Blogs from Wadi Rum, South, Jordan, Middle East

We were all exhausted from walking around Petra yesterday, so luckily we had a leisurely start. We left the town of Petra at 10 a.m. and drove through a really rugged part of Jordan. We just kept climbing past this rocky terrain until we topped out at about 5000 feet. Then we descended down to Wadi Rum, the next stop in our itinerary. We started in Amman in the north and went further north to Jerash, then to the Dead Sea. From there we continued south to Mt. Nebo, Madaba, and Petra. Now we are going to Wadi Rum and will continue to Aquaba tomorrow. Wadi Rum (Arabic: وادي رم‎ Wādī Ramm), known also as the Valley of the Moon (Arabic: وا... read more

For breakfast at the Wadi Rum lodge I raced to be first at the egg station. Since nobody else had yet put odd ingredients into the pan, I got some freshly cooked eggs for a change. One of the chefs was baking flat bread at the next station. I watched him roll out the dough and spread it on a convex oven top where it baked almost immediately. Then he peeled it off the oven and placed it into a basket. Nice warm pita bread and eggs. Plus juice and fruit and cereal. Today I determined to start with a good breakfast and it proved to be a good decision. After breakfast we boarded a fleet of pickup trucks for what they called a jeep safari led by Bedouin guides. Although they were not genuine Jeep ... read more

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