The drive through Wadi Rum to the desert camp was terrific. Probably the highlight of Jordan in terms of ambience and experience. You felt like you were on the set of Lawrence of Arabia, and indeed you were! The WWI scenes where a light plane was attacking Lawrence and the Arab troops were shot here. I’m going to find it and watch it again as soon as I get home.

There was feasting and dancing, in which I briefly partook. One of the gang sent me a video in which this is depicted but it will not be screened. There was a bloke playing the oud. I liked that and the other indigenous music although it didn’t need to be amplified. I retired bedwards to my tent when the disco stuff came on: ‘Nutbush City Limits’ – that kind of thing. Hameed had told us the music would go on to 11.30, but fortunately most of us campers were middle-aged or older and when everyone had left the communal space by about 9pm, the musicians and DJs packed up and we all got an early night, Allah be praised. The tents were pretty basic but at least it was quiet and there was no ungodly hour call to prayer.

Wadi Rum is in the south near the Jordanian port of Aqaba. On our way back north we stopped at Shobak Castle, built by crusader king Baldwin I in 1115.

Shobak Castle was one of the toughest for the muslims to retake from the Christian crusaders, but they eventually did it.

We headed north again to the Dead Sea, to the west of Amman, where our guide and driver will leave us and the party go separate ways.