Wadi Rum

With the promise of some of the most extraordinary desert scenery I was ever likely to see, I eagerly awaited the 6.00am departure of the bus to Wadi Rum. I had elected to book my tour through the hotel rather than rely on my negotiation skills when I arrived at the Visitor Centre. I may have paid a few dinar more but again it was worth it for the peace of mind. Entry into the Wadi Rum Protected Area is tightly controlled and the only way to see most of the sights is through an organised 4WD trip.

I was joined on the tour by a Canadian couple (although Randy's parents were born in Jordan and he did hold dual citizenship) and two German girls. We were taken to the home of Zidane, who was to be our Bedouin guide. After being plied with copious amounts of minted tea and transferring the necessities to the day pack, we set off in the back of our modified open air Nissan Patrol.

The scenery certainly did not disppoint. Over the next 6 hours, we travelled across baking hot red desert sands, explored canyons, arches and bridges and caught glimpses of bedouin life. The Wadi Rum Protected Area is a network of valleys sided by enormous rock monoliths and jagged ranges that made for a desert experience so vastly different from those in Syria and elsewhere in Jordan.

After settling into our Bedouin camp, we took up positions for the approaching sunset. Unfortunately, it had been a windy day and the amount of sand in the air and the haze that it created, meant that the spectacular desert sunset that we had all been hoping for did not eventuate. The feast that followed shortly after and the chance to sleep out under the stars soon evaporated any tinge of disppointment.

I rose at 4.30 the next morning and walked a few minutes into the middle of a valley to watch the the first light of dawn spread slowly across this stunning location. All too quickly we were spirited away, just in time to catch the morning bus to Aqaba. Although it left me wanting more, it also envigorated me for the coming Egyptian leg of my adventure.