Jordan in less than 48hrs...

The Dead Sea Ultra Marathon is an event that happens every year. It consists of the Ultra (48.7km), the marathon (42.2km), half-marathon (21.1km), 10Km race, and 4.2km mini-marathon for the kids. This year, Brent decided he would like to run in the half.

So, off we went for a flash-weekend in Jordan.

• We were supposed to fly our at 5pm Wednesday, but had a 6hr delay due to weather. As such, we arrived at 130am Thursday but didn't get into the hotel in Amman until 330am.
• Up at 9, and off to Petra down the King's Highway by 10.
• Drove the King's Highway, a twisty-turney journey (heh) that took six hours to navigate--beautiful, but it meant we were late arriving at Petra and had only a couple hours to race down into the site, rush around, and rush out before it closed for the day.
• A long supper--unplanned, as the restaurant seemed a little unprepared for business that night--and on the road again by 730pm.
• Drove back along the more direct Desert Highway, and back at the hotel by 1130pm, prepared running stuff for the morning and in bed by midnight.
• Up at 445am Friday to be at the assembly point by 545.
• On the bus at 615 to take Brent to start.
• A few photos and pre-race pit-stop at 730, kisses and hugs.
• Start at 745, run the half in 1hr 47mins (ironically the most sedate time of the trip--Brent had lots of time to reflect while running), down to the beach
• by 9:47.
• In the Dead Sea by 1015am, quick float.
• Dead Sea slime washed off and on the road again by 1115.
• At the airport for noon, wait 30mins for the car-rental guy to do his thing.
• Check-in at 1230 (yay for auto-check-in), through security by 1245.
• Quick well-earned beer and sandwich in lounge, waiting at the departure gate by 130pm for 155 departure.
• Flight delayed by 30mins, in the air by 230, back in Kuwait by 430, home by 5pm.
• In bed by 8.

We think maybe we'll spend more time if we're ever blessed enough to return to Jordan.

B&R

Here's a video shot at the finish line. Not sure how it'll turn out, as we mistakenly set the camera to "video" rather than "still." Oh well--give it a try.
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The Dead Sea, Jordan.

Rosalee, self-mugging and waiting for the race finish at the Amman Tourist Beach, Dead Sea. She's so yummy... ;-)

Looking down the highway at the runners. Brent is wearing the white hat and blue tank top.

Brent, pointing at his favourite possession (the ring, not the Timex) as he runs by Rosalee.

Brent, waving for the camera at the start of the half.

Rosalee drove the car down to the finish line to meet Brent at the finish. She paused at the start line to give Brent a "go-get-'im!" kiss (behind a bush... it is a Muslim country after all), and snapped this picture of Bedouin camel farmers moving their herd beside the highway.

Brent at the gathering point for the Dead Sea Ultra Marathon. He ran in the half-marathon, and was bussed down to the start line, 21.1km from the finish at the Dead Sea.

The theatre, Petra.

Tombs are scattered all through Petra, cut into the rock faces.

We were a bit rushed, but we felt that by far the most impressive remnant at Petra is the Khazneh, or Treasury. It is the most sheltered--and therefore best preserved--structure cut from the stone faces at Petra. It is, quite simply, "Wow." Very, very impressive.

First sighting, the Khazneh, or Treasury. After trekking through the 12.km Siq, you open up into Petra's main site.

To get into Petra's main site, you walk through a 1.2km Siq, a defile formed through the fracturing of tectonic plates.

The mouth of the Siq.

Obelisk Tomb, Petra. This is one of the first things you see before you head through the Siq into the main site.

Can you tell which way the prevailing wind blows? Pine tree, near Qadsiyya, Jordan.

Wadi Finan, near Qadsiyya, Jordan.

Rosalee's first Middle East driving experience, Jordan pastureland in the background.

Wadi Mujib.

Wildflowers, near Mt. Nebo, Jordan.

Figs, near Mt. Nebo, Jordan.

Our rental car, a pint-sized Chevy Spark. Great gas mileage.

That's me... er... "enjoying the scenery." Check out the soil--it's a long way from our barren hodd in Kuwait.

Amman is a neat city, hewn from rocky hills that make navigating a bit tricky.

We had a lovely spring break. We remained in Kuwait, and were able to rest and relax and get some necessary work-related tasks completed without the pressure of daily classes.

We wrapped it all up with Easter weekend: a bonfire on Mutla Ridge with a few friends, as well as a sunrise service on Easter morning at the British Embassy.

Flowers you'll find in few other places in Kuwait than the embassy gardens.

The garden in the British embassy compound where we held our Easter sunrise service.

The view from Mutla Ridge over Kuwait City. We had our campfire a few hundred metres from Hwy. 80 which goes up to Iraq... those of you who followed Gulf War I might remember an infamous stretch of highway called the "Highway of Death" where thousands of fleeing Iraqi vehicles and soldiers were pummelled by allied air support. Mutla ridge marks the spot where this happened.