Back to Amman for a couple of days.

 Following checkout on Wednesday our group first headed to a place known as Little Petra.

   Some 10 Km north of the hotel along a winding road that skirted the east side of the main Petra site,

Siq Al-Barid, as it is officially known, is an archaeological site that consists of a narrow canyon which opens out at several points to display carvings and facades that date back to roughly 100 AD.

 Originally used as a trading centre it is home to several carved out “rooms” with square entrances that most likely had hinged doors when they were occupied. Some appear to have been used as tombs and others as dwellings. Locals apparently used many of these places as homes right until 1985. The main Petra site was also similarly occupied until that time. 

Two of the more elaborate facades were as detailed as the Treasury at Petra thought erosion had worn parts of them

 A hike through along the entire canyon revealed a stunning panorama of the countryside with tall sandstone mountains and deep valleys.

 A few local tribesmen, dressed in traditional garb and looking like Barbary Pirates ( picture Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean) were selling trinkets and brewing tea in makeshift tents, the smell of the burning campfires providing a strong odour that clung to our clothing for much of the day.

 Leaving the area, we turned south passing through some areas of higher elevation where the road was shrouded in fog and snow could be seen on the sides of the road.

After about an hour we reached the desert area of Wadi Rum, the Valley of the Mountains. Covering approximately 720km it consists of vast areas of sand, dotted with massive sandstone cliffs and mountains.

Known for watermelon and tomato production it is around 35km north of the border with a Saudi Arabia. 

Upon arrival we climbed into the backs of several Toyota trucks equipped with padded benches.

Our first stop was at a massive sandstone mountain made famous by TS Lawrence ( of Arabia)- the Seven Pillars. This formed the basis for his book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

 Our next stop was a massive sand dune extending roughly 100 feet in the air which we struggled to climb, walking or wading as we sank up to our ankles in sand. The panoramic view was apparently featured in the movie, The Martian as well as a number of other features including Aladdin, Star Trek Discovery, Dune and several of the Star Wars features. 

Our next stop was to see some ancient glyphs- rocks carved with animal drawings as well as to see a herd of camels and their handlers. 

Our final stop was at a Bedouin camp where we were given tea while our guide explained about the intricacies of serving coffee in tribal custom. The first to the server, to ensure it wasn’t poisoned, the second to the guest, the third if the guest needed to negotiate some business. 

A rather high speed race across the desert found us crouched down in the backs of the trucks as we were buffeted with winds that stung our faces and covered us with sand.

 Our final destination was the Hassan Zawaideh Camp- a collection of tents

 ( actually cinder block huts) with peaked roofs of fabric that surrounded a central dining and relaxation area. Fully equipped with heat pumps and running water they proved more than adequate for a night’s lodging.

 The main course for dinner was revealed by two men digging in the sand to expose a tinfoil covered metal container. Struggling under the weight they lifted out a large multitiered metal basket containing several layers of roasted whole chickens, potatoes and carrots. On the bottom was a large container of cooked rice. The whole thing was carried into the dining room and the chicken pulled apart and served with more than two dozen accompaniments ranging from salads to steamed vegetables, hummus, a variety of stews, sauces, beans, and kebabs.

 Following dinner, tea was served and scented tobacco in hookahs was offered to those who were interested,  while a musician played an oud (11 stringed round backed guitar like instrument) and people danced.

 We returned to our tent around 9, somewhat disappointed that a hoped for “brilliantly star lit sky” wasn’t happening, due to cloud cover. That’s ok. We’ll get a few more chances when we reach Egypt.