Up early and off to Petra. Drove through the absolutely awesome mountains. Spectacular. Then up to Petra to the main gate Wandered all day through Siq taking my time and loving it. The wonderful chasm is the result of water erosion along the earthquake lines. The Treasury. Then the high place of Sacrifice. (A bit of a climb!) Then wandered, evading horse, donkey and carriage drivers. The locals are doing it hard here. There are very few tourists

Had a great drive south along the Dead Sea. I have to laugh. Stopped about 8km from Feynan. I got suspicious when the transfer vehicle looked like a aboriginal car from Yuendumu even down to the multiple cracks in the windscreen! Along the way it looked a bit like a camp from home, with goats! But amazingly no rubbish. Tents made from anything The lodge itself is lovely. Had a good night. But keep thinking of the kids book. Millions of cats. Fighting ...

What a day. Really had no idea what I was in for. Went to Mujib. Had to put on a life jacket but had no intention of getting that wet. Did roll up my trousers Off up the spectacular gorge after first climbing down a 4m ladder into water. Wandered along against the flow for a few hundred meters the gorge started about 10m wide and narrowed as I went. Met a guide who took me up the gorge. Had to climb up, over, around rocks against the flow. He took the camera! The...

Today to more bible places! Mt Nebo where it is thought Moses looked to the Promosed Land. Then Bethany-Beyond-The-Jordan where John the Baptist is said to have baptised Jesus. More interesting to me was the fact that Jordan and Israel (although it is the East-Jordan- and West Bank- Palestine) have come to an agreement which allows travel in buses to this part of no mans land between the countries. See the photo where the post in the middle of the pool is the ...

What great fun. In Jordan. With a driver for about $40 a day. No stress!! Jerash is one of the best preserved Roman towns. Nowhere near as rebuilt, renovated ? and generally flashed up as Ephesus - though I suppose it will be in the next 10 years. Had a great 3 hours wandering around thoroughly enjoying myself. Then up to a castle Ajloun set in olive and eucalypts. Built about 1184 to limit the crusaders, protect the iron mines and show everyone how tough...