Jordan was wonderful, everything you'd expect from a country with such culture and history. A bit more expensive than I'd have liked but I studiously ignored the exchange rate and just did as I pleased.
Petra was beautiful. Hung out with Bedoins who sadly have turned their backs on desert life to spend their days trying to bed tourists...and I imagine do very well for their lot, but also (thankfully) happy to give up and just drink tea.
snorkeled in the Red Sea, ignored the garbage and saw a Morrey Eel big as a boy, 47 degrees and NO SHADE, stayed at a guest house on the beach run by jigaloes (sp?).
Slept in the desert of Wadi Rum, under a billion stars surrounded by red sand dunes and massive landscapes.
swam in the dead sea. UNBELIEVABLE like swimming in oil,in fact it's not swimming as you're so buoyant that the body sits too high in the water for any kicking action. Bit painful in parts, surrounded by scary men. here I am sitting back relaxing and I hear "suck my ****" from shore, various other rudeness, boys and men like lemmings making for my direction, cameras out etc.
I was fully dressed.
Lebanon for a quick visit tomorrow ahhh but its really too hot for all this running about
x