50 shades of vermillion

Treatment early, I did the mud allover except face.  Darcy did her sun-stuff as per usual.  I can't say I felt any better with the mud, but it might take a few days.

After breakfast, off and on to the bus headed for Wadi Rum.  A 4 hour drive south.  30 mins into the trip the bus broke down, so after waiting 1.5. hours on the side of the road, we set off in a new bus.  We stopped once before arriving in Wadi Run around 530pm.  Here camels were waiting for us to take us on a 30 min camel ride in to the desert.  Wadi Rum was spectacular.  Enormous canyons rise up across the desert.  Beautiful gargantuan monoliths that are weathered, each one having its own personality.  The camels were also enormous with big personalities.  Darcy and I shared one camel, Yanna had her very own.  At the end of our desert adventure we would look back on this and agree that it was our favourite part.  We then, loaded into jeeps and headed further into the desert, still with enormous escarpments and breathtaking canyons around us.  We stopped to climb this big rock to gain a vantage point to watch the sun set, but the sand arose, completely clouding over the sunset.  I can imagine that his would have been quite the spectacle with 50 shades of vermillion to highlight the landscape.

Back on to the jeeps and headed to our bedouin camp site.  Tents made from goat hair, camp beds with dusty blankets (yep, took a telfast stat!)  We settled our stuff in, we were in a dorm with our german friend Laura and her livewire mum Martina.  We had honeyed tea while we learned about the meat that had been cooking buried in the ground for 1.5 hrs.  Chicken with tomatoes and lamb.  Starving we saw them pull from the ground enormous tiered meet trays loaded with sizzling meat.  The smell was sensational and the meat fell from the bone.  Mouth watering.  Complimentary red wine saw me break my so far alcohol free trip to Jordan.  Only 1 glass to compliment the beautiful foods. 

After dinner the campfire outside was lit and we sat around learning about bedouin life and even having some shusha (like hubbly bubbly).  Very entertaining.  By 11pm - lights out after some dorm fun chasing beetles.

Some people including the Prof chose to sleep under the stars.

* Upon arrival at the camp, Darc took her shoes off and promptly sliced her foot open on a sharp rock.  The Professor and I cleaned and bandaged up the wound.  That is going to sting in the Dead Sea.  I will have to carry her in and luckily the buoyancy of the water will keep it dry.  Nice one.