Day Three: Jordan’s Desert Valley Of The Moon

Wadi Rum is one of the world's most beautiful deserts. More than just a sea of rolling dunes, this protected wilderness near Jordan's southern border is made unique by the dramatic sandstone and basalt mountains jutting out of its sandy floor.

According to UNESCO, is recognised globally as an iconic desert landscape. The protected area is recognised as a World Heritage Site since 2011. The Bedouin (nomadic tribespeople) in Wadi Rum live off tourism but still preserve many of their traditional ways.

After visited the Petra site, we drive about 1 hour and half all the way to Wadi Rum and stay one night there. We stay in one of the Bedouin camps dotted around the Wadi. The beds were large, comfortable with huge thick blankets. Each tent had an ensuite bathroom with full plumbing and air conditioning. During the late evening, dinner was being prepared for the entire campsite. Zarb, a Bedouin-style BBQ, is meat, potatoes and all kinds of vegetables cooked underground for extra deliciousness. We were led to the back of the camp where two men were uncovering some sort of desert manhole. They lifted the covering and steam and the essence of slow-cooked BBQ rose in the air. The Zarb was served with hummus, fresh bread and an array of delicious camp-style Bedouin specialties. After a sumptuous dinner, we back to the camp and get a good rest as tomorrow morning we will watch the sunrise and discover the desert. At night, the desert stars sparkled so brightly that they lit the entire desert night’s sky.

We start our lovely day with three hour jeep tour exploring many different parts of the Wadi Rum Protected Area. It was a beautiful and majestic landscape that was completely untouched. We barely saw another vehicle on our Wadi Rum tour as we drove from place to place. When we stopped to look at rock formations, natural springs, petroglyphs or other significant carvings from ancient Bedouin tribes thousands of years old. We felt very much alone experiencing the desert landscape.

Khazali Canyon A long, narrow canyon known for the impressive number of ancient petroglyphs and inscriptions on the rock walls. The first 100 yards are accessible to all visitors; beyond that point, you'll need rock climbing skills (and gear). 

Barrah canyon, this expansive canyon is a popular tour stop, perfect for a variety of activities: hiking, rock climbing, and camel tours to name a few. 

Anfishiyyeh inscriptions which located on the side of a mountain, this is an especially impressive collection of Thamudic and Nabataean petroglyphs, complete with ancient drawings of camel caravans.

The driver also took us to some of the best lookouts and we even climbed a dune to view the full scenic panorama of the magnificent desert.  With every step I took, I would sink and slide back down the dune further than where I had started. We struggled our way to the top of the dune, but the view was completely worth it!

I'm sitting exactly where Matt Damon sit in the movie, The Martian. Wadi Rum also featured in a lot of movies which kicked off tourism. The area is used for the first time in 1962 for the movie Lawrence of Arabia, after that it is also used for films as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen(2009), Prometheus (2012), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and not to be missed: The Martian (2015) starring Matt Damon.

A jump in the desert is a must. Desert sand is a very light and very weakly saturated reddish yellow colour which corresponds specifically to the coloration of sand. It may also be regarded as a deep tone of beige.

My view opened up to one of the most stunning and beautiful things I had ever seen. Uncertainty can be scary, but during a sunrise that uncertainty is luminous. Watching the sunrise every day has helped me see light within myself—potential, possibility, peace, and the feeling that all will be well. I stood awestruck at the mesmerizing beauty that stretched out before me.

The rose-red of the massive rock formations in that barren desert will forever remain emblazoned in my memory.

Love,

Elene