Where We Be
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| Wadi Rum, Jordan -- Camel Ride |
| Goats thrive in the desert...and the goat cheese we ate in Jordan was fantastic |
After jouncing around for an hour or so on the
back of a camel, you'll begin to understand why
most Bedouins prefer Jeeps nowadays. But
comfort isn't really the point of doing a camel
ride, is it? Camels are the ships of the desert,
and once upon a time, long before Jeeps, they
were the only viable option for long-distance
desert travel. An hour on a camel's back gives
you a taste of a very different time when the
Silk Road was THE major caravan route for silks
and spices. Petra was once a major Silk Road
hub -- it connected the Silk Road to the Middle
East and North Africa. It was taxes and protec-
tion money from traveling camel caravans that
funded Petra and turned it into one of the
greatest cities in the region.
You may find that riding a camel is something
you only need do once in your life. If so, do it in
a place like Wadi Rum -- one of the most lovely
deserts you'll ever come across. Camels offer a
traditional way of experiencing this desert in a
quiet way (i.e., no engines). Sheer mountains
rise up dramatically from the desert floor,
giving you something impressive to look at as
you sway from side to side. Since both legs on
the same side of a camel rise and fall together,
it makes for a rocking motion that does indeed
feel a bit like being on a ship in the desert.
back of a camel, you'll begin to understand why
most Bedouins prefer Jeeps nowadays. But
comfort isn't really the point of doing a camel
ride, is it? Camels are the ships of the desert,
and once upon a time, long before Jeeps, they
were the only viable option for long-distance
desert travel. An hour on a camel's back gives
you a taste of a very different time when the
Silk Road was THE major caravan route for silks
and spices. Petra was once a major Silk Road
hub -- it connected the Silk Road to the Middle
East and North Africa. It was taxes and protec-
tion money from traveling camel caravans that
funded Petra and turned it into one of the
greatest cities in the region.
You may find that riding a camel is something
you only need do once in your life. If so, do it in
a place like Wadi Rum -- one of the most lovely
deserts you'll ever come across. Camels offer a
traditional way of experiencing this desert in a
quiet way (i.e., no engines). Sheer mountains
rise up dramatically from the desert floor,
giving you something impressive to look at as
you sway from side to side. Since both legs on
the same side of a camel rise and fall together,
it makes for a rocking motion that does indeed
feel a bit like being on a ship in the desert.
| A solitary camel stands in front of a rock monolith. Each time we saw a camel with no rider, the boy leading our camels would hiss and speak harshly in Arabic to keep it at a distance. |
| Camel to-go food |
| Hold on tight to the pommel so you don't pitch forward as the camel kneels down (front legs first) to sit |
| Lawrence Spring is the endpoint for our camel ride. The view across the desert from here is one of the prettiest in Wadi Rum. |
| Do you seen the green fig tree up high and left of center? We hiked up to it for the view and to see the spring where Lawrence of Arabia is said to have washed during the Arab revolt of 1916. |
| After the steep hike, we relaxed in the cool shade of this open-air tent and drank hot sweet tea |
| While we relaxed, our guide (in black) and his friend showed us various items for purchase, including Bedouin head scarfs, sandalwood, myrrh, and a mix of herbs for making sweet tea |
| Enjoying being Bedouin for a day! |
| The Desert Highway cuts a straight path south from Petra to Wadi Rum in the distance |
| This dramatic locale -- with a genuine Bedouin goat-hair tent in the foreground -- marks the beginning of our Wadi Rum adventures |
| We passed several Bedouin villages along the way |
| Wadi Rum is sometimes called a desert of mountains. Some rise as high as 5,500 ft (1,700 m). |
| An hour of camel riding is just about perfect |
| Riding tall in the saddle on our ships of the desert |
| Squat shadows near midday |