28th February: Riding camels across Wadi Rum (yalla yalla!)

We woke at 7.15, had a filling breakfast of pita bread with cheese, hummus, and jam (separately!), and were ready to set off by 8. We loaded our bags onto a jeep to be taken back to Mehedi's house to await us, then walked just outside of camp to meet our camels. Our guide for the day was Ibrahim, Rad's elder brother.

We hopped on the camels and just about managed to avoid being catapulted off as they lurched upright. In Jaisalmer we had sat astride the camel, but Ibrahim showed us a much more comfortable way to sit. One leg was folded across the camel in front of the seat, while the other leg rested on the foot of the crossed leg. That was a great relief; 90 minutes on a camel in Jaisalmer was seriously uncomfortable, so we were slightly worried about the effect of a full day's riding around the desert. We were still not entirely at ease, but we survived - even when trotting!

Graceful

We set off across the desert, heading north towards Wadi Rum. The colours of the morning sun on the dunes and the sandstone outcrops were simply magnificent. The sky was again clear and the sun was warm rather than blazing hot. There was no one to be seen and we enjoyed a wonderfully peaceful couple of hours loping across the white and then red sand towards our first stop, Khazali canyon.

Crossing from the white desert to red sands

Contrasting forms of sun protection

We made our way alongside and around an immense mountain of golden rock towering over the dunes, eventually reaching the entrance to the canyon. The wind had started to pick up but here we were sheltered as we gazed up at the sheer cliff face rising maybe 50 metres or more above us, cleft throughout by a narrow fissure only a metre or two wide.

Approaching Khazali canyon

We dismounted from our camels, again with little grace, and left Ibrahim to watch over them while we explored. Keeping a nervous lookout for falling rocks we made our way into the canyon. The rocks a few metres inside the entrance to the canyon had been inscribed with ancient symbols, the Nabatean language we presumed, and a caravan of camels (one of whom seemed to have a small trunk, bizarrely). We went as far as we could, around 50 metres or so, then turned back to rejoin our own caravan.

Entering Khazali canyon

A camel with a trunk?

Looking up from inside the fissure

We continued on for another hour or so across the brick-red dunes, while off to our right the sand of the white desert swirled in the rising wind. Our next stop was beneath another rocky outcrop, atop of which stood a small arch. Ibrahim asked if we wanted to dismount, and I decided to brave the roaring wind and clamber up to the top. The arch was just wide enough to feel secure, and I had a magnificent view of the valleys of red sand on one side and white sand on the other.

Climbing the arch

Looking down from the arch over the windswept desert (that's Clem in the middle)

Our final stop before a well-earned lunch was at the House of Lawrence, a partially-collapsed building huddled beneath a rockface, where Lawrence of Arabia supposedly used to shelter from the blazing sun and the bitter wind.

House of Lawrence

Continuing through the desert

That way for lunch

We then made our way around another huge protrusion of red rock to find some shelter from the wind. We dismounted and took a seat to admire the view while Ibrahim gathered kindling and started a fire. We enjoyed a glass of sweet tea while the chopped vegetables boiled, then hoovered them up with tuna and pita bread. In the meantime the camels had a little lunch of their own, nibbling at the trees; one of them, presumably the naughty one, was hobbled to keep him from running away.

Kitchen with a view

Sweet tea

Getting started on the blog entry

Lunchtime for the camels too

What a lovely smile!

By the time we had finished it was 2 p.m., leaving us two more hours of entertainment. Riding a camel was not ideal for digestion but at least we proceeded at a leisurely pace. We passed by the sheer face of Anfashieh mountain, decorated with ancient Thamudic and Nabataean inscriptions as well as drawings of men, camels, and other animals.

Heading towards Anfashieh

Funny looking creatures 

Arriving at Anfashieh

Millennia-old drawings

In front of Anfashieh

Ibrahim then led us over to a mighty dune of rust-red sand, piled high against the face of the mountain. We were a little short on time so he exhorted our camels into a trot. With cries of "yalla yalla!" (let's go!) we were jolted across the desert. It wasn't much more comfortable than it looks in the video medley below (which covers the whole day), but it was a lot of fun.

We sprinted halfway up the dune but by the time we reached the top we were staggering and panting. After enjoying the view, which was well worth the exercise, we rejoined our mounts and trotted off again for another 45 minutes. We crossed the wind-swept valley of Khor El Ajran, just in front of the main gorge of Wadi Rum, headed for our final stop off at Lawrence's Spring (or rather the ingenious construction for gathering water that flowed down the mountain face from the spring itself). This spring was where T.E. Lawrence used to wash during the Arab Revolt, as described in The Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

Climbing up the huge dune 

Almost at the top

Rewarded with a magnificent view

Crossing the windy valley

Having a drink at Lawrence's Spring

The mountain down which the spring water flows 

Almost done, chaps

Finally we trotted north through the beautiful alley of Wadi Rum towards Rum village, Clementine shrieking "yalla yalla!" while I clung on and contemplated not being able to sit down for the next few days. We parted from our comical mounts outside of Mehedi's house and went inside for a glass of tea.

Which way to the village?

Our taxi driver, Ahmed, arrived and joined us for tea, then we bade farewell and set off on the two-hour drive to Petra. As we left Wadi Rum, Ahmed pointed out a dozen or so horses cantering across the desert, and nearby an old train. These were being used for a new film about Lawrence of Arabia, he told us, by a Jordanian team.

The train being used for the new Lawrence of Arabia film

At the turnoff from the road to Amman onto the King's Highway, the route to Petra, we spotted a couple of girls hitchhiking. We assumed they wanted to go to Petra - we were only taking a taxi because there was no decent public transport - and Clem was feeling generous, so we asked Ahmed to turn around. The two girls from Jerusalem were very grateful, and gave us a few tips for our upcoming trip to their city. The view from the road was sadly hidden by the sand that had been raised by the blustery day, so we crossed our fingers that it would return to earth for our visit to Petra the following day.

View from the car window

We arrived at our hotel in Wadi Musa (the closest town to Petra) at around 6 p.m., dropping off our bags and heading into town for a bite to eat. We loved our two months of Indian food, but we were also enjoying the change to Levantine food, especially the falafel, hummus, and kebab. Back at the hotel we found out that Petra would open at 6 a.m., so steeled ourselves for an early start and headed to bed.