I flipped through lots of images for this weeks PhotoFriday theme,
“Slowly,” but I thought that this image fitted the bill and was a little different from most of the photos already posted. It’s of a line of camels slowly plodding towards our camp in Wadi Rum, Jordan.

I didn’t post an entry for last weeks PhotoFriday. (Indeed I was so busy that I didn’t even vote for my own entry in the challenge the previous week! No wonder I didn’t win.)

When you think of Noisy and loud musical instruments, one that springs to my mind is the bagpipe. In Jerash, Jordan, they were not only loud but very unexpected.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Monochrome.” I’m entry number 78.

Petra and its Treasury are justly considered travel icons, which, I think, makes it a great candidate for this weeks PhotoFriday challenge, “Icon.” Shots like this are used almost everywhere Petra is mentioned (the other is the Treasury with a camel sat in front of it), which kind of makes it an iconic — in the sense of having a conventional formulaic style — photo, too.

As with any “Spontaneous” picture, I could pick out a bunch of flaws in this image, yet I love the expressions on the boys faces. I found this situation in a market in Aqaba, Jordan.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “The Extraordinary.” I’m entry number 264.

This chap is a professional camel handler that led my animal, dancing, singing and laughing all the way through Wadi Rum in Jordan. This weeks PhotoFriday theme being “Professional” I thought this image was appropriate.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “My Little Secret.” I’m entry number 185.

The desert is so vast, stretching off as far as the eye can see in every direction, that from a human scale it appears to be infinite. Which is fortunate as that is this weeks PhotoFriday theme. This image was taken in Wadi Rum, Jordan.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “What is that?” I’m entry number 299.

This weeks PhotoFriday theme is “Passage of Time.” This is my entry.

The varying colours and textures of these sandstone cliffs in Petra, Jordan show the passage of time on a geological scale.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Best of 2007.” I’m entry number 272.

This weeks PhotoFriday theme is “Best of 2007.” This is my entry.

This is what I consider to be my best picture of 2007¹ which, of course, isn’t exactly what the theme suggests. It was taken in Wadi Rum, Jordan.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Sunrise.” I’m entry number 59.

A friend, far more well travelled than I am, told me that her favourite place on Earth is Wadi Rum so to say that expectations were high for this part of the trip would be an understatement. Of course viewing the world through someone else’s eyes can be a curse as well as a blessing.

The day started from Petra in four wheel drives, rumbling along tarmac for a while. We nipped off road a couple of times to take in some views and the tame conditions just off the main road made me question how rough things were going to get.

Whenever you see Petra in the media you see a picture of the Treasury. I just did a web search and the top three links with pictures all used such an image, often with a camel sat in front.

Let’s not beat around the bush here: Al Khazneh, the “proper” name of the Treasury, is spectacular. It’s a two thousand year old, forty metre high carving straight into the sandstone rock face.

The surprising thing, given that it’s about the only image of the place you’ve seen beforehand, is that there is so much more to Petra than just the Treasury.