July - Svalbard and USA

  July 1 - Found me half way through my third voyage at the always amazing Akefjellet on a day with zero wind and full sunshine. The second voyage was plagued by an unrealistic goal, too much ice, persistent fog (the other f-word), and lousy luck with wildlife. It was a pity for the people who happened to have picked that voyage, but voyage 3 was a complete turnaround.It started with 5 Polar Bears before lunch on the first day and continued with excellent weather, walks and wildlife sightings. I have included photos from guests taken during this contract. Sometimes they were in my Zodiac and able to get photos when I was not able to use my camera. Others were taken while we were out on walks. Each as been give a photo credit.

  Some scenes from this period: Polar Bears spotted on the beach and watched from the Zodiacs; Site of a beluga whale whaling encampment - the beach littered with beluga bones; Glaucous Gull; Pack ice; Yours truly in the polar desert; Moss Campion flowers; Plancius and a Brunnich Gullemot reflected on that calm morning at Akefjellet; Liilehookbreen landscape on the last operation of this contract.

    

    

         
    
    

    

    

    

    

  Use these links for the trip logs and slideshows from these voyages - Voyage 1 Log and Slideshow, Voyage 2 Log and Slideshow, Voyage 3 Log and Slideshow

  July 12 - Found me at a rustic retreat in the foothills south of Yosemite National Park. Having unwound my journey Longyearbyen-Oslo-Zurich-SFO (somewhat easier with Gold status) I picked up a car and spent a few days with Peter - a nice catch-up. I then drove up to Yosemite to make my first visit for many years to this wonderful place. It was beautiful as ever, but with temperatures in the triple digits Fahrenheit (over 38 Celsius) my activities were somewhat limited.

  Some scenes from this period: The South Africa garden at the UCSC arboretum, cormorants nesting on West Cliff Drive; Yosemite: Tunnel view, Glacier Point view, channeling my inner Ansel Adams

  July 31 - Found me house-and-cat-sitting for my brother and sister-in-law in Bedford. This was a month for reunions and recharging. About 40 of the Ricketts circa '73 convened as usual in Carmel Valley for what turned out to be another very special refreshing of our old friendships. It was sad to reflect on those no longer with us, but fabulous to see everyone doing so well and in such great spirits. Next up was visits with my family in New England and the celebration of we July (and summer) babies. Again, it was heartening to see everyone busy and well - not without some challenges of course - but really well and happy.

  Some scenes from this period:The group photos from the reunion and the birthday bash

     In the spirit of The Big T: C. Brown, B. Durst, N. McCoy,C. Harrington, F. Ware, S. Morgan, M. Morgan, D.Dobson, J. Waluk, S. Abbot, E. Jensen, C. Behlendorf, C. Seaman, D. Evans, S. Scranton, J. Helm, G. Carey, Y. Scranton, E. Petersen, A. Kleinsasser, A. Kleinsasser, K. Barbay, C. Halsey, J. Petersen, K. Bickford, B. Seaman, G. Bickford, S. Beverley, A. Hound, J. Rogers, J. Pendergast, M. Clemensen, P. Rumsey, L. Avery, D. Jensen, F. Arlotti

August - USA and the Arctic

  August 21 finds me aboard Plancius approaching the east coast of Greenand on day 3 of voyage 4 of this Arctic season. The flights from Boston to Longyearbyen via Reykjavik and Oslo we mostly painless. I certainly enjoyed my break in the USA, but it was good to re-connect with some guides I had worked with in previous seasons. One of the remarkable aspects of working as a guide is the quick transformation from a bunch of individuals to a solid team. For example, I had previously worked with 3 of the 10 members of the team on voyage 3. There were many other links between and among them. Those connections and knowledge, plus a recognition of our own strengths and weaknesses, plus a real desire and willingness to work and learn/teach together, plus a genuine lack of ego, plus the shared interest and excitement of the visit to these wild places, all combine to continue to make being part of these teams one of the best parts of the job. The recently completed voyage was a circumnavigation of Svalbard with visits to some familiar places and some new ones. Again we had mostly good weather and really good luck with wildlife encounters, thus a truly memorable experience for all the guests was the result. Because I many visits were repeat visits, and I was driving for many excursions, and due to general lack of interest in the camera, there are fewer photos from this period. Another aspect of this work is that I do get a but jaded. Ho hum, another Polar Bear. It takes something special and unique to get me excited. Having said that, there is one of those exceptional moments on almost every day on the ship. On the last voyage I can think of the Blue Whale that we saw very close on the first evening, always amazing Alkefjellet, Kapp Waldberg and the canyon of Kittwakes, the Zodiac cruise in the pack ice at ~82 north, the large group of walruses at Parryora, the light getting better as the sun approaches the horizon, and so on.

