Wadi Rum - Desert Excursion

Today we enter another planet as we explore the harsh Martian landscape of Wadi Rum. Which is half true as the movie “The Martian” was actually filmed in the desert here, but the land is not as harsh and barren as the surface of Mars. In fact, Bedouin nomads have made this desert their home for centuries and we are headed for a Bedouin camp to overnight. 

After a quick (vegetarian) lunch in the main town of Wadi Rum we piled into the open truck beds with benches to off-road through the desert to our camp, taking in the breathtaking mountainous terrain along the way.

And making our own mountains terrain.  

Along the way we stopped to see one of the only indications of ancient nomadic life - a series of pictographs carved into the rock face. The pictographs left information and instructions for fellow nomads. 

If you look closely you can see a variety of desert and trade animals. See if you can spot the ostrich, camels, fox, deer, horse, monkey, big cat, humans, and something we are pretty sure is a lobster. 

Lobster and fox

Continuing farther into Wadi Rum, we reached the bridge - a section of stone eroded in a picturesque arc. 

We clearly observed the dignity of the situation. 

We went bombing around the dunes a little more, kicking up dust and making friends. 

When the sky began to darken, we found a gentle boulder to climb and watch sunset. 

Again, all the dignity. 

Back at camp it was campfire and dinner time. We watched as our hosts uncovered a special local dish - zarb. It is vegetables, chicken and lamb cooked in a three-tiered pan in an underground oven called a taboon. The taboon is loaded with hot coals, covered with a heavy metal lid and finally buried in the sand. The zarb cooks slowly for hours. The meat just fell right off the bone. Mmm...

The skies cleared up just in time for some stargazing and to make some wishes on shooting stars. 

And to light up the sky in our own way. 

Goodnight for now, Wadi Rum!