Wadi Rum

If you ever visit Jordan, please promise me you will visit Wadi Rum. It's an amazing part of the desert that has a strong energy to it. Being a true nature lover, Wadi Rum was at the top of my list while in Jordan. I shared this experience with 7 others, from Finland, Belgium, Korea and Japan. Our Bedouin driver and guide, 20 year old Mohammed, gave commentary at each stop. He had 28 brothers and sisters. His dad has 3 wives.

Starting bright and early, we explored the desert by open air jeep. We traveled through the pinkish orange sand for hours, stopping frequently to explore canyons, caves and dunes. We tackled short hikes that gave breathtaking views of Wadi Rum. We slowly made our way to the Bedouin tent where we would be sleeping for the night. Lunch was on a blanket in the middle of the desert, followed by a short cat nap in the warm sun. It was so peaceful and quiet.

The desert was spotted with solitary camels. The orange iron rich sand stained our shoes as we frolicked in the dunes.

Bedouins are Arab tribes that live in the desert. Mostly all of the Bedouins that live in Wadi Rum are related.

The owner of the camp where we stayed was named Zidane. A charismatic youthful Bedouin. He never gave a straight answer to how old he was. He said "today I feel 30, yesterday I felt 20, tomorrow I might feel 40". I estimated him at 45. It's difficult to get a correct age from locals. I found that a lot of them didn't truly know how old they were. Sometimes they would have to look at their ID to see what year they were born. Age is just a number to them. I like that concept....

Zidane with his camel

We arrived at the camp shortly before sunset. We had just enough time to hike up the rocks that would provide a stunning view of the sunset. Around 4:30, the sun gently dipped behind the impressive rock formations in the orange sky, turning the night chilly.

In the dimly lit main tent of the camp, we ate a filling supper of rice, vegetables, potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes and tea. The food was cooked under the sand by the heat of the sun. It was so interesting to see the traditional Bedouin way of life.


After supper, the night was pitch black. With a small flashlight in hand, I emerged from the large toasty tent in an attempt to walk back to my tent to retrieve my bottle of water. My fears did not permit this and I sheepishly returned to the main tent to ask Zidane to accompany me. Laughing at my fear, he reluctantly agreed to walk me back to my tent. I felt much safer with him. He told me I couldn't live my life in fear. I can travel alone all over the world without any fear, but I crack when it comes to slinking through the dark desert. Jeesh.


I'm well aware of the irrational fear I have when it comes to things such as bears, sharks and heights. But I do my best to confront them head on. That's the beauty of traveling, it helps us overcome some of these fears.


As we walked, I looked up and saw the most impressive sky of stars I have ever seen. Wadi Rum is well known for its view of the stars. Zidane explained which stars were which and which ones were planets. It was evident that he had spent many nights with these shining stars. He invited me to sit on a rock with him as he educated me about stars and Bedouin life. He showed me endless pictures and videos on his cell phone. Yes, even Bedouins have cell phones! I saw pictures and videos of his father, his wife, and his friends. What I found most interesting was of his trip to Mecca. It's a city in Saudi Arabia that is considered to be the holiest Islamic site on earth. It's believed every muslim must make this spiritual journey at least once in his life.


I really enjoyed getting to know him, and realizing that he's just an ordinary guy. He told me how many camels he owned, how long they live and that they are pregnant for a year. He said his camels roam freely near his camp and sometimes they even cross over into Saudi Arabia 12 miles away, without a passport or visa! He said "someone will say, 'hey Zidane, I saw your camel over by the Saudi border the other day". Haha. I don't know why, but this was very hilarious to me. Each camel has a special brand to identify them. We could see the lights above the mountains from Saudi Arabia in front of us and the lights from Israel behind us. I felt so far away from home. It's a shame how there can be so much strife and fighting in such beautiful land. Can't we all just get along? To me, war seems so idiotic. I know there are many bad men in the middle east, but I'm yet to meet one. The media paints a picture that the middle east is so dangerous, but I've never believed this. I wanted to see for myself. I'll make my own judgments.

Zidane had a gentle nature. What I liked most about him was his humor, he was very quick witted. I felt privileged that he was taking so much time to talk with me. I felt like I was talking to a good friend. This is what I strive for while I travel, getting to know the locals, and I was soaking in this one-on-one opportunity. The night got progressively colder so Zidane started a fire and served me hot tea. Such a hospitable host. The sky was like a giant tv as we watched the countless shooting stars. The night was indescribably silent. A shout would echo off the rocks surrounding the camp and sound like it traveled for miles. I watched the light from the fire flicker on Zidane's face as we talked under the stars about everything from camel milk to Facebook. I knew this would be an experience I would always remember. Sometimes when I travel I need to stop, sit back and reflect on the situation from an outsiders point of view. A situation can seem so normal, but actually in retrospect it was such an important event in my life. Before we knew it, it was after midnight. I retired to my tent, knowing it would be an early morning rise. This experience will be etched in my mind forever and was without a doubt the best memory I have from Jordan.

In the morning I bid farewell to my new friend and traveled back to the small village nearby to catch the bus back to Amman.


It's nice to know that I have a friend in this impressive corner of the world :)