  While writing this I have been interrupted many times as today has turned into the day of the swimming bear. We have seen 10 Polar Bears. All of them have started swimming if we able to make a close approach (due to hunting maybe?) and 3 of these have swam closer to check us out. Remarkable.

  Some scenes from this period: Arrival day in Longyearbyen; Pack ice: Plancius, a bear with kill, Parryora: bull walrus, female group haulout; Fuglefjord: Zodiac cruise at glacier front; Kapp Waldberg: colony canyon and kittiwake pair; Bellsund: Mining history x 2; Cloudy light; Sea ice off Greenland: swimming bear

September - Arctic and Egypt/Jordan

   September 1 is a sea day headed north from Akureri, Iceland to Scoresbysund in Greenland. The remainder of the Greenland portion of voyage 5 was exceptional.Our PAX arranged for warm (5-10C) sunshine and light winds every day. We did long/medium/leisurely walks at all landings. The tundra revealed some wildlife not present in Svalbard - Musk Ox and Arctic Hare - but the spectacular sights in Greenland are all about the rocks and ice. The scale of the place is huge and the geology like nowhere else. It should be called Rockland - at least here in the northeast. The ice is some glaciers - but mostly the iceberg sculptures that float out through the sounds/fjords from glaciers that calve far from the sea. My appreciation for being on a smaller ship with a smaller expedition team continues to grow. With only 8 of us the days are long and busy. Even the younger guides admit to being tired. We trade-off getting the assignment of the "leisurely" walk - with the handful of not very mobile guests. The PAX are nice people - the activity tends to be boring - but restful. I  opt out of the "long" hikes - which are 4+ hours at a fast pace and uphill (sometimes UPHILL) carrying a pack and an rifle. The "medium" hikes are for the majority of PAX, and me most of the time. The group dynamic of the team is what keeps us all going. All are capable, fun, experienced and caring. Oceanwide has a wonderful tradition of a BBQ with free beer/wine followed by dancing on every cruise. These PAX got right into it. We were scheduled for a landing the next morning - but the fog saved us. Fog means that we can't see bears - so no landing. All of the guides (and most of the PAX) loved that foggy morning.

  Some scenes from this period: Blomster Bugt (Blossom Bay): Plancius with Zodiac, Laurence on sentry duty, Dryas seedheads, dwarf birch fall color, Musk Ox; Maria Ø (Maria Island) rocky beach; Segalsallskarpet (Stripey Rock Place): Layered rock across the fjord, bullseye rock, yellow stripey rocks with Plancius, dotted rocks and fjord, flaky red stripey rock; Vikingbukta (Viking Fjord): basaltic columns with Zodiac; basalt columns x 2; Zodiacs in the refreezing sea, iceberg reflection and mountains; Sydkap: iceberg reflection, Arctic Hare, Musk Oxen, Arctic Cottonballs, Sydkap view; Our 24 hour daylight was coming to an end.

