Guess who is coming to dinner?

This has been a very interesting, challenging and fulfilling week working with field Park Rangers at Petra with issues of unauthorized uses (concession stands, donkeys, child street vendors) being foremost. Many Rangers will not wear the uniform, for a variety of reasons. This makes it very hard for visitors to identify them (unfortunately), and of course they are well known by the violators, so it is a work-in-progress. I've enjoyed getting to know many of the very hospitable people here (truly a treasured resource). We’d heard that King Abdullah II of Jordan (was a USC Trojan) was coming to Wadi Musa (WM) on Thursday, and flags were flying all over. However, WM had to settle for rain, snow and fog instead that day. The Dalai Lama Foundation's Center for Peace & Education visited the area, and it is hoped that he will visit before long in the future. We went to a night on-the-beach in Aqaba during our days off. Our amigo Fred Woehl (aka "Cowboy Fred") that has been working with the horse program here is headed home…

viaje con Dios Fred...