Day Eleven: Wadi Rum

I had an excellent sleep in my hotel room. There was absolutely no noise. I had closed the window the night before and set the air conditioner to the perfect temperature. I woke up to my alarm at 8:15 am, reminding myself not to fall back asleep, which I then promptly did until I awoke again at 9:05 am.

A quick shower then downstairs for breakfast. Like most of the breakfasts in Egypt and Jordan, we were served bread, cheese slices, packaged cheese, boiled eggs, cucumber, tomatoes, (maybe olives and other types of cheese,) packaged butter, spiced jam, honey, and the addition of a sort of re-fried bean soup. We then had a group meeting at 11 am in the lobby, before boarding the bus for a day trip to Wadi Rum.

As we drove out of the Aqaba, Robbie our tour guide told us more about himself and the history of the area we were traveling through. I do not actually know the spelling of his name, and it was pronounced more like "Robia," though most of us reverted to using the phonetic Anglicized version as we just couldn't quite pronounce it correctly. Robbie was one of our main contacts when welcoming us into Jordan, though at the time guides hadn't been assigned to the two groups we were now divided into. By some fortune and an apparently quite late night out on the town, our group managed to convince him to be our guide.

Robbie was born in Jordan, raised Christian, and had spent some time in the United States. He had been a tour guide for some time and had a wealth of broad knowledge on local and international history, geography, geology, politics, and religion. He also spoke with a slight Australian accent, which came through clearly with certain words, probably an influence from the number of Australian tourists whom he would have been in contact with. He had also been a tour guide for a number of famous actors and actresses visiting Jordan, and shared a few anecdotes about these experiences.

Aqaba is Jordan's only seaport, which it shares with the neighbouring Israeli city of Eilat. It's history goes back to biblical times and even earlier, being an important location for trade routes between three continents. It is now known mostly as a resort town and its coral reefs are a world famous diving attraction.(1) As we drove out of the city, we passed vibrant concrete buildings painted white, cream, or pink, rows of palm trees dividing the highway, and caught a last glimpse of the sea as the road climbed away from the port.

Wadi Rum, Wadi meaning literally "valley" in Arabic, is a desert area 68 kilometers northeast of Aqaba. Created through a massive upheaval of the earth's surface, the desert scape is a mix of unique granite and sandstone rock formations and a valley floor of fine red sand. Now a nature reserve, Wadi Rum is a popular tourist site for day trips, overnight treks, or climbing.

As we neared the reserve, we passed the "Seven Pillars of Wisdom," a large mountain named by T.E. Lawrence for its column-like rock formations. Wadi Rum has been inhabited since ancient times, going back to the 8th and 6th centuries B.C. Today, its inhabitants are two Bedouin tribes, who were encouraged to move out of the desert and into government constructed concrete homes in the village of Wadi Rum. According to Robbie, many of the Bedouin use their homes to keep their camels and pitch their tents in the dessert instead.

We parked at the Visitor's Centre and arranged for a couple four wheel drive trucks. Robbie was negotiating with two young Bedouin boys, who to our shock ended up being the drivers he hired. Our driver was maybe eight or nine years old, who had to sit extremely close to the steering wheel and could just barely see over the dashboard. A couple people in our group initially refused to let him drive, but soon conceded after some discussion and assurances. Our truck had an open flatbed, with two benches facing each other, which were challenging to stay in as the truck bounced and lurched over the sand. Our drivers tuned out to be very experienced and skilled however, so any initial reserve was soon put to rest.

Our first stop was at a water reservoir built by ancient traders who brought caravans through the dessert, traveling from Arabia toward Syria or Palestine. The Nabateans in particular were skilled in their ability to conserve and store water. Reservoirs were built into the cliffs, with the water draining naturally through several layers to a pool below, hidden under a layer of sand. Some of their water sources were natural springs, while others were built to collect and transport rainwater through the rocky hillsides. The Nabateans relied mostly on trade, using the King's Highway which made its way past Wadi Rum to transport luxury goods such as frankincense and spices from Arabia. (2)

The King's Highway was an important trade route for many ancient nations and kingdoms. Beginning in Egypt, it traveled east across the Sinai Peninsula to Aqaba where it then headed north through Edom, Moab, Ammon, and Damascus before reaching the Euphrates. (2) It is referred to in the Old Testament as the road Israel asks to travel on through Edom (Nb 20:17-21) (2) as well as the road Abraham takes to pursue and overtake the northern kings who had captured his nephew Lot. (Gn 14) (3) The trade route had fortifications as well as food and water storage placed strategically along it. Unable to navigate the north winds of the Red Sea, The Romans had to rely on this overland route as well for trade.