     It is September 9 and I am in a nice hostel in downtown Reykjavik. I had booked an extra day in Reykjavik hoping to go flightseeing over the active volcano. The volcano has not cooperated, no active lava, so I had a free day - which was good because I slept 11 hours. Voyage 6 - back to Scoresby Sund - was a fine culmination for an excellent Arctic season for me, but I was worn out at the end. As were most of the team. Once again it was that magic teamwork that got me through. I didn't carry my camera very much, so few new images this time. Notwithstanding that, every day had some moment of magic. The fall colors on the tundra and the many icebergs during the navigations were highlights of most days.

  Use these links for the trip logs and slideshows from these voyages - Voyage 4 Log and Slideshow, Voyage 5 Log and Slideshow, Voyage 6 Log and Slideshow

  My walk around Reykjavik showed it to be a modern European city - very pleasant with many nice little parks. It also showed that my impression, from my earlier campervan visit, that Iceland is well named holds true. It was an early autumn day at 3C/37F with a biting wind - definitely walk on the sunny side of the street (maybe I need a bit of heat?!?). The highlight was a visit to The Settlement Exhibition at the City Museum - where a Viking longhouse from c. 900 was unearthed below a city building then excavated and preserved. Super.

  I arrived in Cairo at 9:30pm to 33C and a personalized greeting as promised in my contract with Memphis Tours. Nasr held up a sign with my name and immediately took charge. He grabbed my passport and organized the visa, passport check through the diplomatic passport line!, and customs - all without a hitch. We stopped for an arrival snap then into the air-conditioned car with driver for the cross town journey. Nasr was full of information on all the places we passed. I caught some but not all. We arrived the Pyramids Oasis Hotel near midnight and Nasr again took charge and checked me in wile I waited with a cool drink. I made my final payment and he offered options for Day 2 if I decided not to simply have a rest day.  I stuck with the rest day, had a sleep in, enjoyed the extensive breakfast buffet (including mango nectar that was so thick you needed a spoon - yum), walked the grounds to check the heat at ~40C (not as bad as I had expected), did laundry (boy did it dry fast), and started reviewing my basic knowledge of the various dynasties. Off to an excellent start.

  Day 3 was pyramid day. I wasn't quite sure how this tour was going to go and thought that I might be joining a group. But no, my driver, Mohammad, and personal guide/Egyptologist, Kareem, picked my up at 8am and off we went. I expected throngs, but the crowds at the Great Pyramid of Khufu were not too bad. The heat started moderately too. Having seen so many photos, I was still impressed by the size and grandeur of the place. I climbed into the burial chamber - a mashup of sweaty people crouched down in a hot, musty passageway to get to an empty room. But, it had to be done. By far the best part was just wandering the area between the 2 largest pyramids. Kareem left me alone and I spent an hour walking all over the area. The best bits were an area of recent and active digging - I was shooed away as I didn't have "Permission from the Minister" but in a very friendly way with a special peek into the tomb of the high priest. Kareem had warned me that the vendors would hassle me for camel rides or whatever - but in fact I found them to be relatively gentle and friendly. The first question was always "Where are you from?" - and when I said "New Zealand" they would smile and say "Number 1!". The heat and crowds both built, so the visit to the Sphinx was a bit more of a struggle in hordes of Italians and Spanish - but still remarkable to actually be there. By the time we made it to the Step Pyramid the heat was brutal (40C/104F+) but at this site was my first experience of carved and painted tomb walls. I know that I will see more, but it was still amazing. Here is the first stone building ever built - 4600 years ago - everything up to then had been mud brick - and then only 100 years later - 4500 years ago - the Great Pyramid was built. Wow. A late lunch was in a rooftop overlook then it was straight into the pool when I got back.

  Some scenes from Day 3: The hotel pool; The Great Pyramid of Khufu x 3 including with a Queen's pyramid; Diggings across the road from the pyramid of Khafra (son or Khufu); The Sphinx as seen against Khafra's pyramid; The Step Pyramid (with a sweat smudge on the lens); Wall decorations at the tomb of 6th dynasty princess Idut at the Step Pyramid; The Sphinx with Great Pyramid behind.

