Day 112: Dead Sea, Jordan

Jordan may well be a contender for home of the most spectacular natural attractions in the world.  Within a few hours of easy (if steep and hot) driving you can float on top of the salt-saturated water in the Dead Sea, wander through the canyons of Petra and marvel at the immense desert-sea of Wadi Rum.

Floating in the Dead Sea is a surreal experience.  As you wade into the water you begin to notice a slight bouyancy, as if your legs were filling with air.  At just over hip height your legs whip up from underneath you, pushed up by all the minerals in the water, but rather than falling you simply float, perfectly atop the water.  This bizarre sensation is only outdone by the intense salt burn- a slight underarm chafing leads to extreme pain which takes 2 showers to shift.

From there, it's into the vast, inhospitable Jordanian mountains.  A series of craggy, spiky peaks that stretch into the distance, only ending when they are lost in the desert haze.

 But this is the Middle East, so no matter how hot, how inhospitable the terrain, no matter how isolated, there will always be one thing to rely on- tea.

 That night, I watch the sun go down over the valley of Petra.