Thanks to all of you for taking the interest and time to come along on this amazing journey.

A short last post

We left at 10 am for Wadi Rum, or Rum Valley. On the way, our guide Ruby stopped to show us a cave hotel in the hills above Petra. It reminded us so much of the hotel we liked in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. One last shopping tip: the Dead Sea beauty products are excellent and inexpensive. My skin is looking better already.

The desert comes alive at Wadi Rum. This experience ran a close second to our day at Petra and is less physically demanding. Ruby, our guide, recommends you come in the afternoon & sleep out in the desert to enjoy the massive view of the stars at night. I would like to do that next time I visit. I didn't understand what they meant by a "sea of sand". It turns out there are broad streams of different color sand; it shifts with the wind and earth. The landscape includes waves of different colors, hence the "sea of sand" description. There are rock formations I've not seen before. They look like a cake with chocolate melting down its sides.

Ruby dutifully pointed out Lawrence of Arabia's Seven Pillars stone. We enjoyed our 4X4 ride with the Bedouin, and drank the most fragrant spice tea, made with fresh herbs and carefully brewed with hot, not boiling, water. Our shoes accumulated some sand dust, just in time for Easter. They are a bright shade of orange. We spent the rest of the time driving back to the airport, discussing recipes. Ruby could not decide if I was making up the idea of a turducken or if it was truly served in America. She then laughed and said the Bedouin version would be a small goat stuffed inside a sheep stuffed inside a camel. Could you imagine THAT served at your wedding reception?

We arrived right on time at the airport and are now waiting for our flight to Cairo. Ah yes .. return to RealityCheckque. It's going to be a full throttle experience, I expect.

Cheers, Anne (once again shedding another great persona for a great trip)