  Day 4 was the Cairo tour - including the "Hanging" (because of the way it is suspended on an old Roman era tower as the foundation) Coptic Christian Church, the bazaar, the Cairo Museum and another very nice rooftop lunch. Being Friday, the city was very active - including the church where a service was in progress - Sunday being a workday. We were admitted just as the Mass finished, it was interesting to people watch. The church itself was a blend of Islamic and Christian, with some icons and relics, but no statues and lots of geometric art. Very different than European churches. The bazaar was fun - I wandered for an hour or so - it was mostly tourist junk - but some beautiful things too. Again the sales pressure was mostly friendly, though admittedly I made it clear from the start that I was not a customer. As we waited for the ride to lunch the call to prayer started from several local mosques. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the soundscape of the city. The museum showed just how much they need a new museum. Even the superb contents of Tutankhamen's tomb were tucked into a small corner. The place was overflowing with mummies and artifacts from all eras in dusty, unlabeled glass cases. Again, Kareem gave me the lay of the land, then set me lose. I have learned so much from him during our time together.

  Some scenes from Day 4: Icons in the church; Bazaar stalls x 4 - love the figurine shop - take your pick; Museum scenes - Tutankhamen's golden throne detail, Thuya's sarcophagus (a noblewoman almost contemporary with Tutankhamen), scenes of the displays x 2

  Day 5 was always planned as a free day in Cairo - from memory it was required to meet some restrictions for tour availability later on. Upon reflection I could perhaps have take the free day later on - perhaps at the Red Sea. Live and learn. Anyway I discussed options for tours with Kareem and he suggested the Mohammad Ali Mosque. The quote I received to have him as a guide seemed out of line - so I decided to wing it. I booked an Uber to/from the hotel - ~$US 4 each way for the ~40 minute ride across town! The entry ticket was $US10 - so extremely low cost. It made me think that if you were bold enough you could do a lot of independent touring - at least in Cairo. Having said that I would not have wanted to undertake the previous 2 days activities on my own. In the end the mosque was grand in scale, but not special in terms of details. The view over the city from The Citadel was nice. My impression of Cairo overall is quite positive. It is sprawling and somewhat chaotic (for example, the lines on the street, were they exist, are "only for decoration"). But I was never in a traffic jam, and never saw any animosity to me or between locals. The whole vibe is upbeat, busy and friendly. I was back in the early afternoon knowing that I have a 4am pickup tomorrow. I don't take many "resort" type holidays, so it has been a bonus being at this comfortable 4-star hotel, using the pool, hitting the breakfast buffet for third helpings of mango nectar, and avoiding the heat. It has been great.

  Some scenes from Day 5: Mohammad Ali Mosque - exterior and city view with distant pyramids, interior domes

  Day 6 was a travel day with sightseeing in Aswan. Once again the support from Nasr and the driver was exemplary for the 4am pickup and airport transfer. Likewise the greeting from Omar and passing me to the Egyptologist, Sultan, in Aswan was without a hitch. The day in Aswan was the High Dam, the Temple of Philae the Unfinished Obelisk, and a Nubian Village. I hate to sound picky or jaded, but none of these was very special. The Temple has an interesting history (including Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Napolean, Christianity and being rescued from the lake), and I enjoyed the various boat rides and the hospitality at the village - but it felt a bit like "this is what you do when you ware waiting for Abu Simbel and your Nile cruise". It may not have helped that it was very quiet because today was a holiday for the Prophet's Birthday.

  Some scenes from Day 5: Lake Nasser, Philae Temple exterior and interior, a house in the Nubian Village (other than the nice sweet tea, and the poor Nile Crocodiles in pits, the interesting thing here was the wall art - refreshed with different hand painted scenes every 3 months - beats wallpaper.)

