Jordan Jollies!

Beirut seems to have survived our absence remarkably well and in fact, seems to be progressing towards some sort of agreement on the political way forward. Clearly we need to leave the country more often! Leading figures from both sides - Saad Hariri (son of Rafik, the PM assassinated 2 years ago) and Nabih Berri (Leading Shia figure who is also the Speaker of Parliament and often speaks for the opposition - he is the link to Hezbollah who Western governments can talk to) have met a few times now and seem to have found some common ground.

In the meantime, we had a great time in Jordan. Photos will be put up - and will probably be ahead of this post, but as is often the case, photos can never do justice to the beauty of the country and particularly the magnificence that is Petra. There is a lot of desert in Jordan, and much of the country is featureless and stony. However, when it is green, and when you are at the Dead Sea, or in Petra, it is stunning. We spent two nights in Petra - taking part in a 'Petra by candlenight' trip which was very atmospheric. Our one day in Petra was not enough - there is so much more to see and do than you can achieve in just one visit but I certainly will be returning. We also spent one day at the Dead Sea and one in Amman (very new and very low rise - quite a shock after Beirut!). Today we came back via Jerash, a Roman city that is pretty intact, and pretty impressive with lots of colonades and temples in particular.

Many people in Jordan speak good English. However I was not to be deterred from practising my Arabic, especially as I am currently mastering the past tense and wanted to tell unsuspecting locals what I had done. I was rewarded by some comprehension and the comment that "you speak with a Lebanese accent"! Success at last!

As it is not peak season we often had the sights to ourselves. Mind you, it is not peak season for a reason. As I type the rain is lashing down and the wind is howling round our flat. Great weather conditions for Dom's parents who arrive on Thursday!