My night in the Desert

I dont know whats happening to me! Im sleeping in desert camps? not showering for 2 days. No towel? Thats okay, ill use my dirty t shirts. Is this shirt dirty? Wait let me do a smell test... MMM... still good! I dont even care if i dont bursh my teeth, gum will do! This is the holiday me. I turn into some backpacker bogan... well... quasi backpacker, the real deal would have been to sleep under the stars and not in a tent, thats a bit too native for me though considering the temperature plumates in the evening.


I left Petra on the 6am Bus for Wadi Rum and yes there was the usual hassles of buses VS taxi, in the mornings im slightly more vulnerable as i really haven't gathered my momentum for haggelling, i just woke up! The bus was 4JD, but im sure the locals where getting on for 1JD...Once i got off the Bus on the desert highway it was a short taxi ride into Wadi Rum National Park, and the driver had the hide to ask for a whopping 5JD! I laughed at him and immediately said im giving you 2JD, the other locals who got off the bus with me where still hanging around and were defending the taxi driver, trying to get more cash for him, i was like "ahh... and your getting in my cab?" "YES, we work in the park we will take free ride" (which happened to be the cab i was paying for? Free ride my arse! ) I was like well if he wants to charge 5JD for this short ride we can split it three ways. 2JD then seemed to be sufficient! After they got out half way to the entrance, the taxi was like "where are you staying?" "I dont know yet..." "You dont know? You want camp site inside?" "No i have one organised..." "which?" "Sunset camp" "SUNSET?" (SHIT i gave it away dammit!) Then the taxi driver pulls out his phone and dialed some number and i knew he was up to something "Here, take phone, it is SUNSET" "REALLY?" (i could smell his slyness from a mile away) "Who is it from sunset?" (i tested him) "....um...Ahmed..." (nice try you dickhead!) "There is no Ahmed, the owner is Mohammed... just take me to the entrance okay!" He hung up the phone quick smart, i handed him the 2jd and got out. Im sure this supposed Ahmed character on the phone was probably going to inform me that maybe the Sunset camp is full, or that it was not doing tours today, BUT THATS OKAY because the lovely taxi driver will take me to another camp, and yes, probably get a commission on the side for bringing a tourist into the camp... Mother Fuckers, sorry but it really pisses me off, i understand yes im a tourist and yes this is a developing country and YES perhaps they dont make the most money a week, but why cant their just be a standard pricing structure? Maybe this is a western ideal... ANYWAY thats my venting over! I still made it into Wadi rum from Petra for 6JD, instead of a direct cab from Petra for 30JD. The tourism guides in Petra are like Mafia Mobstas, they have standard inflated prices for everything and it seems that no one budges! No, no, no im done, enough!...


Once inside Wadi Rum National Park it was a bit confusing to figure out how it all worked. There was a Menu board of tours for the day. Oh Wadi Rum is a big Desert, think of Lawerence of Arabia terrain, thats Wadi Rum country. It has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times and is one of Jordans biggest tourist attractions. So inside the Park you could do tours run by the National Park or do tours by private operators then sleep overnight at their camp site. I decided to chose the later, though more expensive i thought it was something ill probably only experience once here in Jordan. After asking for sunset camp i was directed to a kid who was probably 13, he really didnt instill all that much confidence that he was from the Sunset Camp, "Yes my father Mohhammed, you emailed Noor right?" (AHH KEY NAMES! i knew i was on the right track) "yes correct" "COME!" he said, and we hoped in this 13 year olds 4x4 and i was taken to the "camp office" inside the park. I was greeted by Mohhammed who invited me into his lounge room for some welcome tea (note the word 'welcome' means free here) Mohhammed lazed about on his floor in his arab outfit and played with his feet while hocking logies and swapping and changing positions to get comfortable. One time i almost pissed my pants while watching him, he was lying on his side resting his head with his elbow, and seemed to cock his right foot over his left knee! He looked like a large contorted Jennie sipping his tea and puffing his cigarettes!


I had arrived at the camp site rather early, 9am. Mohammed's informed me that we will wait for other tourists and see which tour i could join, effectively making it more cheaper. (The joys of traveling alone) By 1pm i was still lazing about on Mohammed's Lounge room floor. No other tourist had arrived. I was given the alternative of taking a 4x4 jeep tour of the main sights in the Dessert lasting for 4 hours or taking a direct camel ride into the camp site. I did want to ride a camel around the sight for the day, and i did email a few days prior to see if this was possible, and of course it was (anything is possible in the middle east!) Though i had enough of sitting around and opted for the 4x4 tour with Ziad the Zub!


The beginning of the tour was a bit slow and i started to get rather down, great i payed 80JD for this? (I know, way expensive but wait ill tell you it was definitely worth it!) After the initial sights Ziad waited in the 4x4 while i was allowed to go outside and play! This is where it got more fun! I was able to hike up trials, climb sand dunes, take my shoes off to let the red sand run inbetween my feet, marvel and the splendid sights and take amazing pictures! Infact after each return to the 4x4 my replies to Ziad went from "good!" to "AMAZING!" The further we traveled into the desert, the fewer 4x4 and the more fantastic the sights became! It was serious Lawerence of Arabia terrain! I really cant begin to explain how amazing it was to be in the desert. The photos dont even begin to do it justice! It was the most amazing, most different terrain i have ever seen! AMAZING!


Im glad i didnt take a camel actually cause the sun was belting down and there where a few stand storms! After 4 hours of driving around, getting out, climbing and walking around i was ready to head to the camp. When i arrived to the camp site there was a German couple who already had spent a night in the camp and had gone for a camel trek during the day. They where extremely nice and I thought it was just going to be us and the guides in the whole camp as it wasn't until 6pm that a French couple turned up and two arab French girls. So there was 7 people including myself sleeping out.


We sat around the camp fire and drank tea and exchanged travel stories while dinner was being prepared. Our Sudanese chef cooked up a storm and im glad the eating tent was dimly lit with one generator globe, as if anyone saw how i devoured my rice and potatoe kafeth, they probably would have thought i was a local Bedouin! We hung out in the main tent until the generator stopped running at 9pm. It was now time for star watching outside. The stars, as cliche as it sounds, where SO amazing in the desert! Incredible stuff seriously! At 10pm i retreat to my romantic tent solo, lit a candle and fell asleep. I woke up somewhere around 3am freezing, though there was more then enough blankets and cushions in my 4 man tent!

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