Blogs from Wadi Rum, South, Jordan, Middle East - page 2

Our next adventure was an overnight stay at Wadi Rum In a stunning desert. We stayed in a Bedouin style camp. They are dotted everywhere including one that has pods looking like round space ships. The film , The Martian, was filmed at Wadi Rum. Our tents had an ensuite and tiled floors which made them very comfortable. Also wifi. We had a ride in jeeps out to the sand dunes to see a number of ancient carved inscriptions and pictures. We then went to see the carvings paying tribute to Lawrence and King Abdullah. We waited then for the sun to set before getting on our camels to ride back to camp.Lots of laughter involved. We had a lovely dinner of lamb which was cooked in a pit in the ground. Unfortunately the weather changed ... read more

Jordan springs to mind a laid back, desert with humble people living off the Dead sea, the lowest point on Earth (423 m, 1,388 feet below sea level). It is a region which has given rise to three religions which have spread extensively. I had four days to explore this wonderful place. Jordan is a country with so much aridity that a little greenery is welcomed with hope. Nomads of Edomite tribes named Nabateans (originally from Saudi Arabia) settled down near small springs in the arid deserts. Water meant everything. However, I found that the bleak desert also has its own beauty. The big eyes with long eyelashes of the graceful camels or the green fig trees sprouting in the crevices are delightful. I flew Royal Jordan Airways and enjoyed the spicy breads for breakfast. We ... read more

Meet Camelus Dromedarius. Lest you get confused. Camelus Bactrianus is not Camelus Dromedarius. Arabian camels are not Bactrian camels, but are Dromedarian i.e the ONE -humped camel of the HOT deserts of northern Africa and southwestern Asia. Whereas the camel with two humps Bactrianus is native to the COLD deserts of the steppes of Asia. Hot or cold, they share the same fate of being used as saddle animals and beasts of burden as they can stand up to life in the desert because of that hump which stores food - not water - They can live for a month from the stored fat. Water...they can drink 40 gallons in 14 minutes. Camels can reach 7 feet in height (at the hump) and weigh up to 1500 pounds. Dromedarians can live for 40 years, the female ... read more

After a rather uncomfortable night of sleep where I probably got no more than 4 hours of total sleep time, Kevin and I awoke and made our way over to a nearby rock to catch the sunrise. To our surprise, Sophie was already there with the same idea and the 3 of us enjoyed the peaceful calm of a desert sunrise. Today, we were to set out for a long day hike out into the Wadi Rum desert. We set out just after breakfast and already the morning had become quite warm. Heading out into the desert, it was pretty clear who would be leading the pack. Kevin, Ronan, Patrick, and myself lead the way while everyone else seemed to linger towards the back of the pack. This was one of the highlights for me during ... read more

Today was a highlight for me: camel riding! We slept well in our tent in Wadi Rum and got up around 7, for breakfast at 7:30. Susan and I had a Turkish coffee with breakfast. I'm getting used to having several Turkish coffees a day! I left the tent for the bathroom last night around 11 or so and the campsite looked magical with the small lights around the tents and on the paths. The moon was super bright. We left the camp about 8:45 this morning, and got back into our jeeps for about a 15 min drive to where we met our camels. Everyone but Louise got on their camel for our 1 hour camel ride, though Jill didn't last long on her camel and was picked up by a jeep. The camel ride ... read more