Jordan

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Jordan
Started bad with late boat, new tour group, more money outlay and neck still sore etc. Guide is good though as a guide with info not just a leader. Is way more westernized than Egypt and people are not quite as friendly but still very nice. Is way more expensive though too.

Aqaba - nice resort city very westernized.
Wadi Rum - nice desert scenery with impressive mountains where Lawrence of Arabia lived in early 1900’s.
Petra - absolutely awesome. More than just Treasury and heaps of tombs carved into sandstone walls. Built possible 100BC and lost to the west from around 700-1100AD. Way more than I expected and saw a festival with locals dancing and singing at end of day to get Petra voted as one of the new wonders of the world.
Madaba - worlds oldest map made of 50 million mosaic pieces built in 565AD but then destroyed in great earthquake in 749AD. That earthquake sounds like it took out most of Jordan. Anyway, was rediscovered in late 1800’s and semi-restored. Very fertile area reminds me of Scotland.
Amman - capital city fairly westernized again. Nice fertile area reminds me of Italy with olive groves.
Jerash - best preserved Roman city albeit still pretty damaged.
Dead Sea - awesome experience. They advise to swim on back, on your belly you tend to nosedive. And not to get water in eyes or mouth, just licking your lips is horrible like poison nearly causing convulsions. Was very slimy and oily though, not like salt that I was expecting.

Different things - Turkish Bath was ok but nothing special, will spend money on a massage before that again. Sometimes could’ve conceived you were in Scotland with cold and hilly fertile plains and then in the north Italy with lush green valleys and heaps of olive groves. Lot of hilly desert though as well. Having a night in Petra when we realized that probably 50km to east and west of us someone was being killed in a war.

PS sorry for annoying those subscribed because I have edited these and am fumbling around while learning this blogging stuff.

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Photos

Petra Treasury
Which I only found out while here isn't and never was a treasury but a tomb!

Dead Sea
They warn you not to get water in your mouth which is near impossible but it tastes like poison. Also to float on your back - because as most find out you tend to nosedive otherwise.