  Day 7 was Abu Simbel day - meaning a 4am start to drive 3.5 hours each way to spend 2 hours at this famous temple. Again I had the luxury of a private tour with my Egyptologist, Rusha, again giving a welcome blend of information and free time. For the purposes of this webpage I am not including any significant amount of information on the history of the sites. I have however done enough background reading and study that I am getting pretty good at knowing the flow of the dynasties, or at least the ones that left behind the treasures. The book The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt has been my bible as I have an eBook from the Chch library that I consult regularly. Suffice it to say that knowing enough of the history to supply the context makes all the difference - to me at least. The history of the pharaoh Ramses II is remarkable and this temple somehow gives an inkling of this world of 3200 years ago. Upon return I was checked into the cruise ship M/S Salacia for my 3 night Nile cruise. I keep being surprised by the standard of accommodation that I have booked - in this case a spacious main deck suite with 2 ensuites! I crashed out for a welcome rest after 2 early starts.

  Scenes from Day 7: Abu Simbel - the facades of the main temple dedicated to Ramses II and the smaller temple dedicated to his favorite wife, Nefertari; 2 exterior and 3 interior scenes from the main temple, 1 exterior and 1 interior scene from the smaller temple; my suite.

  Day 8 was the first day of the cruise - headed south from Aswan. Our sailing was delayed until afternoon to cater fro guests going to Abu Simbel that morning. To compensate I was offered a felucca ride - again as a private excursion. It was meant to be only 1 hour, but the winds were so light that it lasted for 2 and we needed a tow through the windless zone. I chatted to the crew and my rep, and had a lovely relaxing morning - a super way to start the day. Once was cast off I was on the pool deck in the shade watching the river roll by. In early evening was called into Kom Ombo -  an unusual Ptolemaic dynasty double temple. I have been joined by a family of 4 women from the USA under Sultan's guidance - but his walking us through the highlights then having free time didn't change.

  Scenes from Day 8: Feluccas on the river; a typical cruise ship; scenes from the walls of Kom Ombo x 2

  Day 9 was exploring temples on the banks of the Nile as we cruised south. It was also the first inkling of compromise that comes with joining a composite larger group. The next few days will not be as outlined in the itinerary I agreed at the start. The sites visited will be the same, but in a different order. Our late start from Aswan gave me the felucca ride, but meant that our visit to Edfu temple was rescheduled for early the next morning - a 5am start. I was grumbling a bit, but it turned out for the best. Sultan arranged for us to be first through the gate when it opened, and being there as the sun rose gave the place a special feel. In fact, sunrise was when the temples would actually have been busy when they were in active use. This temple had been buried for centuries before excavation in the mid 1800s. As a result, the rock carving are very well preserved.

  After a quiet day cruising south we made an afternoon landing in Luxor for the temples at Karnak and Luxor. The temple complex at Karnak was just stupendous. The collonaded Great Hypostyle Hall is one of the most remarkable human-built places that I have ever visited. I will leave you to review the numbers, but it is huge, majestic, awesome and more. By comparison Luxor Temple was ordinary - but only in comparison. And, for something completely different, belly dancing and a whirling dervish (excellent) after dinner!

  Some scenes from Day 9: Edfu: exterior pre-dawn and 3 x carving details (the tone difference in the images is due to artificial light inside vs natural light); Karnak: view through to obelisk, Amun-Ra ram's heads, Hypostyle Hall x3; Luxor Temple: Ramses II

   Day 10 and the morning of Day 11 were on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor. During the New Kingdom the east bank for the the first life, and the west bank for the eternal life - thus the hope to the Valleys of the Kings and Queens and numerous mortuary temples. First stop was Deir al-Bahari, Hatshepsut Temple. This is a huge site with vast terraces and colonnades. It has been heavily restored after earthquake and other damage. Looking around the site, you see pile of pieces being sorted for the continuing work. The Valley of the Kings is nearby - where I visited the tombs of Ramses IV, IX, III, V&VI and Sety I. The treasures were stolen long ago, but the work to excavate and decorate them remains awesome. The anticipation of the visit, the crowd of people inside with me (not a crush but still a crowd), the intensity applied to try to see the detail, the complete foreignness (like no where you have ever been before), the antiquity, my limited knowledge of (and curiosity about) the people who created them, and the tight time-frame combined to make the whole experience rather surreal for me. Also close by is Medinet Habu - another ~3200 year old temple with well preserved coloring in the Hypostyle Hall. This is another remarkable temple and had been specifically recommended by both Kareem and Rusha, so I was happy to have it included when the scheduled tome (Nefertari) was closed. It was only just after noon, but with the heat, and the overload of the day it was hard to take it in. I was very happy to get to yet another luxury hotel by mid-afternoon, hit the pool, have a beverage, and try to reflect on the day

