Dec 25 - Christmas in Jordan

Owing to our mud treatment and bathe in the mineral-rich Dead Sea yesterday, we start Christmas morning with supple and soft skin. Owing to the sulfur bath we took at the spa as well, we also start the day smelling like the Devil’s armpit and two showers haven’t made an impact yet.

(On a side note, can we please step up our efforts on the War on Christmas?!? We’re in a Muslim theocracy and still as we ate breakfast we were surrounded by Christmas decorations and listening to “Oh Holy Night” & “Jingle Bell Rock”.)

We joined a group tour of about twenty people in Jordan, feeling much less adventurous that our armed, private escort that we had in Israel. Unfortunately, during the two hour drive to Petra we figured out that the tour we were on did not include Wadi Rum as I had thought. A quick review of our paperwork revealed that at some point when I was negotiating the itinerary and schedule with the tour operator, Wadi Rum had been dropped to accommodate our need to get back to London by Dec 30. (In hindsight this was necessary since we didn't get to our hotel that night until 11PM, having had to manage two border crossings into Israel and then Egypt.) Disappointing, so in the end we had to settle for a quick snapshot of the edge of Wadi Rum from the bus window:

The disappointment wore off rapidly a few hours later because HOLY MACARONI, PETRA IS AMAZEBALLS!!!

Unfortunately, we only had three hours there which gave us only enough time to walk less than half the diameter of the city. If we ever find our way back to Jordan, we will be sure to book ourselves two or three days here next time.