Potfest

Wednesday: We woke at 6am - yesterday's breeze has disappeared and even so early in the day it is very, very hot. Eid is concerned that the first 2 hours of todays walk, steeply uphill on very rough, stony ground might jeopardize our ability to do tomorrow's really long walk. He strongly recommends that we take the 4WD to Mansourah and carry on today's walk from there. Although I am desperate to walk all the way into Petra I am mindful of the scorn I heap on visitors to the Lake District who take no heed of weather conditions and advice, and risk their own safety and that of those who have to rescue them. We break down camp and load up into the 4WD.

After being dropped off in Mansourah - a mere 15 minutes by 4WD, we gain some new friends who walk with us some way.

We climb steadily for about an hour to reach a gently undulating path overlooking ancient copper mining sites. The temperature is in the top 80's and still rising.

The rest of today's path is gently undulating - a wide unsurfaced 4WD track made for the archaeologists who frequent this area - a repository of ancient civilizations. Saw hardly a soul again when we were up high in the mountains, just an occasional goat-herder, and a couple of Bedouin tents 

We reach our destination by early afternoon - but Eid has received some bad news by phone - the weather is forecast to change and heavy rain is expected. If this happens we may have to move camp as the 4WD would not be able to negotiate the earth tracks if they were turned to mud. It could also jeopardize our next 2 days walking as we will be going through canyons liable to flooding. Fingers crossed the good weather holds out! Just before dinner Eid tells us about a natural spring higher up the valley and we treat ourselves to a wash and new hairdo.

 

Our wonderfully remote campsite - perched on top of the escarpment

In bed by 7 again as tomorrow is one of our longest walks.