  Scenes from Days 10: Hatshepsut Temple: approach, Hatshepsut herself x 2, wall detail x 2, work in progress; Valley of the Kings: A sequence of decorations and interior views from the tombs; Medinet Hapu: A large exterior carving of Ramses III teaching his sons to hunt, interior detail x 3;

  For my last day in the Nile Valley I had a relaxed start then was back on a private tour with Sultan. We went first to the Ramsesseum - another Ramses II temple contemorary with Abu Simbel celebrating his famous victory. It is also the least well preserved of any site that I have visited having been used as a "quarry" (including for Medinet Hapu), damaged by time and earthquakes, and hacked at by early Christians. As compensation, I had the entire place to myself to explore, observe and imagine. It was wonderful. The final stop was at Deir el-Medina - the village for the workers who built the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, and the site of the tombs of their chiefs. The remains of the village show each house had 3-4 rooms, and I could imagine that they could provide a relatively comfortable accommodation. The tombs just about the village are for the chiefs. They are buried deep down a steep rickety stairway, and small (5.1 x 2.6m/16.7 x 8.5 ft) with a domed ceiling. They are covered, especially the ceiling, with the most beautiful and dynamic painting yet. All the colors are original. It was the most remarkable way to finish my visit to the ancient necropolis. This visit made me think about what it might have been like to be here in the New Kingdom during the celebration of the Opet Festival or another special feast day, when the huge golden barques bearing the golden statues of Amun-Ra and other gods/goddesses emerged from the holy-of-holies of the temples and were carried by the high priests through the streets or floated across the river - along with the Pharaoh dressed in the finest golden robes. From what we have left in the tombs and temples it is easy to image that it would have been quite a parade! Happily Sultan just sent me a couple of unattributed artists' impressions that give some idea.

  Scenes from Days 11: Ramsesseum: The Hittites being slaughtered by Ramses at Kadesh (only his horse seen here), the fallen Ramses statue as seen from the hall, the feet remaining from the fallen statues; Deir el-Medina: the remains of the village; tomb decorations (all taken while on my back on the floor)

  The rest of the morning and the early afternoon of Day 11was spent in a private transfer north along the river through sugar cane fields and donkey carts, then west through the desert to the Red Sea city of Hurghada and yet another big resort-style hotel - the Swiss Inn. Don't tell anyone, but even though my itinerary says my only meal is breakfast I have been booked into the all-inclusive package with all meals, in a choice of 5 restaurants, and free drinks! (all except Turkish coffee and wine - go figure). Ali, my new rep, met me at check-in and I'm set for the activities to come.

  Scenes from Day 11 afternoon: The Swiss Inn: The private Red Sea beach comes complete with camel.

  Days 12-14 were at Hurghada with 2 day trips to the reef for snorkeling and scuba diving plus a day of rest (caused by getting too much sun while snorkeling and some gut troubles). The cruise there and back was slow - so the trips were all day affairs for perhaps 60-80 minutes in the water. But, the reef was quite alive with fish and healthy coral so the time in the water was great. I'm not set up for underwater videos, but fellow traveller, Luzi, shared this short clip. Here is one view from the boat:

