Egypt and Wadi Rum

I'd been exhausted from travel, wishing only to spend some time at home in Amman. I took a flight to Cairo only to be sent back to Amman for not having a visa and had to come back the next morning. Once in Cairo, my days were split by a boring conference during the day and trying to see at least something in Cairo in the evening. The Egyptians were as aggressive and as friendly as I remember. They insist. Whether they insist you buy something or insist you sit with them, they will do everything in their power to force you. A young man even pulled me off the street you have Iftar with him and his friends. Going to sites proved difficult with everything closing early to prepare for Iftar. I managed a few wondrous sites that were nestled impossibly in impoverished and dilapidated cement surroundings.

After Cairo, I went to Sharm el Sheikh and got some much needed down time. Surrounded by mostly Italians, I tried not to think about my upcoming Baghdad project. I went sailing, snorkeling, sat by the pool, saw a sting ray. It was nice, very nice.

And nice became even better. My return to Jordan was rushed, but incredibly fun. I arrived and immediately drove south to Wadi Rum to meet Miss Petra for hiking and camping. When I bought my 4-wheel drive Jeep (which is always in 4-wheel drive oddly), I was a little upset that there weren't any economical gas-efficient sedans for sale in the community. The Jeep, though, was fantastic for hauling eight of us around without a guide in the Jordanian desert. At one of the lookouts, a Bedouin came up to me and asked how I got out there. I pointed to my Jeep and he seemed confused. I'm not sure if it was because he thought I would have gotten lost or that we had crammed eight people in.

Night was a hummus and bread dinner next to a campfire under a star-filled new moon sky.

And then, I went to Iraq.