After a few days visiting sites around Amman, it’s time to head south to Petra via the scenic Kings Highway.

Myself and three other people from our hostel will split the ride down and we’ve booked Jamil, our favorite taxi driver. It’s a tight squeeze with all four of us but it’s more budget-friendly this way.

We stop again briefly at the Dead Sea.

This time we walk down for a closer view of those salt crystals.

I’m straining to smile here because flies are swarming around my head.

We press on, pausing every once in awhile at a scenic overlook.

Check out the patch of greenery in the middle of this desert landscape below. And those are Bedouin tents in the foreground.

We spend a good hour roaming around Al-Karak (or Kerak), another Crusader castle similar to Ajloun from yesterday’s post.

View looking out from Kerak Castle:

Jamil suggests a restaurant for lunch — one without tourist prices, he assures us. It ends up being one of my favorite meals in Jordan.

And this is my favorite vista of the day:

Another spot an hour later, by the turn off for Dana Biosphere Reserve. If I were staying longer, I’d love to check this area out — the hiking is reputed to be excellent.

Our warm and funny driver Jamil poses for the camera:

Can you spot the caves in this hillside?

Our final stop before Petra is Montreal (called Shoubak or Shawback in Arabic), yet another impressive Crusader’s castle. This time we don’t go inside and instead snap photos from the road.

That wraps up our third day-long trip sightseeing trip in Jordan. Onward to Petra!