...to the Eastern Desert...
After a good night’s sleep, we had a leisurely morning and then headed out to the Eastern Desert for a quick castle loop. While there are a bunch of castles east of the north-south-running Desert Highway, we focused on three main ones, all along Highway 40: Kharana , Amra (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and Azraq . When you purchase an entrance ticket for 4JD, it also covers entrance to several other castles on the loop (Highways 40 and 30), so it’s quite the sight-seeing deal. The lesser-known & less-touristed desert castles are the focus of my personal research while here as a Fulbright Scholar, and I’ll post more about those explorations as they occur. Side note on the Eastern Desert Highways: Roadside mileage sign along Highway 40. Azraq (see below) is actually just 50 kilometers from the Saudi Arabian border. It's, umm...quite exhilarating to see a sign like this! The Eastern Desert Highways exist mainly for truckers transporting ...