Aqaba, Jordan is the port made famous during WW1 when T.E.Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) crossed the Negev Desert to capture the then-sleepy town by uniting Arabian Bedouins against the Turks.

Instead of hanging about Aqaba, we are heading out to Wadi Rum, whose breathtaking desert landscape Lawrence described as "vast, echoing, and Godlike."  Here dramatic canyons cut sheer sand gashes though yellow, brown, white and red sandstone mountains and wind-carved bridges, arches and mushroom-shaped rock formation dot the landscape.

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There is nothing that you have to do when you are upset except get better.  Yes, when angry, sorrow-filled, or worried, you are not thinking correctly or on what is best at that time, so wait and settle down and then work to correct whatever caused that pain.

Nothing can prepare us for the splendor of this red-hued city carved in the sandstone cliffs and hidden in a canyon that once stood at the crossroads of flourishing caravan trade routes--until it was forgotten by the outside world for centuries.  Here the Nabataeans, Arabs who dominated the area prior to the Romans, carved elaborate, gorgeous temples and tombs out of the sandstone.  There are only a few freestanding buildings here, with over 800 monuments carved into the stone.

We'll spend all day exploring this mystical city which is a wonderland of monumental temples, tombs and elaborate buildings.  We approach Petra on foot via the siq, a narrow passage between 600' high overhanging sandstone cliffs.  Exiting the darkness of the siq we stand agape before the towering brightness of El Kazneh (The Treasury), a 140' high edifice carved into a mountain.  Then we see hundreds of soaring temples, tombs, and houses, as well as a Roman theater in the cliffs around us.  The Victorian traveler and poet, Dean Burgon, described Petra as:  "Match me such a marvel save in Eastern clime, a rose-red city half as old as time."

Then we head to the port of Aqaba to board our small ship for a 7-night cruise on the Red Sea.  This evening the crew will join us for a welcome drink and a look-sea at the ship as we stay moored at the pier for tonight.

The day is over for people who waste and want more to fill in the gap left by throwing away a lot.  Can you imagine how many people on Earth today would have been able to live better or longer on what you normally threw away and put aside and never used?  Please do and then make any changes if necessary to share what you cannot wear or do not care for now.

Today we take The King's Highway into the heart of Jordan.  It is a 5,000 year-old trade route first mentioned in the Book of Genesis.  We will see dramatic mountainous landscapes of the Wadi Mujib and stop at Mt. Nebo where the Bible says Moses viewed the Promised Land which he would never enter.  The vistas from Mt. Nebo include the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, the West Bank, and if we are lucky, we will see all the way to Jerusalem.

Mid-afternoon we will arrive at the "Lost City" of Petra, Jordan's greatest archaeological treasure!!! 

Comical people and events make us so much lighter in spirit than the usual melodramas that too many people want to play with today.  Why?  Why would you feel better with those who make light of life than you do with those who are never satisfied, always sad, and never think of you?

Jerash is one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world outside Italy, and we will also visit the 12th-century Saracen castle at Ajlun.

Our journey begins by traveling north from Amman into a remote valley among the mountains of Gilead to the ancient ruins of Jerash, a part of the Decapolis, the ten largest cities of the Eastern Roman Empire.  Jerash has been compared to Pompeii for its fine state of preservation.  We see Hadrian's Arch, the Nymphaeum, temples dedicated to Zeus and Artemis, and several theaters and churches laid out along colonnaded streets.  While walking here you feel as though you lived in the second century B.C.

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Quickly assess your greatest asset....

How long did it take?

Amman, Jordan's capital, is built on seven hills (but not at all like Rome) and is an enchanting combination of the modern and the ancient past. 

After breakfast we embark on a tour of the city.  Amman is called the "white city" because of its many houses built from characteristic local stone materials.  This gleaming city displays an intriguing blend of Middle Eastern and cosmopolitan influences.  Along our route we visit museums, the Citadel, the amphitheater, the souks, and the modern part of town.

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What a day to begin being the way you have always wanted to be!  Why not enjoy life to the fullest now and carry with you all the promises you have created along the way?  Perhaps you are overburdened with promises and need to start over, so begin today to win and think about what you want to do rather than what you did.

Flying out of London at 2:25 PM, the non-stop flight takes 5 hours and 15 minutes and we arrive in Amman, the capitol of Jordan, at 9:40 PM.  A bit late for dinner, but it should be waiting for us if we are hungry.

Catch me tomorrow when i will have a bit more to report as we move forward on this most exciting of itineraries.