Wadi Rum

Karen (another teacher from school) and I were oohing and ah ring the whole time we were there. Wadi Rum - T.E. Lawrence described in his famed ‘7 Pillars of Wisdom' as ‘Vast and echoing and god-like.' Wadi Rum is a protected area covering 720 square kilometers of dramatic desert wilderness in the south of Jordan. Huge mountains of sandstone and granite emerge, sheer-sided, from wide sandy valleys to reach heights of 1700 meters and more. Narrow canyons and fissures cut deep into the mountains and many concealed ancient rock drawings. The day was perfect - sunny, warm and cloudless. Our guide drove us round in his ancient jeep, letting us out to wander up (actually it was a grunt) giant sand dunes and eventually to our destination his family Bedouin camp - complete with toilet. The colours kept changing. Night time bought an impressively dense blanket of stars. Bedouin tent are not the authentic homes of the Bedouin, but are erected for the tourists. It was nevertheless a special experience to sleep out in the desert. I slept for about 12 hours just waking to pull up blankets and put my jumper on - a trifle chilly now it is autumn. The bed was a little gritty with sand but hey. Dinner was delicious - a hungi of chicken and veges baked in a drum in the sand.

This place is growing on me by the day - as I gazed at the fire in the tent (with no ventilation) I reflected on what it was about Jordan I like the most; the people are warm, humorous and friendly.
Jordan has a unique beauty, rich cultural heritage, an ancient history (hard to get my head around dates) with many connections to Bible stories that seem so familiar.
People in Jordan’s metro areas speak English, and most signs are in Arabic and English.
Jordan has shown me that I held many misconceptions about the Middle East.
It’s hip to be square.
It's so safe.