I left sweet California sunshine exactly 300 days ago. Tomorrow, Day 301, I fly back to USA and a couple of days later, back to the Golden State. The end is within sight. I am what we in the travelling community call “tired”. I am becoming weak of mind, body and spirit. General feebleness all around. It is exhausting to run around for 300 days, in case you were unsure.
Having a read at the Dead Sea in Jordan. The salt content is so high that unexpected parts of your body will notice it for you. One kid screamed, “My butthole stings!”
I flew in to Amman, Jordan at 2:30am, which is the absolute worst time for a flight to arrive, and I flew out of Amman at 4:30am, which is the absolute worst time for a flight to depart.
Why are those the worst times? It means no sleep on either end and lots of hours at the airport if you are like me and avoid taxis like the plague. And where are you going to go with a taxi? I’d rather hang out at a decent airport—no, I’m not talking about you, Kathmandu—than deal with waking up or checking in to a hotel at some crazy hour. Actually, I don’t feel strong about that statement. I am a poor sleeper in the best of times, so I don’t know how best to carve up the night.
This dude at Petra rode his donkey right to the edge of this cliff, and jumped off as if he was in the middle of a flat field. That’s a suicidal long way down.
King Hussein on the left, King Abdullah in the middle and the King Abdullah’s son on the right. In Syria they often do the same trifecta with Father Assad, Son Assad and Brother Assad.
A rug of young King Abdullah in a cave by the monastery at Petra.
A can of hummus, a can of foul (fava beans), and pita bread is much better than it sounds. Check my skin color out. It’s inhuman.
Sunning above Petra monastery.
Stephen Lioy would like you to know that Stephen Lioy took the best four photos on this page. You can figure out which they are, but a new camera/smartphone is on my shopping list. Feel free to make recommendations.
The Jordanian passport-stamping bastard at the airport ruined my Somaliland stamp just as the Madrid passport-stamping bastard ruined my other Somaliland stamp. Is nothing sacred?
PRACTICAL INFORMATION:
There is now a Jordan Pass where, in one package, you can pay for your visa and have one day at Petra as well as many other national parks for 70JD (Jordanian dinar). Normally a visa and one day at Petra is 90JD, so it is well worth it, but you have to buy it online before you arrive, and then you will have a few stressful seconds at immigration when they examine the paper as if it is the first time they have ever seen such a thing.
Why don’t you stay with me? You can follow along with RSS, subscribe to an email feed, see what’s cooking on Facebook, pray that I’ll say something worth remembering on Twitter and if you are really slumming it, there’s always Google+. (I’ll follow you back!)
We went there about 10 years ago. Looks the same (Thank Allah) Welcome Home!
I’m sure it is the same, though they said water levels drop one meter every year.
I’m not home yet, but thanks!
Fantastic Kent! Have retread your whole trip of 300 days and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Where to next?
You’re returning to the bay area just as the weather gets crappy (for the next 4-6 months).
You read the whole 300 days, Marie? Wow, thanks for that. I have one or two more left and then I might go quiet a while. Where next? Good question. Where do you recommend?
netllama, I have a feeling I will be indoors a LOT these coming weeks or months. Let it rain! (We need it.)
Congrats and thanks Kent for keeping up the hard work of keeping us entertained. If you don’t want to drag around a camera the recent iPhones and Android smartphones would be fine, otherwise look at the DPReview buying guides for ideas (just don’t read the comments). A used mid level mirrorless is cheap, smallish and a big step up in picture quality from a smartphone. Or how about a Fujifilm Instax? Then you can give something back to the kids on your travels. Put your Donate button back up and we’ll all chip in 🙂
Thanks, Tony.
I am thinking of going pure smartphone. Don’t read the comments? I think I know what you mean, just like I don’t take comments to seriously for TripAdvisor. I am skittish about buying used electronics that will last; I think I will go new.
I feel funny about the “Donate” button. I appreciate the offer, but I will buy it myself. That’s what I say now, but then when I check prices for things maybe I will put it back. HA!
Wow, so you personally witnessed this person jump off the cliff?… I love your humor, pics and adventures. You are amazing!
No no no, I pushed them off since they wouldn’t jump. See? I am despicable me, not so amazing.