Into the Desert

Aaaaannnddd--
Back we go to May 5....

(I know, I know...stop with the guilt!)

I had NO idea what to expect of "the Desert"...sure, I've seen Lawrence of Arabia....so I had the Hollywood version....which turned out to be  startlingly similar to the real thing.  This MIGHT be due to the fact that Lawrence of Arabia WAS filmed in this part of the Jordanian desert....

Anyway, once again, it's a visual post.  We trekked by bus from our dock on the Jordanian coast in Aqaba to Wadi Rum to spend the night before going into the ancient city of Petra. Bus, the four-wheel drive specially-outfitted trucks, and finally camels (for some of us).

The Seven Pillars of Wisdom

View from the Visitor's Center, where we picked up our trucks.

Our desert convoy.

Camels!

A stop for some mint tea- most refreshing!

The wind can do some pretty interesting carving into the  stone.

Darling friend Barbara taking in the sights.

A second stop to see the petroglyphs- and a mama with her new babies!

Some of the petroglyphs that date back to the 8th century BC.

Yes, friends...here's Elizabeth of Arabia!

Hopefully, this conveys the sheer SIZE of these walls...

Cheeky Jordanian....let's just say that Arab men seem to appreciate older American women...

If the landscape looks familiar, it's because this area stood in for the landscape of Mars in the movie "The Martian".

Sunset comes quickly in here- and with the sand kicking up made for some pretty eerie photos...

And we were off to our desert dining experience.

A typical Bedouin feast- cooked in a pit under the fire.

Lounging on padded sofas, eating quite delicious lamb and vegetables with fresh salads...sipping icy cold beer and hot mint tea--PERFECTION.

What a day!