Aqaba - Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is one of the world's great deserts. Lawrence of Arabia described Wadi Rum as "Vast and Echoing".

Why so that the fragile environment won't be threatened or damaged by 4WD or bike derby enthusiasts or littered by tourist rubbish. The Bedouins conduct tours for all tourists to ensure that their land is protected.  Our guide handed us over to the Bedouins but he a accompanied us and spoke about the geology, history and trading routes in this area. 

Our first stop of many on this tour was at a Bedouin run hotel where tourists can stay  prior to a week long desert safari which involves sleeping and eating in a Bedouin tent, travelling by camel, herding goats and enjoying Bedouin music and hospitality.  We were shown the vast, arid valley floor overshadowed by vast mountain ranges, where the movie "Lawrence of Arabia" was made. The other modern movie made here was "The Martian". The movie is about an astronaut who is stranded on Mars for several months having been assumed to be dead.  It shows the resourcefulness and tenacity of a doomed man and his efforts to  overcome all odds of returning to earth. This landscape sure has a barren red planet appearance which contributed to the authenticity of the movie's setting.

We transferred from our mini bus into 4WD jeeps which the Bedouins drove. We sat on cushioned benches in the open back area of the jeep and we had a canvas roof shelter from the late afternoon sun.  Ours was to be a 4 hour which meant that we'd see the sun setting behind the mountains and we'd be abke to watch the shadows lengthen across the desert floor. 

We were also looking forward to experience the silence of the desert and the changing colours of the mountains as the day came to a close. We were not disappointed by any of our expectations but I will let the photographs tell their own story.

Our second stop was in the shadow  of two high mountain ranges near an oasis area. Much of the desert looks dry but water from the mountains forms underground springs and can be located throughout the desert  by Bedouin tribes who know where to look for water sources. Westerners would not stand a chance out here alone but the Bedouins have passed this knowledge on for generations.Our guide showed us very ancient etchings recorded on the stone walls centuries ago. He told us that sometimes messages were left to indicate how far to the next waterhole. Three white camels meant three days travel by camelto the next spot and two black camels meant two nights travel. Today Bedouins message with i-phones but they still use a combination of camels and 4WD  jeeps.

The third stop was at a very high red sandhill which Ken decided to climb - where does he get his energy? I waited at the bottom as did everyone else and finally Ken returned - all smiles and with some photos that a traveller took.

Our last stop was to climb a mountain that overlooed the desert floor and surrounding gigantic mountains as the sun set.

The magic light show began . Enjoy the photos. The last one does not look real but it is.