Wadi Rum

On Wednesday evening, we reached our camp at Wadi Rum. Wadi means 'valley'. Wadi Rum is a desert valley, with a floor of sand and many isolated rock hills that rise from the sand. Wadi Rum was a home of the Bedouin and our camp area was run by Bedouin. It was in this area that Lawrence of Arabia lived and fought with the Bedouin (some of the film was shot here also).

We stayed in a canvas tent with a double bed. Our hosts provided a delicious buffet meal featuring chicken roasted in a large pot sunk into the sand. Of course, we had brought the rain with us....

On Thursday, we rose early to have a camel ride at 7 am (as you do ??). Bedouins led these camels as we perched precariously on their backs. Over the one hour ride, we begun to get the knack of sitting on these beasts and found the ride quite gentle.

Back at camp, we had breakfast and then set off on a two hour desert 4WD trip. We sat on benches in the back of three 4WD utes (great OH&S !) and were driven to various sites (a Bedouin cave with a 1000 year old rock map, a sand dune and a Bedouin camp). Between camping, riding a camel and a dusty 4WD ride, we were getting pretty grimy.

Wadi Rum is a beautiful desert and our Bedouin hosts were welcoming and gracious.

Back on our bus, we travelled the short distance to Aqaba (about 1.5 hours). Aqaba is Jordan's port at the head of the Red Sea (with the Israeli city of Eiliat across the water). Aqaba is a resort town, but we were happy to find our hotel and to get a shower and into clean clothes.