From what we have seen of Jordan so far, we are not impressed......the people, the service, the tourist industry or the landscape. It appears that the the main objective is to screw the tourist for as much as possible with the least amount of service. One of our group Peter, decided yesterday that he would like a steam bath and inquired from our guide about the cost. About $20 he was told. She would take him there and his 5 minute transport back to the hotel would be complimentary. When he got there, the price was suddenly $60 and if he wanted oil it would be $80. Eventually the bill came to $140 much to Peter's disgust and it wasn't that good. So when today's optional excursion to Wadi Rum is announced, the response is quite luke warm with only 2 deciding to spend the $100 each to do it. A 90 minute drive there and back, then spending a half hour riding in a 4-wheel drive over the sand dunes doesn't appeal all that much to either of us especially considering the cost, so we opt instead to have a sleep in and a quiet relaxing morning before our check-out at 12:15 pm. We have a big drive this afternoon back to Amman then onto the Dead Sea in the north of Jordan. In reality, Jordan has very few sights of significance - Petra in the south and the Dead Sea in the north with the capital Amman north of middle. Therefore much of our time is taken up getting from one to the other. During these long drives, Nadine does a lot of explaining about the history, geography and culture of Jordan. The stark desert scenery flashing by our window as we drive along the Desert Highway does nothing to inspire us at all. We learn that this countryside was once extremely lush and productive; now most of it is nothing but sand and rock. It is hard to see how Jordan will survive in the future with very little industry except for phosphate mining, cement and fertiliser production. Most young peope when they finish their education leave for the gulf countries to earn big money. Some return with their wealth but most do not. As we drive, Nadine explains to us that we have to take the longer route because there are many demonstrations in the smaller towns and villages owing to the price of petrol increasing yesterday by a third. For our safety it is necessary for us to go this way.

Five hours later, we finally arrive safely in the Jordan valley and to the famous Dead Sea which lies about 400 metres below sea level. It is dark now but we can see the lights of Jericho and Jerusalem in the distance. Our hotel is the Marriott which just about blows us away with its opulence. What a contrast to everything around us. Jordan is quite a poor country so who, we wonder, could afford to stay here. Probably rich Israelis and Saudis we assume as well as we western tourists but there aren't many of them. For some reason, Brad & I have been given a suite complete with living room, huge bedroom, dressing room and bathroom. We could get accustomed to this! The hotel has its own private beach and in between are a succession of 4 outdoor pools on different levels and several outdoor restaurants and bars. There are also 2 indoor pools, spas and gyms. Dinner at the hotel is exceptional. Quality at buffets is often suspect but this one is 2nd to none so it is hard to resist all the delicacies of the region. Hmmmm, strict eating habits when we get home! As we leave at 11am tomorrow, we need to be up early to utilise some of the facilities here and especially to swim in the Dead Sea to experience its excellent flotation and its skin benefits.