Many cultures and nations have occupied the area at one time or another, among them Greek, Roman, Hellenistic, Babylonian, Persian, and Ottoman Turks. Wadi Rum is famous in particular as the headquarters of T.E. Lawrence and Prince Feisal bin Hussein, who during World War 1 led the Arab Revolt against the occupying Turkish Ottoman empire. (4) Lawrence was particularly enamored with the desert landscape, writing descriptively about its magnificent vastness and crimson colours. It certainly did make one feel small, as the jutting rock formations towered above our trucks, casting dark shadows across the sand.

We made two more stops, the first at a small spring located in a narrow opening in one of the mountain sides. We waited for one group to leave before climbing up to a ledge and walking in single-file. We were shown ancient inscriptions and illustrations on the rocks before we had to carefully turn around and head back. The next stop was spontaneously at a large sand dune. Initially it was just to take pictures, until a couple people decided to run up it. It was hard going through deep sand, but well worth the effort for the three hundred and sixty degree view from the top. In all directions, you could see only dry dusty rock protruding from the ground, and miles of red sand. We took a small group picture at the top before running back down, taking time to empty large quantities of sand from our shoes before climbing back into the trucks.

On the way back to the Visitor Centre our two drivers decided to have a race, our truck making it there first. Along the way I had also noticed a rented four wheel drive that had gone off track slightly and was temporarily stuck in the sand until a few attempts with the accelerator dislodged it. Lunch was had at the only restaurant at the Centre, and was excellent. Servers kept bringing us more and more plates of food - salads, breads, rice, tabbouleh, tahini, noodles, fries, and chicken, until we were all stuffed. I'm not sure what they did with the leftovers, but there was plenty of it.

We boarded our bus again and headed 128 km north for the ancient city of Petra, following the ancient King's Highway. We reached Petra by early evening, turning off the main road and down into a small town built on a hillside. The village we would be staying in was referred to as Petra, though I discovered later is actually Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses.) Small concrete houses and buildings lined the hillside, many which were unfinished in construction, often with rebar extending out from the flat roofs. Robbie had explained earlier that in Egypt, the houses are left unfinished to receive tax breaks, while in Jordan, they are left in this state so that additions can be added later to accommodate family. We were greeted at our hotel with cold drinks, and then served dinner shortly after. I took a short walk through the town in the evening, following the main road that wrapped above and around our hotel. On the way back I stopped in to look at the hotel's indoor pool, thinking that I might take a swim tomorrow.

"Enlighten my eyes that I may never sleep in death."

- Psalm 12:4

Truck excursion in Wadi Rum, Jordan

Spring, Wadi Rum, Jordan

Wadi Rum, Jordan

Sand dune, Wadi Rum, Jordan

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqaba

(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_Highway_(ancient)

(3) http://www.atlastours.net/jordan/kings_highway.html

(4) Wadi Rum, tourist guide. www.visitjordan.com

Day Ten: Crossing the Red Sea (PT2)

After our early morning climb up Mt. Sinai, we were shuttled to the Egyptian boarder on the Red Sea. Then we waited for about an hour in the heat of midday, waiting to be let in to the ferry complex, which eventually happened after some conversation between our tour leader and the boarder guards. We said goodbye to several from our group, as well as our tour leader and were directed through a narrow gate.

We made our way with some confusion, and help from the local authorities, to the area we were suppose to be waiting in. This was after spending a few minutes sitting alone in an empty courtyard until we were re-directed. There were actually several waiting areas, but only one correct one - past the initial metal detector checkpoint, then through customs.

We entered a large, somewhat bleak looking depot. There were quite a few people milling about, among rows and rows of benches. A small food stand was situated right next to the public washrooms, which were being visited on a frequent basis. The floor was built on a gradual slant, slopping downward toward the exit at the bottom where most of the people were waiting. We were told not to expect much, and this turned out to be good advice. We were to be here for a few hours, which ended up extending into a few more and a few more.

The wait seemed to drag on forever, but it gave us time to chat more and get to know each other, though most of the time we simply sat there in quiet, reading or sleeping. Most of the occupants were Arab men, dressed in the traditional manner. Many were using the washrooms to wash their feet in the sink, brush their teeth, or wash their face. A truck driver from Syria had decided to meet some of us, posing for pictures with his camera and interrogating us in a friendly manner. He had asked to see the journal I was writing in, and looked through it briefly before writing his name in it for me (although now it can't seem to find this in the journal, so maybe I made this up.) Lunch consisted of a trip to the canteen for a bag of "cheese" potato chips (not bad) and a small dried out date bar. I normally won't eat anything with dates in it, so why I bought this I have no idea. Another group of tourists from the same travel company eventually arrived, and many of our group joined with them, talking and sharing stories and experiences.

