25th May 2010

Leaving Petra behind, we headed into the desert for the spectacular scenery of Wadi Rum. The unusual desert scenery of Wadi Rum is as impressive as when it humbled Lawrence of Arabia in 1917 and is virtually unspoilt. We hired four-wheel drive jeeps to go right out into the desert for a 3-hour excursion that visited impressive rock bridges as well as some of T E Lawrence's old hideaways.

We saw Lawrences Springs where Lawrence of Arabia reputedly washed during the Arab Revolt. The springs have attractive rock inscriptions on nearby rocks. The Sand Dunes Area, Anfashieh Inscriptions - this mountain is famous for its formations and numerous Thamudic and Nabataen inscriptions, next to it drawings of animals, humans and camel caravans, Lawrences House, Um Fruth Rock Bridge, the Seven Pillars of Wisdom a famous landmark, named after the book by T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), Little Bridge and Khazali Canyon.

Leaving Wadi Rum and the desert we head to Aqaba, the port of Jordan on the Red Sea - a bustling three-way border with Israel and Egypt. We found a Gloria Jeans coffee shop and relaxed before having our farewell dinner with Tina and Sandy. After dinner we boarded a ferry and crossed the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea for Egypt at the port of Nuweiba. Katie and I shared a cabin. The smells on board the ferry were terrible. The toilets were overflowing and there was no ventilation.