We discovered that almost all tourists came from Hungary; in most shops, a note in Hungarian welcomed Hungarian patrons. It appeared that after 9-11 almost all foreign visitors stayed away. Only 9 full aircraft per week with Hungarians were the tourists.
The plan was to see at first the Wadi Rum and Petra. Initially we intended to go on adventure ourselves, with backpack and public transport, but Wadi Rum was impossible without a Bedouin guide and a four-wheel transport.
Still yawning due to lack of sleep as a result of the night flight we booked directly a trip to Wadi Rum with a Bedouin in a four wheel, including spending the night in the desert.
Wadi Rum is an incredible beautiful desert. Out of the desert, sandstone rocks of the most bizarre forms emerge into steep mountains. The colours change over the day. Only Bedouins are living here. The area is famous from the stories about Lawrence of Arabia, who had in the First World War here his hiding place in the battle against the Turks of the Ottoman Empire.
Nice prehistoric rock paintings and carvings can be seen here.
There are some enormous natural bridges, carved out since ancient times by wind and water. This one was very steep to climb and the Bedouin guide was not happy that I tried to climb to the top of the bride, as not to long ago a tourist died doing this. 
Standing under the bridge you get a feel of the enormous size of the natural bridge. A bridge having the right form is very stable and last very long. 
The desert is relatively high in the mountains and rather flat. Out of the basin, steep sandstone mountains are visible. The colour of the sandstone varies from pale white to red. Some shrubs can survive in this hot climate. The wood of it is very hard and it grows very slowly.
Another Natural Bride is bigger and easy to climb.
On the side of the bridge insects have built, from sandstone powder, their nests. They are configured in a honeycomb structure. The nest can be seen in the middle, upper half of the picture.
In the Wadi Rum desert live Bedouins. These live near a big cistern, of the size of a little swimming pool, full of cool water. The water is collected in the winter. The Bedouins live in long and low tents, made of goat hair. Typically they move every few months. The Bedouins are the original inhabitants of Jordan and are fully integrated in the country. The last years a drought has plagued the area, and life is not easy for them. The camels are essential to survive in this barren world.
The Four-wheel drive ploughed slowly through the sand. Birgitt stands here with the Nissan, who carried us safely to our destination. 
Our Bedouin driver was an expert. He knew his way in the desert and handled the lose sand as an expert. He stopped at a sand dune which overlooked a scenic part of the valley.
Near the Bedouin camp, where we would spend the night were stunning rock formations. The shape and colour seemed to change every hour as the sun slowly set.
We had a nice traditional meal of the Bedouins, followed by entertainment, dancing. The sun set slowly and we decided to see the sunset. At the foot of the mountain the Bedouin camp can be seen.
We were supposed to sleep in an open Bedouin tent, in the sand, next to other people. We decided to sleep in a little tent, better for privacy. We enjoyed a relatively cool night, at least compared to the scorching hot temperatures in daytime. We slept like babies.
We decided to see the sunrise and it was an early wake up. We had to walk in the sand for about 2 kilometres to see the sun rising over a remote mountain ridge. The sunrise was spectacular. The dark night was visibly moving to the horizon and more and more sky was glowing.
First the tops of the mountains started to glow in early sunlight.
We still are in the area of the dusk and around us the mountains start glowing
The spot were the sun would emerge became brighter and brighter and in one second the sun was visible, colouring the world in a reddish glow.
The sunrays skim over the sand leaving a deep impression of natures beauty.
In minutes the desert glows like fire. We see many traces of animals, which have moved in the sand during the night, We see a bird flying from these bushes.
The first minutes after sunrise the shadows are very long.
At some places we are in the shadow while the mountain are basking in the sun.
We travel back to Aqaba and explore the city. We decide to go next day to Petra, by public transport.
Petra is an ancient city, a lost civilisation of the Nabatears. Though it was known from classical literature it was re-discovered in 1812. A century later the excavations started.
Many books are written about this civilisation.
Petra is located in the mountains and only can be reached through a siq, a canyon a few meters wide and a up to few hundred meters high.
The siq is a narrow opening, originated from tectonic forces in the magnificent coloured sandstone.
It is cool in the siq. You know that after more than a kilometre you suddenly will see the El Kahzan, the Treasury. Still it is shock if you see that enormous façade cut out of stone, 2300 years ago. And still in an excellent shape. The façade is the primary ornament. Behind it is a huge, empty hall and some side rooms. The building is guarded by Bedouin warriors. This is really one of the most amazing man-built structures of the ancient world.
The graves are cut out of the rocks and the facades are still magnificent in colours. The rooms inside are simple and not decorated
The ceiling of the rooms have stunning colours, in fascinating patters, still bright as you can image.
We climb in the hot air steep way to the High Place of Sacrifice. From here is a nice view over the valley of Petra
In the valley are many buildings and tombs.
We see beautiful eroded sandstone during the climb and decent
A group of graves and dwellings. Many were until recent occupied by Bedouins.
We climb high to the complex around the Tomb of the Urn. Many graves and grottos around it. Well worth. We buy there some coins of a Bedouin girl, claiming she want business, as she did not sell anything. It will bring her luck. She claims it is an original Nabatear coin, 2300 years old. Later an expert informs us it’s a real one, it should be in an museum. Later we get another one from a friendly Bedouin, but this one is damaged.
On the way back we come along the Treasury again. The light has changed, and it looks different again. We will come back!
In the village we try to catch the bus to Aqaba, but the taxi driver says the bus has gone. It looks unlikely, as we have plenty of time. But someone says the bus leaves when he’s full. We like to see it our selves and the taxi driver drops us off at the bus station. But we do not trust it and indeed, it is not the bus station as this is a kilometre away. But there nobody can say if the bus has gone, so we take a taxi the 130 kilometres to Aquaba. When we leave the town we see our bus!
On the way back we see camels of the Bedouins. Rare are a group of light, grey, and black camels.
We had to take the taxi to be sure we were back in Aqaba, as we booked a diving course. It is a long standing dream to dive and it was not impossible we could complete the course in four days, if we would study all out free time.
Diving is a very technical sport, your life depends on your equipment, knowledge and skills.
You have to learn about that environment, and the dangers associated with that. Strange and deadly diseases like the decompression sickness, the deadly tearing of your lungs if you hold your breath while ascending. And nitrogen narcoses. All rather scary, but if you know what you do, the risk is only minor.
The corals are incredibly beautiful: the whole spectrum of colours, and an infinity variation in shape. There are many fish in dazzling colours. On any moment you can see thousand of fish, in hundred different species. The colours are sometimes fluorescent, amazing.
The first 4 dives are officially confined water dives. Normally in a swimming pool but here between the corals. The course progresses quickly. Every day an exam and many many skills. Then the rest of the air using while swimming between the corals, op to 15 meter deep. 
It is terrible hot and in the neoprene suit dragging your equipment and lead weights is not easy. But real fun.
In four days the course is completed. We did study every free moment, and the first 4 exams were 100%. Then the final and long exam. !00% could not be achieved, so 99,5% is on the papers. Not without any pride we get the PADI open water diver certificate. This allows to dive anywhere in the world without supervision of an instructor.
Birgitt passes for the theory as well, but takes some more time to complete the course.
We look back to an extremely eventful and nice holiday in wonderful Jordan