The drive through Jordan was very surreal. The minibus stops in the middle of nowhere to let out people in the middle of the desert, going… I don’t know, but I think some those people must have died of thirst. Did I mention that it is hot? REALLY HOT! After a sketchy bus swap we made it to the village of Dana. The village is comprised of 26 Bedouin residents who are all pretty much related. The Bedouins are far from the nomads that they used to be, but their culture is still very unique, and their notorious “Bedouin hospitality” is unbelievable. We wanted to do more than the one hike we took into the canyon, but it was too hot. The hike we did take was beautiful though, winding along goat herders’ trails down into the dry stream bed. Towering on either side were Zion-like formations of red and white sandstone. We spent our evenings listening to Bedouin music, eating local cuisine, and communicating in simple English and hand gestures. We met a French couple who had a hired driver, and they were generous enough to take us to Shobak Castle on our way to Petra. The castle was sweet, there was a tunnel down to a dungeon, and a prison, and many archways still standing. Just my type of castle.
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