Wadi Rum – 12th January 2006

After clambering from our cold beds at some ungodly hour, we slurped down some breakfast and chewed our way through a hot cup of tea before hearing a sound indescribably unique. Apparently camels are not morning people, and a herd of 20 of them bellowing from outside the camp, which incidentally was nestled against a rocky outcrop, is an experience I shall not forget soon.

We went out to meet the camels, and before long were mounted thereon for a quick, one-hour spin around the block. The trip went uneventfully for the most part, although Maria’s camel was determined to be the leader of the pack and would not wait for the rest of the group. The ride itself wasn’t too bad, I was able to sit down comfortably again at some point during the late afternoon…

After our camel trek we jumped in the back of some utes for what was touted as a ‘jeep safari in the desert’. We clung for dear life as the ute we were riding in seemed to find the path of most resistance through the desert, usually at 90 degrees to the direction of travel. We stopped at a pile of fallen rocks. Inside the mass of debris, our guide showed us a rock with a map carved into it from Nabataean times, probably BC rather than AD. Whilst this was thoroughly interesting, it wasn’t long before we were hurtling one more through the sand dunes to a large hill covered in sand with a Bedouin tent next to it. We took the unlikely decision to climb this hill (another painful experience) and then returned to the base for a cup or two of Bedouin tea. I’m not sure what’s in Bedouin tea, and it probably is better not to ask. It braced us however for the journey back to the main camp.

Once we returned to the main camp, we made our mournful farewell to the Bedouins, and loaded into the vans for the trip to Aqaba. The trip took an hour or so, and we were thankful for the respite.

We arrived in Aqaba about 1:30pm and checked into our hotel. By this time we were ravenously hungry. Our tour leader, Tony, took us for a quick walking tour of the city at about 2:30pm. Aqaba is a duty free town in a region where four countries (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Israel [or the occupied Palestine as it’s referred to here]) access the coast within a 100km strip of coast. As you can imagine, the town is very touristy, even more so at the moment when many Jordanians are on their annual beach holiday. Remember earlier I mentioned that we were hungry at 1:30? Well by 3:00 when we finished our walking tour we were fainting from malnutrition (no sniggering if you wouldn’t mind…) and thus our walking tour ended at the bastion of all things Arabic: McDonalds. Since I was in a foreign land I ordered two things I’d never seen at home; a McRoyale and a Double Cheeseburger. Maria also had a Double Cheeseburger, with a large coke the size of small grain silo. And there was a super size option available!

Having suitable stuffed ourselves with genuine Jordanian fare, we went in search of a massage for Maria’s aches and pains, and a good cup of coffee for mine. Maria was restored by the able hands of a little Chinese lady and I was restored by the able hands of a nearby barista. After a bit of quick shopping for supplies to make it through the potential nightmare of the water transit to Egypt tomorrow, we returned to the hotel for a quick rest before a 7pm group meeting. We ducked out for a quick kebab after the meeting. Maria rated it as the best kebab she has ever had, and all for less than an Australian dollar! I love Middle Eastern cuisine!

So now we fall into bed exhausted, but glad that we don’t have to leave the hotel till 9:30am tomorrow. But here I shall sign off until next time.

Fletch’s tip for new travellers

Three crazy Bedouins. Three four wheel drive utes. One big sandy desert with the odd dust bowl. 17 crazy westerners sitting in the tray. Lots of revs, lots of lock, dump the clutch… Instant doughnuts, instant joy!

Does my travel insurance cover this???