Exploring Wadi Rum

Setting off

Today we head to Wadi Rum for a night in the desert, something Fiona particularly wanted to experience.  We had absolutely no hurry today and took breakfast at a leisurely pace at 0900.

Kim’s tummy played up this morning while mine yesterday afternoon.  And Pat’s yesterday morning.  On the other hand, Fiona had trouble going to the loo.  It’s just too hard to work out what may have caused this as we have eaten the same meals.  But fortunately, no one’s condition was serious.

Ibrahim picked us up in a Mitsubishi pick-up truck around 1200.  It wasn’t air-conditioned so Kim organised a swap to the Toyota that did have an air-condition.  Heading to our next stop at the posh Movenpick Hotel, the guests there and their guide weren’t too impressed by their non-AC vehicle.

The other guests were all teachers from the UK on their mid-term break, like most other visitors we have met here.

We drove out of Wadi Musa and stopped at a viewpoint for Wadi Araba before getting on the road to Wadi Rum.

Scenery between Wadi Musa and Wadi Rum.

In the desert.

Wadi Rum

Our first stop in the Wadi Rum area was Um Fruth Rock Bridge where we had a cuppa tea.

Next, we continued in the pick-up to Lawrence’s House, which was just a pile of rocks with some bricks visible.  I wasn’t sure if we were being fooled here.

From here, we were shown a site with some Thamudic inscriptions.

Travelling around, the Mitsi got stuck and had to be rescued by the Toyota.  The Brits said the tyres had no tread and they come from where Land Rovers are made and they can handle anything.  Kim then said “they’re closing down, aren’t they?”  I did wonder why they don’t use Toyota Landcruisers here as they swear by them in the desert dunes around Dubai.

Our last stop was fort that wasn’t.  While it looked real and historic it was built for a French gameshow Fort Boyart [edit: which is like a precursor to programmes like Fear Factor and Survival].

Where the scenery wasn’t sandy and dune-like there were occasional dried mud flats.  I was surprised by how hard these were.

Finally, we watched the sun set behind the mountains.  It wasn’t that great and looked better on the camera.

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Jabal Rum Camp

Arriving at Jabal Rum Camp, we found that the reservation made by the tour company couldn’t be found.  Fortunately, that was quickly sorted.

We dumped our gear in the pre-setup tents.  Fiona was surprised that the tent floor was just sand.  In her romantic idea, she had expected Bedouin rugs lining the floor.

Guests were welcomed by the staff who drummed, sang and chanted.  We had to wait a while till after 1900 for dinner which was accompanied by drums and lute-like music, possibly from an oud.

The mince kebabs were awesome, as were the lamb kebabs and chicken pieces.  There were a selection of salads and sides too.  The Arabic dessert resembled deep-fried doughnuts with a rose syrup.

After dinner we were entertained by a belly dancer.  They described her as Russian but she may have been Circassian rather than true Russian.

Overall, it was a good day and we managed to satisfy Fiona’s wishes of staying in a tent in Wadi Rum.  The tour seemed quite pricey for what it is, despite having worked hard to find the cheapest provider.  A similar overnight excursion in Dubai cost us much less possibly because they utilise the services of migrant workers from the Subcontinent.

The camp facilities were good though.  The bathrooms were as good as any you’d find in a European campground, except that it was dark and sandy.