After a quick morning visit to Little Petra, we drove south into the desert of Wadi Rum.
Little Petra: After breakfast and a short drive, Suffien arranged for a guide to lead us through what is called Little Petra, outside of the main city, where the Nabateans once entertained guests and traders stopping off along the Silk Road. Again, we saw facades and caves carved into the red sandstone, on a smaller scale. but somewhat anti-climactic after a day spent in Petra itself. Some Bedouins still live in the cave homes here.
South to Wadi Rum: It was still late morning when we left Little Petra behind, and Suffien drove us south to Wadi Rum, the largest desert in Jordan. We were deep within the desert when Suffien stopped at a small, isolated building that might have housed at most two small shops, a mini strip-mall of sorts. Here we met a young Bedouin driver in a small, old 4×4 Jeep for our drive through the desert. We transferred our luggage and sat up in the open back of the truck.
Off-road in the desert: And now our new driver left the asphalt road completely, taking us through the open desert. He apparently knows the way without any clear roads or even markers. And then it got windy. And then even more windy. Wind along the open desert carries along sand, so we were happy to employ our Covid masks offering some protection for our faces. But it soon became clear that this was no easy breeze: we were in a desert sandstorm. We had to protect our eyes and hold on to our hats. We were so grateful when our driver invited us to step down from the open back and join him in the cab of his truck.
Tea and a Sandstorm: Before long the wind slowed down, and our driver found a shady, protected spot behind one of the many huge rock formations scattered across the desert. He stopped, quickly threw a couple of rugs onto the sand, and invited us to sit. Then, just as quickly, he gathered some twigs and dead shrubs with which he lit a fire and set a small pot on to boil, offering us a taste of “Bedouin Tea.” We visited while waiting for the tea to brew. Our driver was a handsome and charming young man who has lived all his life in this desert with his family (all well acquainted with Suffien). When another truck came by, also with a driver and a pair of tourists, our driver waved him down and invited them to join us, which they did. And thus six of us – two young Bedouin drivers, one young couple, recently married, Sara and Evan – sat in the desert on a late afternoon, visiting quietly, enjoying the breeze, the Bedouin tea, and the company.
The desert is both lovely and unworldly, which explains why Wadi Rum was the exterior filming location for the Matt Damon film The Martian (2015). Even our accommodation was in a futuristic colony of dome-style tents (complete with a full bath, thank you). We loved our evening in this futuristic Yurt, looking out our oversized plastic window and across the desert.
A Bedouin Dinner to Remember: While we all enjoyed our privacy in separate accommodations, a huge Bedouin dinner was prepared for all to enjoy in a large communal setting. Still Ramadan, of course, so we wouldn’t eat until well after sunset. Preparation of the meats was most interesting. Hot coals were set burning at the bottom of a large pit. Huge portions of marinated meats, especially chicken and lamb, were laid out on metal grids which were set atop one another. When a top covered it, the earth was shoveled over it all and left for a time to cook.
All were invited when it came time to shovel off the dirt and pull the cooked meats from the ground – all to great applause from many hungry pilgrims. The buffet included these meats and all sorts of other salads, humus, and so on. It was a lovely, delicious meal, and a chance to visit with others. As someone who never really enjoyed lamb, Evan was pleasantly surprised. This lamb was delicious.
Our day and evening in the desert of Wadi Rum was a wonderful way to finish our adventures in Jordan. Tomorrow would be a long ride back to Amman and the next day we would leave Jordan for Cyprus.
We will always remember that many tourists take that 4×4 drive through the desert, but not everyone experiences a full-on Wadi Rum sandstorm.
Take a look inside our Martian Tent. It’s very windy outside so it’s a little hard to hear until we step inside.
