Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum was absolutely incredible! Located in southern Jordan, Wadi Rum is the largest valley in the country. It’s been the location of several films, including Lawrence of Arabia. The scenery was alien-looking in several places and reminded us of the surface of Mars. When we arrived, there were jeeps waiting to take us to a Bedouin camp for the night. It was fun driving out to what seemed like the middle of nowhere.

We got to the camp just in time to catch the last rays of the sunset. It was breathtaking!

Afterwards, we were served a traditional Beduoin meal of chicken cooked underground. Although it tasted a little like dirt, it was still very good. The lights in the camp were turned off around nine. 

I’ve never seen the night sky like that before. We could see the Milky Way stretched out across the vast, open sky. I saw multiple shooting stars and the occasional satellite. I feel asleep staring at the sky in the middle of the silent, Jordanian desert.  

In the morning, we had breakfast with the Bedouins and then packed up for adventures in the desert. Our first stop was to a natural rock bridge formation. We climbed to the top to take pictures. Going up wasn't hard, but it was a little nerve-wracking going down. The view was great though! 

Our second stop was to the remains of the T.E. Lawrence House. We had tea with some of the Bedouins camped nearby. Next, we drove to a sand dune and climbed to the top. It was so hard! The sand was burning hot and with every step, it got in your shoes. But again, the view from the top was worth the effort. We could see all the different rock formations scattered around Wadi Rum. After resting for a while, we all sprinted down the sand dune to the jeeps. 

Hot, tired, sandy, and sweaty, we boarded our non-air conditioned bus for the drive to the Red Sea in Aqaba. 

Catherine A.