I've still got sand in my shoes...

Heat, sand, camels and four wheel drives. Recipe for a disaster or a great adventure (luckily Nur driving turned out to be an adventure and not a disaster).

So, it's hot. We are in the Wadi Rum desert. We have a 20 year old Bedouin driver/guide called Atta-Alla with braces on his teeth so he looks about 15. Alicia worried he may not be old enough to have a driver's license, let alone drive us into the great unknown.

Nur instisted on driving...a manual car which she has never learnt to do. The Bedouin guide was kind  enough to give Nur a driving lesson nd patted her on the head like a 5 year old when she finally learned to stop stalling the car.

It was a rocky start. Our tour guide was in the front seat with Nur giving instructions in English over the laughter from the Bedoin guide and Alicia coming from the back of the 4 wheel drive. The car kept stalling (Nur insists it was the car and not her). She didn't advance enough to changing gears but did manage to keep the car going.

The Bedouin guide was so worried he climbed from the open back of the ute into the back seat while th ecar was moving and kicked out our tour guide to take over the lesson himself.

He told Nur that she was doing well and not to be scared and to keep trying when Nur was ready to give up and let him take over again. He refused to let Nur out and made her keep driving a good way of the trip because he thought she needed the practice. Alicia was quietly having a heart attack in the back of the ute.

Then it was Nur's turn to have a heart attack on a 3 year old camel named Dubai but she doesn't do it quietly like Alicia. There was much squealing when the camel came in for a rough landing followed by boisterous laughter and imitation squealing from the camel owner and Bedouin guide. Nur didn't think it was that funny but they were almost falling over in hysterics. This is all after Nur sat on the camel and then told them she wanted to get off as soon as it stood up and she realised how high it was. She did manage the looong 15 minute ride very bravely and without falling off once (you might have an idea by now about who is writing this blog entry).

On to a bedouin tent for some tea and a demonstration of how they use ingredients from the desert to make soap and make-up.

The ride back was uneventful because Nur was exiled to the back of the ute so we headed for the long drive to Amman without any more excitement.

Stopped to 'eat' and ended up shopping...that is a perfectly normal occurance when women are involved so stop rolling your eyes. 

Our guide wanted more stops than us so he could have smoke breaks but the four hour drive back to Amman required long driving sessions. The scenery...giant watermelons, giant camels, giant potatoes, small goats and sheep...tiny coffee shops for truck drivers which we were advised did not have bathrooms suitable for tourists.

Now we are back in the golden cage in a nicer room and we have discoevred the pool! Also the gift shop has just opened. We are only going to look....maybe twice.

Dinner will be served soon, we can already smell it and our stomachs are rumbling. We should make the most of our last middle eastern dinner before we endure airline food...

Bon Apetite