Wadi Rum: Desert Camping Trip

 This past weekend we headed out on our first Jordan desert camping trip in Wadi Rum.  This is not your typical camping, people.   You head out to the world of the Bedouin people.  They provide the campsite, the tents, the food, and it. is. amazing!  The girls were SO excited even though they didn't really know what to expect.  We've been talking about going camping forever- even have our own tents and sleeping bags (which we didn't bring for this adventure), but we've just never been able to make it happen.  See the look of utter joy and excitement on Naomi's face in the car picture as we were heading out?  I'm pretty sure that expression didn't change all weekend!

So, a little history.  Wadi Rum is the largest Wadi (valley) in Jordan.  It's been home to many cultures since prehistoric times including the Nabateans who left their mark in ways still seen today- rock paintings, graffiti and temples.  It's also well known for being the base of operations for the famous Lawrence of Arabic during the early 1900s.  As far as Biblical history, Wadi Rum is in the heartland of Midian and was probably very much a part of the Israealites desert wandering experience.  Exact location or not, you definitely cannot be in the area without reflecting on the desert wandering.  I know what I saw here is what I've always pictured as far as the 40 years of wandering.  Definitely gives no meaning to Moses striking the rock with his staff as we saw some pretty amazing rocks!  Today it is home to many Bedouin peoples who have done a fabulous job of developing it into an extremely successful eco-toursim spot catering to climbers and trekkers specifically, and, I guess, families like us seeking a night of adventure.

And what an adventure we had!  

After a 3 hour drive from Amman we arrived in the Wadi Rum protected area at the visitors welcome center and met our Bedouin guides for the night.  We left our van behind and loaded up into their truck ready for our 4 hour desert jeep tour that would end at our camp sight for the night just in time for sunset.  

Loading up the "jeep" (actually an old Toyota pick-up with canvas seats and a canopy)

It was actually pretty comfortable!  

Heading out of town into the desert

We encountered several groups of camels along the way.  Anabelle thought they were "keee-kats" and started "meowing".

The terrain would go from rocky with jagged mountains to the deep red sand dunes in minutes.  Beautiful!

 The first stop on our desert tour was at a massive red sand dune.  Our guide instructed us to take off our shoes as it was easier to climb that way.  He showed us where to head up and then said we should all slide down.  The girls were all for it!  I wasn't too thrilled about the idea of taking off our shoes in the hot desert sand but it was amazingly cool and unlike any sand I'd ever been in.  Didn't even really stick to you- just slid right off.  

Hiking up, up, up...

(stopped along the way to make sand angels...)

A little rock climbing and silly poses...

And then... 

Rolling, skipping, jumping, down, down, down...

In case you can't tell in the above pic, here's a close-up of Naomi rolling down the dune...

Abbey and Maddie opted for skipping...

We all piled back in the jeep and rounded the corner to see this...

Anabelle started meowing again.  We're working on animal recognition...

I was already hyperventilating a little bit before we even GOT to the next adventure.  A friend had warned me that the land bridge they take you to is REALLY high, and like all things in this part of the world, has no safety precautions at all.  So I'm preparing myself for the bridge in the sky that I know my kids are going to want to climb on.

It was actually even a bit higher than I anticipated...

Y'all. I REALLY freak out at this kind of thing.  I'm not sure what it his but heights and I do NOT get along.  Mountain roads.  Nope, not for me.  ESPECIALLY in Lebanon where there is no such thing as a guard rail.  Even with my sweet husband driving and fully in control I have these little mini panic attacks.  So I see this bridge, Jason glances at me as if to say "i've got this" and I know I have to trust him.  So they pile out of the car to start climbing.  And then our little tour guide man says they all have to take their shoes off because it's "easier" that way.  Seriously, I'm thinking safety here, dude, not easy.  Shoe traction?  Ever heard of it?  Anyway, so off they go...

They made their way up around this bend and onto the top ledge.   I didn't take many pictures as I was seriously freaking out.  Totally not joking.  I think if my friend hadn't stayed down with me to talk to me I might have cried and been the laughing stock of all the climbers and trekkers bouncing around off these rocks like it was nothing.  

And here they are at the top.  AJ went all the way out to the middle

Yep, that's my baby...

(Naomi and Jason are right behind.  Naomi decided she'd gone far enough though...)

and sweet Maddie kept her feet on solid ground.  I think she might have wanted to do it a little but she knew I was panicky.  Sweet girl...

Back on solid ground!  Our guide took quite a liking to Naomi after their trek up the rock together...

So we headed off on our next adventure.  As we were bouncing across the desert sand dunes at high speeds, we noticed that our trusty driver had no speedometer.  Not that it would have mattered...

Next stop was this massive canyon cut into the rock.  (I guess that's what you'd call it?).  The multi-colors on the rocks are absolutely amazing.  So gorgeous.  Even the sand was multicolored.  Everything was so beautiful!

We finally made it to our campground just before sunset.  There were smaller tents with a campfire area in the middle and a larger tent where they served the food.  

The tents had raised cots and were really cozy.  

Even enough room for a pack and play...

We got our stuff settled and hiked about a kilometer up to a higher peak where we could see the sunset.  

Gorgeous...

Dinner was served and the larger tent around a fire in the middle and was AMAZING.  I didn't get a picture because I was putting Anabelle down for the night, but they had the chicken, potatoes and vegetables all cooking in a massive pot together that was literally buried in the ground under the fire.  They dug the pot out right before serving.  So yummy!

I promise I have never seen Naomi eat so much chicken.  She LOVED it!

(I think she must be comtemplating her approach here...)

After dinner AJ found a comfy place by the fire to read.

Maddie especially loved the sage and cinnamon tea that was constantly ready in a pot by the fire

No pictures because there was no way to capture it, but when it was good and dark, we all headed outside to the outdoor campfire and star gazed.  Amazing how many stars you can see in the desert with absolutely no lights from anywhere else.  We talked, ate American imported candy and I'm pretty sure at one point Naomi started singing "Kumbaya".  Funny girl!

The sun (well, and Anabelle) woke us up pretty early the next morning.  They were ready to take us back to the village right after a breakfast of more tea and arabic bread with jam and zaatar, but the girls had to get a little more climbing in first!

 There is a Cox girl in the picture below...

 Headed back to the village...

Here we are back in Amman in the Starbucks parking lot around the corner from our house IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY.  I glance out my window and was reminded that the definition of "city" is a little different in this part of the world.  City or not, they won't be stopped from looking for grass for their flock!