bedouin camping

We got "lost;" not like we ever went the wrong direction, but perhaps, not the most direct route around. We went through a cycle of negative emotion over how long our trip to Wadi Rum was taking; something like five hours. And, we were hungry. I got tired of driving through towns as I had to be very defensive and look out for pedestrians (I have not driven in months anyway).

We finally pulled over at a little shop for nut bars and turkish coffee. The shop man was so welcoming. He said, "welcome, welcome, welcome ... welcome ......... welcome ...... welcome, welcome." It was great; and enough to revive us for awhile. We found the highway 15 and were then on our way into the area of Wadi Rum at sunset. The monolithic rocks glowed orange as we drove through them; absolutely stunning.

Finally, we reached our turnoff and we sped toward the Visitor Centre to find a water closet. Upon arrival we were nearly accosted by Atollah who wanted us to go camping with him in the desert. We could camp, eat, and sleep in a Bedouin camp that night. So after a few minutes of consideration, that is what we signed up for. We waited for eight others to join our party, then parked our vehicles at his home, and Kelsey and I found ourselves in his Jeep picking up provisions for the night. Atollah gave us each a Fanta and some candy as if we were little kids waiting for a parent to finish the grocery shopping.

As we drove over the sand in the dark, I was impressed that he knew his way and could negotiate the right road between the bushes and piles of sand. I wondered if he followed any road marks (you know, like a pile of sand or a stick in the road) or if he just knew his way by instinct. We drove about 20 minutes before pulling up to some Bedouin tents under a huge monolith in the middle of Wadi Rum. The stars were already out in amazing brilliance; quite unbelievable. Shooting stars passed overhead and the rock we were situated against rose so steep it covered half the sky. It is not often that the sky looks this fantastic without much light pollution!

We had a fire and some Bedouin "whiskey" tea (sans whiskey). The ten guests bantered back and forth explaining where we were from and exchanging stories in different languages.

We had chicken roasted over the fire, potatoes, bread, humus, and such for dinner; not the best meal, but sustaining camp food. This night was certainly a stark contras to the previous accommodation!

I was tired and turned in early, listening to the rest of the group's lull of conversation and laughter. I cannot say that Kelsey or I slept all that well on the cool hard desert floor. Morning was a relief to get up and walk around in. We stretched our legs, wandered around some, and took photos; but really, the landscape is far too grand to snap a picture to take it all in.

Breakfast was simple and once we finished up, we were brough back into the small town, passing camels and watching the sun duck in and out of the rocks and cliffs. Rather than driving inside a truck as we did the night before, this time we rode in the open air bed of a Jeep with a great view from the canopy covered seats.

From the small town in Wadi Rum, we took a pair of Belgians back to Highway 15 with us. The car could barely contain itself with the four of us and all our luggage and nearly spilt its' guts all over a couple speed bumps as we left Wadi Rum, but it was nice to offer a hand to the friendly couple on their annual vacation.