 100% Californian boy, complete with the accent, and he seems to fit in well with us - meaning he has a sense of humour, he complains about Egypt and, most importantly, he likes a beer (or two). So you see, we've lots to be celebrating. Beer, new friends, and no more Egypt (and all that it entails). Oh, and we've Wadi Rum to look forward to tomorrow. Aggh yes ...