A Jaunt in Jordan: Bedouin Camping in Wadi Rum
Day three we woke up with the sun to catch our bus to Jordan. The border crossing was a pretty crazy experience. After paying our visa and border fees we ended up waiting for several hours to get stamps and then to pass security into the country. We went back and forth between the guards windows in a fluorescent hallway and an open air sitting area with a man making thick, aromatic Turkish (Jordanian?) coffee in those single handle stove top pots. Stray cats whose nationalities were unknown but somehow made it to no-man's land waited with us.
Packing our ginormous backpacks and sweaty selfs onto a little 20 seater bus, we headed into the port town of Aqaba for lunch. Lunch was a marathon of yum - we had appys of tomato-cucumber salad with tzatziki, hummus and fresh pita. The main course was grilled fish with rice and a sauce with something like paprika-cayenne. Apparently it was a local dish, particular to Aqaba. Drinks were a mint-lemon juice. And gelato to wash it all down. We had been eating well in the Middle East so far.
Back to the bus, we headed further north into Jordan towards our camp in Wadi Rum. My expectations for this camp were relatively modest but I was blown away. This was glamping at its finest. The tents themselves were quite comfy and roomy, especially after our stay in the tiny Shelter. Palm trees dotted the grounds and a sandstone cliff shaded the camp in the afternoon.
We dropped our bags and headed back to the entrance for our jeep tour through the desert. Ripping through dunes, watching shimmering mirages in the distances, as Bedouins ride across the sand on their camels... this is why you travel - the feeling that you've stepped into another world and alternative realities exist that are well beyond any life you've imagined for yourself. We saw endless moonscape, Star Wars film sets and the cave where Lawrence of Arabia lived. The cliff faces were carved into seemingly unnatural patterns by sandstorms, rains, winds and years of wear. After a quick chai break in a local Bedouin's tent, we headed back to our camp - an actual oasis in the desert.
A day of travel and desert heat meant the four of us were happy to take a quick dip in the refreshing (read: cold, even for Canadians in the desert) pool on the grounds before our CAMEL rides. We rode camels! And they are the weirdest. After an hour of bobbing up and down on these sassy, grumpy animals, my new abs were freshly minted from giggling. We rode out to a lookout, led by a local Bedouin, so we could watch the sunset over Wadi Rum. We cuddled up under a scarf together and I felt so lucky to be there with three of my favourite people. It was magic - everything glowed orange, even the sand and the heat of the day faded quickly on our trip back.
Arriving back at the camp, dinner was set up, lining the stone counters surrounding sizzling campfires. It was a traditional Bedouin spread - every type of dip (hummus, baba ganoush, tzatziki), salads (fatoush, taboule), grilled vegetables, rice, lots of grilled meats (chicken, lamb, fish) and naturally, pita. Less naturally, coleslaw was also present. Everything was delicious, particularly the lamb, and although our lunch had been more than filling, our plates were piled high. We sat and talked for a long time on the cushioned stone benches, eating, meeting other travellers, before deciding we would hike the cliff to stargaze.
Little stone lanterns lit the short, winding path to the "star theatre" above. We could see small villages or other camps twinkling like ours in the distance and the inky outline of the mountains against the navy sky. In contrast to the peaceful scene, the echo of helicopter blades provided our background audio. A few shooting stars were spotted and we happily wandered back down the cliff to engage in some traditional shisha relaxation before bed.
There are certain moments when you travel that the enormity of the world hits you and this was one of those days. I was left speechless most of the day and wondered at how 18 hours could fit so many novel experiences and sights.
Day two in Jordan proved to be even crazier than the first… want to read about it? Check out the next post here.
