After what had happened between the landlord’s kid and Adrian yesterday we decided that we should leave immediately when we were ready and have our breakfast either by an internet café or on the road.  Unfortunately the internet café was not open that early and we got our supplies of bread stick and buns and left for Wadi Rum. We found the road to be excellent on the Kings Highway side of Petra unlike the road which we came in through.

The turning to Wadi Rum was approximately 55 miles from Petra, and about 43 kms from Aqaba. The road into the visitor’s centre of Wadi Rum is a further 13 miles. We were allowed to go to the reception office without having to buy tickets and picked up a map of the area there. After several basic questions we decided to buy tickets for ourselves which cost 2 Dinars each and for Tuah 10 Dinars. No offers were made for a guide or a driver, and we were confident it would be OK.

As soon as we left the tarmac I had to put Tuah on 4 wheel drive mode and went first to Lawrence Spring, named after T.E. Lawrence, the British Army Officer and writer. We were invited for tea by the local Bedouin but declined as we wanted to have lunch and go to the recommended site to watch the sunset. We had lunch of fried egg sandwich and waited for the sun to set. Unfortunately half an hour before the sunset dark clouds came rolling in and no sunset for us to witness.

As it was rather windy, we sought shelter near a mountain and put up camp there. A Bedouin tent was nearby but no one seemed to live in it, although there appeared to be markings of a boundary to it. Alison decided to cook Maggie mee tonight and of course Adrian enjoyed it, being his favourite meal. As it was pitch black we got Adrian washed up at 1930hrs and got into the tent and played dominoes.

I could see vehicle lights going up and down the various track and marvel at how the drivers cold see at night where the were going. The weather kept changing throughout the night and at one time I could see the stars in the sky and at another it was just too cloudy. At least I could lay claim that I was sleeping under the stars tonight.