We Need to Work on Our Mud Merchandising

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Our friends were leaving at 4.30 in the morning today. We had all been due to fly back on Friday, but that flight had been cancelled, presumably because of the lack of demand, They had got an alternative flight back today, but we were unable to get one until tomorrow. Never mind, it's hardly a hardship having to stay here another day! It was sad not to be coming back together though. We said our goodbyes last night - close friends as we are, we're not going to be up at 4.30 to see them off.

In some ways, we were grateful that the Friday flight had been cancelled, otherwise we would have arrived late on Thursday (see Yalla Yalla) and then rushed to get in a quick swim in the Dead Sea before getting an early flight the next day.

There were a lot less people at breakfast than there had been, however, what the children lacked in numbers, the more than made up for in energy. They were even more boisterous than that had been previously (again, see Yalla Yalla). There was a remote controlled car weaving between all the tables and a riot breaking-out at the waffle-counter due to all the children pushing in.

We got back to our room to find some lovely decorations on the bed, we think, because we had left them a tip after they had knocked on the door to see if the room was unoccupied. It'll be shame to mess it up to sleep in it tonight. It spelt out "I ❤️ U", but written right-to-left, presumably, as that's how Arabic is written.

Something that we've only just noticed in our hotel room (but had apparently been in all the hotel rooms, with the exception of the 'tent' - see Forget The Photography, Just Relax and Enjoy It) is a little arrow on the ceiling, which, we understand, points towards Mecca. It's obviously there to help people to prey.

We thought we would go for a walk after breakfast to stretch our legs, which had just about recovered from the Petra Monastery climb (see Yalla Yalla). On leaving the hotel, we had a choice of dusty, wind-swept, dry and desolate road to the left or dusty, wind-swept, dry and desolate road to the right. We walked to the left to a peninsular that looked beautiful, but was sadly all fenced off. The only thing we saw other than dust was some camels being ridden past.

It's weird the two of us not holding hands, but we're just not sure whether that's allowed here or not, although they clearly seem more liberal here than the likes of Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates.

According to our phones, we're in Beirut today. Well that's Egypt and the Lebanon added to our list of countries visited, without even knowing it, although Beirut wouldn't be our first choice. Tomorrow perhaps Damascus or Baghdad?

We relaxed for a while by the adults' pool with just the odd rendition of "The birdy song" coming from the nearby Kids' Club to break the peace. It could be worse, as "Agadoo" and "The Macarena" were thankfully missing from their playlist. Fond memories of our earlier holidays when our kids were young.

At 4.00 again, the same time as yesterday (see Floating Away The Stresses of All The Hard Work), we decided to go back down to the Dead Sea again for some floating and some mud.

My wife decided that she enjoyed the mud so much that she would take some home for her sister and her friends. We had been given some towels and bottles of water as we were walking down to the beach, so the water was promptly drunk and the bottles refilled with mud. I now find myself in the mud import and export business.

We were given a bag to put the bottles in on the way back up to the hotel, so the attentive hotel staff are obviously very used to people collecting some mud to take back with them. Even in the bag, I hope those bottles don't break on the way back. I can't imagine the mess. At least there will be a logical explanation for why our bags are heavier going back than they were coming out as usual (see Gaining Weight at The Disaster Airport).

My wife swears that the mud has made her skin feel so much softer and far be it for me to dare suggest that it may just be her imagination. We'll see what everyone else thinks back in the UK when we return with a few bottles full. Perhaps I'll take some to the pub so my mates can try some and see what they think?

There had been a lack of opportunity for me to indulge some photography since we had been here, so I took the opportunity to photograph the sun setting over the Dead Sea.

We went to the restaurant with the huge burgers again (see Floating Away The Stresses of All The Hard Work), this time we had shrimp nachos and pizza. Again, the portions were huge. Some cocktails went down very nicely as well. Afterwards we walked around the hotel for a last time and found that the buffet restaurant was almost completely deserted with no sign of the carnage from when we ate there when we arrived (see Yalla Yalla).

We also found a shop that we had not seen previously. A shop that sold mud related products such as face scrub and body butter, whatever that is. They looked so much more professional than our repurposed water bottles.

We were just settling down to go to bed, as it's going to be an early start in the morning for our flight back to the UK when, very fortunately, we checked our emails to find an email from British Airways to say that our flight would not be leaving as planned. All hell was breaking loose and Jordanian airspace has been closed due to probable attacks on Israel from Iran. And here's poor, uninvolved Jordan sat right in the middle between them.

We called BA to find out if we should go to the airport as planned or stay in our hotel. We should stay put, so we cancelled our early morning taxi, with our fantastic guide Achmed's help. We won't need to be getting up at 3.30 in the morning anymore and it looks like we'll need to spend at least one extra day in this friendly, hospitable and charming country (except at the waffle-counter obviously). I had better let work know that I'm probably not going to be there as normal on Monday.

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Photos

Sunset
Sunset over the Dead Sea.

Breakfast
Starting with some humous and pasties. More to follow of course.

Bed Decorations
Our bed all made very special because we left a tip for the cleaners after they had knocked on our door.

Mecca Direction
To help people to prey in the hotel rooms.

Dusty Road
There really is nothing else around here.

Muddy Hand
My wife's hand all covered, along with most of the rest of her.

Mud
One bottle ready for importing to the UK.

Cocktails
Some final drinks before we sadly leave Jordan very early tomorrow (or perhaps not)?

Nachos and Pizza
Huge portions again at the alternative to the chaotic buffet restaurant.

Buffet Restaurant
After the carnage earlier in the week, it turned out that tonight it was completely dead in there.

Professional Mud Products
Slightly better presented than our mud in a water bottle.