Jerash and Dead Sea, Jordan: November 2003

ABOVE LEFT The Oval Plaza

ABOVE Talal demonstrates the acoustics of the South Theatre as everyone scrambles to the top level

LEFT View of the Oval Plaza from the top of the South Theatre

BELOW LEFT Posing for a group picture on the stage of the South Theatre

RIGHT Church of St Theodore's (I think) mosaic floor - open to the elements

BELOW RIGHT Temple of Artemis. If you place a finger in a crack at the base of one of the columns, you can feel the column 'breathe' as it moves slightly with the wind. Very disconcerting!

BELOW Walking down to the Propylaeum - the Gateway to the Temple of Artemis

BELOW RIGHT The Cardo Maximus (collonaded street) leading back towards the Oval Plaza. It's still possible to see the ruts worn into the stones by chariots.

LEFT A view of the hippodrome where chariot races are held, and to the left, covered in scaffolding, is Hadrian's Arch

From here, we move on to the Dead Sea. En route, we see an entourage of stately looking cars, accompanied by several police cars speeding down the highway. Our guide Talal tells us these are the Palestinian prime minister's on a state visit.

ABOVE LEFT Tentatively walking out into the Dead Sea. The water is only knee high, but there are a fair number of pot holes, and a wrong step could mean that one foot will suddenly plunge a foot deeper than expected.

ABOVE RIGHT Kathy and I float in the Dead Sea. The rest of the group are in the background. Having found it incredibly difficult to lie down to float, once floating, I found it even more difficult to try to stand up again!

LEFT Kathy and I have scooped mud from the bottom of the Dead Sea to use as an all-over-body-mask.

ABOVE Egged on by us, Sam and Jim also try on the mud masks, then go to sit in the sun. However, as the sun dries out the mud, the lads discover that their skin is 'tightening'. Disliking this sensation, Sam promptly dives into the sea to energetically wash it off, followed slightly more calmly by Jim.

LEFT The final evening of the tour, Wesley and me during the first course of mezzés at Tawaheen Al-Hawa restaurant in Amman. Kathy later surprises everyone by blowing smoke rings with a nargileh (water pipe).

This trip was part of the Jordan Connection tour with Imaginative Traveller