Blogs from Wadi Rum, South, Jordan, Middle East

It's official. We were informed by GAdventures today that the Israel part of the trip has been cancelled. There is a mandatory 14 day quarantine for anyone entering the county. Most of the people on the trip need to make alternative arrangements. I know that GAdventures will take care and probably give us a voucher for the Israel part. I fully intend on coming back to Israel. At my hotel in Aquaba, I spent over 2 hours trying to rebook my flight. My original flight was from Tel Aviv to San Diego. Now I'm trying to rebook out of Amman, Jordan. I tried 3 different phone numbers and they kept sending me back to the 800 number. There was over 60 minute wait to talk to someone. I tried to change it online, which didn't work. ... read more

The mention of Wadi Rum generally gets two responses. The first is ‘I’ve never heard of it’ and the second is ‘I’ve always wanted to go there’. Unless the person asked has already been but, generally, not many people have. Naturally, it was on my knowledgeable wife’s bucket list, whereas I assumed a Wadi Rum was a cocktail. Flights from the UK to Jordan are quite pricey, but we had booked a holiday in Cyprus and it transpired that a return flight from there to Amman (with Ryanair) could be had for as little as £20. The flight is a mere one hour’s duration but going to the north of the country meant we had a long journey down south. If you wish to visit places like Wadi Rum and Petra the sensible option is to ... 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