After a couple hours all the tourists, which were few compared to everyone else there, were suddenly directed to the top end of the waiting area, far away from the noise and commotion near the door at the south end, which everyone else was crowded around. The segregation felt a bit odd, though we learned later that many of the locals had been waiting for up to three days to board the ferry. The atmosphere in the building did seem a bit tense and on several occasions, there would be a sudden noise, with a move and push for the exit door, whereupon the police would push everyone back, amidst some arguing and loud voices. At one point during one of these rushes toward the door, some anger erupted and police were shoving and pushing back at the crowd, apparently using their batons as well. I didn't see much of this, but heard it.

Sometime toward the evening we were directed to a large door at the north end of the building, close by where we were sitting. The door was rolled aside and we were hurried onto a waiting bus, throwing our luggage quickly into the compartments below. There were already others waiting on the bus, mostly Arab women and children from what I can remember. We were then shuttled to the dock and again hurried onto the ferry, this time throwing our luggage into a large container that would be shut and locked before sailing. The whole thing seemed frantic and a bit strange, but we were told that the tourists are loaded first, then it is a mad scramble for everyone else to the buses and then on to the boat.

We quickly found seats near the front, near groups of families and young couples. An employee came by and took our order for dinner, which was a choice of chicken or hamburger, with fries and a drink. Most of us went with chicken I think. For some reason my meal took a longer time to arrive than everyone else's, but was decent and and welcome relief after surviving off water, cheese chips and a date bar for most of the day.

Soon after boarding the boat quickly filled, and the longest continuous line I had ever seen for the men's washroom formed, which lasted well into the next couple hours (it ran down the length of our room and into the next compartment.) We had finished our meals and most of us took the opportunity to exchange our Egyptian pounds for Jordanian dinars at the convenient booth they had set up mid-ship. By the time an hour had past, we realized that we were still in port and hadn't actually departed yet. It would be almost another hour before we were sailing.

By this time I needed to use the bathroom, and luckily the line had died down. Unluckily, the washroom had been well used. The facilities were in rough condition, mostly on account of the hose that is always provided with squat toilets ensured that everything was wet, which included about an inch of dark murky water on the floor that swashed and swayed with the boat. And I was wearing flip flops.

I can't recall what I did over the next two hours, mostly I think it was sit in my seat, read my travel books and occasionally talk to others in my group who came by or sat down for a while. One of our group members shared her iPod with me so that I could hear her favorite top 40 song, while she sang along. And she did have a nice voice. By now it was dark, and after what seemed like forever we pulled into port. My memory is a bit blank about the unloading process, except that on the way out we passed one of the much used bathrooms, which had large volumes of water gushing out of it, past the half closed door and into the hallway. The next thing I recall, we were all standing on the dock in the warm late night air, being greeted by our Jordanian contact.

Robbie, our contact, was a short thickly built man in his thirties, and full of energy. He and some of the other Jordanian guides had apparently been waiting for us for hours and were just as thankful to see us as we were of them. There was some talk about our experience waiting for the boat and some discussion about the differences between Egypt and Jordan. A couple of the tour guides explained about the human rights issues that were prevalent in Egypt, and described the feelings of frustration among the large population, Cairo alone having between 17 and 18 million people.

The transfer at the boarder went well enough, but I was so tired that I partly chose to ignore an important announcement about applying for the proper Visa's for anyone eventually crossing into Israel. The one person who was, other than myself, was also returning to Jordan, whereas I would be staying in Israel, so I didn't speak up and include myself in the conversation.

On the way to the hotel, the first thing I noticed was how clean and organized everything looked. The next thing I noticed was that all the drivers followed the road markings diligently, and that there was less traffic than I had experienced in Egypt, even at 10 pm. There was also a noticeable lack of the sound of car horns.

It was a short drive to our modern looking hotel and I am embarrassed to say that I have never been so happy to see a hotel room. It was a single room, large, very clean, and had many electrical outlets. The bed was king size and comfortable, and the shower was separate from the toilet area. There was also free bottled water, coffee, and tea, plus a large television that I ended up not using. And each room had it's own air conditioning. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt so grateful and relieved, after what seemed like the longest day in the world, which started at 2 am and was now nearing 11 pm. I took a shower, washed some of my clothes, and re-charged my camera batteries and electrical shaver. Then I went straight to sleep.

The Lord hath heard the desire of the poor:

thy ear hath heard the preparation of their heart

- Psalm 9:17