Guess what…. An early rise and an early start to our day (shocked? I'm not!) we don't like to waste a day when we are away aye? Haha! But aside from that we avoid all crowds and unnecessary interaction with people and tour buses. Sociable people, am I right? Or just done with the whole traveller scene and want to experience it without the riff raff!?

We had breakfast and jumped in the car, first stop the free hot springs…. Well there is a reason why they're free. They're the local's free weekly bath and camping spot. We walked up from the road and there were a bunch of locals washing in there in their long johns. Haha that was a no from us! A swift walk back down to the car and onto the free salt rocks, hopefully we would have some sort of success with this. (Imagine now we aren't sea level on this road we are about 100m above it.) well we stop we see lovely Aqua blue water obviously there is salt build up around the edges so the white salt is making it look clear. Well of course we have to walk down there! There is no other option haha (just don't tell Kev and Geoff) the things we do for the experience (gram). Very fun-ny! We were the only ones down there of course because it was not a tourist spot we climbed through the fence haha.

We got down there, Ellie very cautious and nervous haha. Again watching too many horror films!

It was fine, the donkey (me) got in first, the salt was soft like icing on a cake that had gone a little soft underneath and the layer cracking on the top. Another weird experience on top of floating and not being able to stand up!

After getting out we had to try and dry off but the water leaves an oily feel to your skin so it's difficult to get dry.

Once back in the car we stopped at the Wadi Mujib Biosphere reserve on the side of the road. We found it on a travel blog. We wore our trainers and wet kit, they give you life jackets and a wet bag for 20JD.

Then you just walk through the wadi following the stream against the water/current. As soon as you put your feet in the water the damn fish were the ones that wanted to nibble you. Wouldn't be so bad if you were sat in the fish spa and they were smaller but they weren't particularly small and we were in a stream. Water was amazing! Fresh and cooling, at times it got a littler deeper and we had to pull ourselves up the stream and small waterfalls by rope and ladders. At times climbing I did have the oh s*** this could go wrong thought but didn't say it out loud to scare Ellie. Also another spot where there were no people! Just the odd man that was sat there waiting for people acting as a lifeguard. Again beating the crowds was much better and made the travel amazing but a little nerve racking at times haha.

An hour to the top and the lifeguard man wanted to do some photos for us and take us under the waterfall, also going back down he slid us down instead of climbing haha he was bored clearly and wanted to have a laugh at us. Some of them were steep! But we didn't really have much choice he just sat us down and pushed us. Lol.

On our way back down we bumped into so many people coming the opposite way, buzzing we missed them!

Once getting back to the car, we headed onwards to Petra. Of course saw some awesome salt rocks on the way and better stop than last, but we were clean and not oily anymore so didn't fancy the walk down to the sea and back to get oily and sticky. So lovely to see the sea with no boats on/in it!

We carried on, it was a 2.5 hour ride today about. Again a super quiet road and we went up and over through the valley. Nobody on the road, not really a well kept road and no petrol stations haha. We didn't want to break down here! Another moment of panic in Ellie's face and mind, she really needs to stop watching to horror movies. The hills were so steep! But it was fun to drive, we rolled down the hill into Petra, we expected the place to be flat but indeed it was the opposite and very hilly! Suppose that the Petra ruins were in a valley so it made sense.

We got our Petra by night tickets and drove up to Nomads hostel. Not far from the town but up a steep hill, we soon found out how steep it was when we walked down into the town to get some food and drink.

We went to an Arabic food place about first jordinan restaurant eventually got there!

We were going to walk to the bazaar but I had crashed and needed to lie down and nap as we had Petra by night tonight and I was not staying awake if I didn't get some shut eye before that and to get rid of this blistering headache!

Ellie quietly woke me up (she's getting better at that). We got ready had a few beers on the rooftop and enjoyed the sunset before heading down the dreaded hill to go into the site.

There was a very long walk of 1.5km down the alley to the treasury, it was lit by candles in little Chinese lanterns. Very dark and fitting for the name!

A long walk, greeted by Bedouin men that were dressed with a headscarf and the black eyeliner (that apparently protects them from the sun) but they all looked like captain jack sparrow which was very weird.

They were little con artists the ones that want to take your photo and go for good setting etc etc.

god can't leave Ellie on her own here she'll freak out!

We sat on mats that were out in front of the treasury building with candles lit everywhere on the floor, it was very peaceful! There were two men Bedouins I guessed and played the flute and old guitar. The stars were incredible, we were lying down listening to the music and watching the sky go by. I could have stayed there all night temperature perfect aswell not too cold.

It wasn't on too long and we began to walk back up to the town, Ellie on mad walk I couldn't keep up with my dropped ankle but we got there, slower than earlier up the street hill but we got there. Our latest night yet! 11:30pm we got back! How daring of us!! Especially knowing we have a super long day tomorrow exploring Petra!