Tag Archives: camel

Jordan, Middle East

Wadi Rum: Camping with Bedouins

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We arrived at Wadi Rum Village by bus from Wadi Musa.  A German girl we met in Petra was on the bus with us.  She was traveling solo, and had some really interesting stories to tell.  We agreed to meet after our Bedouin camping experiences to travel to Aqaba together.

Camel in the backyard
Camel in the backyard

Wadi Rum Village is like no place I have ever seen before.  Picture a wild west town constructed of cinder blocks, set in present day, in the heart of the desert, with some traditional Bedouin goat-hair tents thrown in for good measure.  Some of the houses had camels in the backyard, because where else would they be?  We actually saw a dead cat discarded beside the trash pile, as well as this EPIC set up.  Such a quirky place that we didn’t have near enough time to explore!

Safety First, Wadi Rum Village
Safety First? More like Safety NEVER!

Best of all, the Bedouin hospitality and warmth, combined with a jovial attitude made for a great start to our Wadi Rum experience. We were told to meet our guide Attallah Al-Blwi at the house with the blue door.  When we eventually found the place, I asked if there was a washroom. There was one just across the street.  This was the traditional ceramic hole in the floor with foot “perches”, and a scoop of water from a bucket to flush.  (Really, facilities like this aren’t uncommon, but just so you know what the situation was!)

Riding Camels Wadi Rum Desert
Two of our French Friends in the lead.

While we were waiting we were given sweet Bedouin tea and even free wi-fi which was nice to be able to check e-mail.  Our group consisted of us and 3 French women who were a great trio to hang out with for the day.  The 5 of us opted for a short few-hour camel ride, then a “jeep” tour through the desert before heading to the camp for the night.   The camel ride was actually pretty fun, and mildly terrifying.  Thankfully my camel didn’t bite me!

Wadi Rum had some of the most awe-inspiring vitas of our whole Middle East trip.  Our driver, Halif, took us to Jebel Umm Fruth Rock Bridge, Jebel Burdah Rock Bridge, Lawrence Springs, the Lawrence of Arabia House and to see petroglyphs in Khaz-ali Canyon.

Our “Jeep” was actually a Toyota
Camel Wadi Rum Desert
Lawrence of Arabia House, Wadi Rum Desert
Petroglyphs
Petroglyphs
Camels Wadi Rum Desert
Zarb Dinner with Attallah of Bedouin Lifestyle Camp
Jabal Burdah Rock Bridge Wadi Rum Desert
Wadi Rum Desert

Since Jon had done 99.9% of the planning for the trip, I wasn’t sure what to expect when we arrived at the camp.  The set-up was way more posh than I had been expecting, and actually quite cute.  For dinner we had Zarb.  I am thankful it wasn’t Mansaf.

Sunset over Wadi Rum Desert
Sunset over Wadi Rum Desert

Doing this tour was definitely worth it.  After all, it isn’t every day I get to ride a camel through the Jordanian desert!   I’ll be sure to cross that off my bucket list.

Have you crossed anything off of your list lately?
~j

Jordan, Middle East

Petra: The Rose-Red City

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UNESCO Designation
UNESCO Designation

It wouldn’t be right to travel to Jordan and not visit Petra.  Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985, and is probably one of the most impressive archeological sites I’ve ever seen.  The photos included could never capture the magic of the Rose-Red City.

Brief History

Around 300-100BC, Petra was a Nabataean trade route for spices, textiles, and incense.  Merchants had established a rich and powerful centre of commerce.  Eventually, due to a number of reasons–earthquakes, annexation by Rome,  trade decline etc., the area was abandoned around 1300AD.    It was “rediscovered” in 1812 by a Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

Petra Map
from http://www.petramoon.com/petraindepth.htm
The Siq
The Siq, Petra
The Siq, Petra

Once through the ticket gate at the Visitor Centre, there is a bit of a walk (maybe 700m?) on the Bab el-Siq to reach the actual start of  The Siq.  The further 2km walk along  this cavernous pathway is an unbelievably beautiful prelude to the Treasury.  Visitors have the option of riding a donkey, or taking a horse-drawn buggy, but that would steal so much from the experience.  The Siq is full of details.

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First Glimpse

And, all of a sudden, after gawking at the walls of The Siq, there is an end, and this is what is peaking through the narrow crack.  Absolutely stunning!

The Treasury, Petra
First glimpse of The Treasury, Petra
The Treasury – Al-Khazneh

Petra’s crown jewel is definitely The Treasury.  If you’re looking for an in-depth dissection of all of the Hellenistic features on the façade of this building, you’ve come to the wrong place!  (Although it is interesting info, information, you can find it on google yourself.)

The Treasury Al-Khazneh, Petra
The Treasury Al-Khazneh, Petra

What you see is not even the full height of the structure.  There is a lower level below a grate to the left of the seated people.  The exterior is so intricately detailed and ornamented, that it is still impressive after thousands of years of erosion.  FYI: The urn at the top is riddled with bullet holes thanks to Bedouin treasure seekers who believed the it was full of the Pharaoh’s gold.

The grate in front of the Treasury, Petra
Below the grate in front of the Treasury, Petra
Bullet holes in the urn of the Treasury, Petra
Bullet holes in the urn of the Treasury, Petra
The Monastery – Ad Deir

Our ultimate goal for Day 1 was to make it to The Monastery – Ad Deir.  If you take a look at the map, that is a lot of ground to cover, with plenty of structures to explore along the route.  Here are some of the stops we took along the way:

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Walking the path to The Monastery is supposed to take about an hour.  THAT IS A LIE!  It takes way longer.  It is a pretty fantastical pathway with alternating sand and stone portions, along with more than 800 rock-cut steps.  Depending on the time of day, the sun may or may not be roasting portions of the pathway.   At points it is really narrow which makes for dodging the donkeys a little harrowing.   The walk was a little more than I had bargained for in the heat, but it was worth the effort.

The Monastery, Petra
The Monastery, Petra
The High Place of Sacrifice

On our second day in Petra, we noticed even more details while walking through the Siq.  It really is amazing.  Beyond looking at some of the ruins we had already seen, Jon wanted to walk to the High Place of Sacrifice.   The High Place is at the top of Jebel Attuf mountain, which is about a 1000m climb.  Our guide book said, “The ascent, while gradual, requires stamina and a good head for heights, and is best attempted in the early morning.” Thanks for the tip Eyewitness.

If I had known what was at the top, for the amount of time/effort spent getting to the High Place of Sacrifice, I would NOT have bothered, and would have spent my time better exploring elsewhere in Petra.

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Being able to experience Petra was definitely a highlight of our Middle East adventures.  This is an ancient city like no other, and easily deserves the designation of one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.   Cross one more off the list…

Be sure to stay tuned for our Wadi Rum experience of camping with the Bedouin!
~j