Wadi Rum

After Petra we drove about two hours to the surreal Wadi Rum. Best known to Americans from the life of T.E. Lawrence and the movie about his life Lawrence of Arabia. If you have visited before you know that nothing I can say or any picture I can present will do justice to this incredible place.

I admit, I had been dubious. The pictures and movie made it seem like we were about to embark on difficult and undoubtedly uncomfortable (for my pregnant body) journey. Tim wanted to stay at the Bedouin Camp for 2 nights but I talked him down to 1 night.  After the fact I was sad to be  leaving. It was majestic.

Tim would likely do a better job describing the land formations, the history and cultural significance. But he told me to write this blog entry because of my awe. I was the one looking at them experiencing the wadi and seeing how spectacular it is to ride a camel or sled down the sand dune. Anne and Tim were true adventurers and I watched their eyes sparkle and their smiles and laughter grow as the sun moved across the canyon through out the afternoon into a sublime sunset.

The echoes. At the top of the sand dune prior to sliding down Anne and Tim sang and yelled and laughed into the canyon listening to their voices bounce back and forth.

The rock into sand. Any place there is rock you can make sand. The limestone is so soft that Anne was amazed that brushing your hands across the rock made sand right before her eyes. Its a rusty red mess but one that gave a lesson in erosion, land formation, and history all at once in a little girl's mind.

The vastness of the Wadi (canyon) was exhilarating. Our tour went from 12:30 until after 5 stopping only a handful of times. But the ride was so incredible, and the fact that Anne was standing in the back, with out a booster seat- or seat belt was its own novelty.

Anne commented several times about how hard it was to climb and run through the red sand. We took some time to look at Camel feet to figure out how they do it. The backward motion of the foot to get out of the sand and then step forward seems to humans inefficient. However, it does make it so that you stay on top of the sand instead of inadvertently digging yourself into the sand. My hiking boots are so light and comfortable but the mesh on top was a perfect sieve for the sand and I had to stop several times to empty out my boots.

Our Bedouin guide A'uud climbed most of the formations barefooted. He would run ahead of us and then surprise us by coming from a place that looked impossible to maneuver. A'uud took good care of Anne and she trusted him. He didn't let her fear the Wadi but love it and explore it like a true adventurer.

After the sun went down everyone at our camp (about 20 westerners and 10 or so Bedouin guides) gathered in the tent for tea, music and dancing. We all danced and laughed and enjoyed the freedom of life with out anything to do but enjoy the moment.  Anne played the drum. We all took turns dancing around the fire. The traditional food called Zerb (chicken and large root vegetables) dinner came after the dancing. We ate on the floor against the walls with pillows to lean on. I noticed that most of the Bedouins did not use silverware.

Anne was falling asleep as it was well into the night but we wanted to watch the stars and had to convince her she would see a shooting star if she could just stay awake for a little while longer. We sat on the sand dune behind the camp and saw millions of stars in the black night sky. We talked about the stars and the universe and felt that we were wrapped in the grace of what is simply beyond us. You can contemplate human purpose and the busyness of life during the light of day, but for us, in that moment, we just felt whole. No questions-at least not the kind with words-but pure awe.

Tim stayed out under the stars for a few hours while Anne and I went to bed in our goat hair tent. It was perfectly chilly and we were exhausted. When morning came the quiet was palpable. Just Anne's whisper seemed to bounce off the canyon walls. Anne was the only child we saw in the Wadi and she awoke before everyone but the camp cook. I don't think I had ever told her to be quiet so many times--when in reality she was just talking regularly but the stillness of the desert made it feel like she was amplified.

After breakfast Anne and Tim got on their camels and rode back to the village.

 I rode in the truck and waited for their return. I was melancholy. I had spent the last 19 hours physically uncomfortable and dirty but I felt so peaceful in the Wadi. Leaving Wadi Rum made me feel like we had been in a Tesser--a Wrinkle in Time.  I was Nabatean, Beduoin, Ottoman, Jordanian. And yet,  I was myself in manifestations beyond Time.