  After a painless Day 15 of transit, it was back to history. Day 16 included the restored ruins of 2 Roman sites and a Crusader-era castle. My driver had a long way to take me up to the far north of Jordan to Umm Qais for the ruins of Gadara - this site has an overview of Jordan, Israel and Syria including the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights. No missiles sighted. The guide told me that the Roman temple had been converted to a church by the early Christians. They wanted to commemorate a visit by Jesus to this town - associated with the "miracle of the swine". So, I have walked where Jesus walked! It didn't send me into raptures, but still, kinda cool. Speaking of Jesus, the next stop was Ajlun Castle - the Crusaders never took it, and you can see why - atop a mountain with views in all directions, and thick high walls. The restoration here was excellent - it seemed quite authentic. The last stop was Jerash - another nice restoration of a (mostly) Roman era site. It (and Gadara) made me think again that it might not have been too bad to live in the Roman Empire - good roads, running water, shops selling stuff from everywhere, amphitheaters with poetry, music and plays, a huge bathtub full of wine at the Temple of Dionysis, and chariot racing at the hippodrome on a Saturday afternoon.

  Scenes from Day 15: Umm Qais - the amphitheatre, temple and view; Ajlun Castle - restored rooms x 2, work on a Byzantine mosaic, the view (note the extremely rare clouds); Jerash - scenes from the restored ruins

  Day 16 was to make the several hour drive south to Petra for "Petra by Night". Along the way there was more history - at Mt Nebo. It is famous as the place where Moses finally sighted the "promised land" and then died. It does have a nice view (mostly hidden in haze), but the highlight for me was the 6th century mosaics that paved the floor of the Byzantine basilica. I love mosaics. Petra By Night was pretty lame - for me, the candle light didn't come close to being able to see the Treasury (might have needed a 30+ second exposure for a photo) and, once the floodlights came on, the show was not much. Still, lying on my back looking up at the stars, and the walk through the candlelit Siq were cool.

  Day 17 was Petra day. Even though the visit was highly anticipated, the reality exceeded expectations. The walk through the Siq in the daytime was a spectacular. This huge slot canyon would be worth a visit even if it wasn't the main road into Petra. I was guided for the first walk down the main trail, then left to explore on my own - for 8 hours roaming the ruins of this ancient city - including significant time relaxing in shady nooks when they could be found. Unfortunately for the shops, but fortunately for me, the crowds were small - and seemed slightly less obsessed with taking selfies than most crowds - but they were always there and just become part of the experience.

  Scenes from Day 17: The Siq x 2 (note the water channels lining both sides); The Treasury x 3 as seen from the Siq, the normal scene in the plaza with camels and selfies, on its own; tombs lining the way toward the main city; The steps on the path to the Monastery (950 of them according to the young men trying to sell donkey rides - they kept offering a Ferarri or Lamborgini - I kept asking for a Mustang, but I don't think they got the joke), the Monastery; 6th century mosaic from the Byzantine church x 2; the facades of the royal tombs; a grotto of tombs (Petra is known as the Rose City and in some places the rock is truly beautiful - as here near the royal tombs and on the steps up to the Monastery); the theater (carved out of the rock) 

  Day 18 had a relaxed start because the destination was Wadi Rum in the desert, so there was no benefit to an early arrival. I have seen everywhere that times are hard for hospitality providers in Jordan due to regional conflict - but this was brought home when I was the only guest at the hotel in Petra, and then again when I was 1 of only 3 guests at the desert camp in Wadi Rum. Unfortunately, the Wadi Rum visit was a disappointment. My 4WD tour was just a drive in the sand and the night sky was nothing special. I have heard that others had a better experience. Day 19 was a drive then an afternoon at the Dead Sea. Much of the drive was along the border with Israel. During that time my phone's GPS told me I was in Amman. My driver confirmed that GPS is intentionally disabled near the border. The compulsory activity here is to get swathed in the mud and then bob in the very salt water. The water is amazingly buoyant. The mud is meant to be good for the skin - time will tell. I had 24 hours at another very nice resort here - spending time in the pool or relaxing and reflecting.

  Scenes from Days 18 and 19: Wadi Rum - the ship of the desert getting refueled; the desert, a tourist caravan (and me with some free time to photo edit); The Dead Sea - Lowest point on earth; happy to be alive.

Continue to October