Wadi Rum, Jordan
Letter #38: One of the most INCREDIBLE places of my life. If you EVER have the chance to get to the Middle East, PLEASE visit Wadi Rum. 🙏🏻
5/24/23
The following morning after we’d visited Petra, I had a slow lazy morning. I grabbed a light breakfast then headed down to the hotel gym—it’s such a treat to be able to find weights while traveling. I hadn’t packed my sneakers so I did the workout in my socks—25 minutes of power-walking on the treadmill followed by a weighted circuit. I hadn’t done squats in almost a month so I knew I’d be in trouble the next day.
The bus picked us up again in mid afternoon. We reached Wadi Rum around 5pm where we were picked up by two trucks with benches in the truck beds. The guys tied keffiyehs around our heads as we’d be riding through the open air in the desert. I was already so much more excited than when we were at Petra. The desert was so expansive and it wasn’t even remotely crowded.
The trucks tore across the sand, leading us to different lookout points, the drivers sharing notes about the how the Bedouins could successfully live in this challenging landscape. There were no official roads—the trucks could drive freely across this barren land. The drivers showed us how the Bedouins made natural soap—from smashing by rock and then rubbing the water-filled leaves of a certain desert plant together in their hands. How the women made makeup from the reddish dust from optimally colored sandstones. How camels were used for the transportation for goods, and how they fed their sheep in this arid land.
The terrain was breathtaking. Snake-like patterns were imprinted in the sand from the movement of the wind. The sand was the finest, most powdery sand I’d ever experienced, a deep clay red color.
This place is infamous for so many blockbuster films—The Martian, John Wick: Chapter 4, Dune, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and, of course, Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence of Arabia was a British Intelligence Officer that lived in, adopted the dress of, and helped the countries of the Middle East defeat the ruling Ottoman Empire during World War I. While he may be seen as a friend in assisting the victory against the Turkish occupation of the Arab lands during that time, he is still a controversial figure, as British colonists, of course, had ulterior motives for liberating the Middle East from the Ottoman Empire.
You feel like you’re on Mars when you’re in Wadi Rum. The deep colors of the sand against the hazy, blue sky, the camels loping slowly in the background—you feel like you’re in alien territory.
We had a blast on those trucks. The guides were so fun, blasting music from the cabs of the trucks, taking photos for us, and brought a snowboard for us to slide down the sand dunes. Without a doubt, it was a unique experience for the entire family—Kathy was the only one who had been to Wadi Rum in the past.
I could do without seeing Petra again, but I 100% need to come back to this desert. That evening we pulled up to one of the Bedouin camps that you can book overnight—we came only for dinner. I was so impressed—the place looked like a getaway that could be featured in Condé Nast Traveler. Every detail was so thoughtfully designed, and with an eco-tourism concept that Westerns would go crazy over.
We had tea around their outdoor fire pit were they burned Saudi Arabian Oud incense, which I couldn’t stop obsessing over until Yasmin bought me my own jar of that black, flaked goodness (that I have no idea how to burn on my own—it’s not on a stick or shaped into a cone).
Around 7:30pm we were led inside for a buffet style dinner of traditional Middle Eastern dishes. The food was delicious, but the atmosphere was even better. The room was a sprawling space in a light sandstone color, with a central hearth, and groups of cushioned benches and chairs so that families could spread out and dine together. The room was dimly lit with some quiet instrumental music playing in the background—my FAVORITE type of ambience.
I was in love. I vowed back again with friends—especially Hilary who has wanted to see this place forever. Tawfik introduced me to the owner who explained that the lodge is family owned, having been inhabitants of the Wadi Rum desert for many generations. The compound functions off solar energy, that which the desert does not lack.
The guests stay in small goat hair tents that are built around stone foundations—not so traditional but much more comfortable for tourists accustomed to solid walls. There is a beautifully designed communal bathroom and shower area (although you can book a tent with a private bathroom). The owner said that when I came back, he’d be happy to host me, that my stay would be free. This is another custom of Bedouin people—if I say I’ll come back, they’ll open their homes free of charge to their guest. Of course I’d book ahead of time and pay, because it is worth it to financially support and contribute to this beautiful place they’ve built to share with others around the world. But it is remarkable how inviting the Bedouin culture is, and how honored they are to welcome guests into their homes. You’d be hard-pressed to experience that same hospitality from strangers in the US.
After dinner we sat round the fire pit outside again, waiting for the stars to come out. Once they did, the owner shut the lights off and everyone oo-ed and ahh-ed at the sweep of stars above us. I hadn’t seen the night sky so clearly in years. The Big Dipper rested just above the large sandstone wall behind the camp. Around 9pm we piled into the bus and headed back to Aqaba. Even though were were tired, the drive was only about an hour and a half. So Tawfik insisted we head to that amazing sweets place again for a dessert nightcap—I couldn’t say no to that! We crawled into bed by 11:30pm.
The following morning we walked through the market one more time—I was on a hunt for an oil that smelled like the Oud incense. Again, Ziad’s recommendations pulled through, and I bought a small bottle of pure oil for 20 Jordanian Dinar. Now I have a new perfume to add to my beloved collection.
We packed our luggage into two taxis around 11:45am and drove back to the border between Jordan and Israel. This is the point where the family often faces some friction from the border patrol—excessive interrogation, over-searching of their goods, general humiliation, the feeling of “you are not wanted here”. Up until I reached the customs counter, every soldier spoke Hebrew to me, and Yasmin helped to translate. When we reached the woman at the customs counter, again I asked Yasmin to help translate for me, but the woman demanded in a condescending way that she step away so she could speak with me in private. She asked who I was traveling with—I said my family. She asked what the last name was, and when I gave her the Arab name she grew stiff, asking what my relation could possibly be with them. I explained that my American aunt and married my Palestinian uncle. She asked where I was staying, and responded in a snide manner that she had no idea where Laqiya is (the country isn’t THAT big). She asked if I’d be visiting any areas of Palestine (meaning West Bank and Gaza). I bluffed a bit and said I wasn’t sure. She asked what I did for a living and where I reside—a fashion designer living in New York City didn’t seem to alarm her, so she reluctantly stamped my passport and supplied me with another 3-month, no work visa. It was the coldest experience I’d ever had at border control, her irritation of my being with Arab family very evident.
Other than some luggage being checked several times over, the rest of the family got through seamlessly this time, and we drove back to Laqiya.
6/1/23
Whew! I’m just wrapping up nine days in Albania. I’ll be heading back to Tirana today, where my flight will depart for New York City tomorrow morning at 6:50am. I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY. I mean, literally bursting at the seams with excitement. I’ll be in NYC a total of seven days, WI for three weeks, and MN for 4 days. Then Hilary and I depart for Rome and Tuscany on July 8th. I’ve been moving around so much that I’ve been having a hard time keeping up with the newsletter twice a week, but I think I’ll be able to get back on track once I reach Wisconsin next week. Thanks for sticking with me everyone! ❤️
Hey! Would you like to connect over creativity, self-growth, and problem-solving? Or just to have a virtual glass of wine or mocktail? Please book a time on my Calendly for us to chat! I can’t wait to see you. XOXO.
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Did you ride a camel?!?!
Hi - Yes I have been to Wadi Rum, though we stopped there when we crossed the border from Israel on our way to Petra. We were there in 1998 and the photos I have are just like yours, so it looks like little has changed - except that the Bedouins probably have cell phones now. I liked Jordan.