Jordanian Desert: The Stars Above Us, the Sand Beneath Us

Last summer, my brother Adrian visited me in Israel for a month. Towards the end of this time together, the two of us spent a week’s vacation in Jordan. We drove to the southernmost tip of Israel, crossed the border on foot and put together a tour from Aqaba to Amman with stops in Wadi Rum, Petra, Dana Village, Wadi Mujib and Madaba. In my opinion, the whole trip was perfectly coordinated and organized and had a few surprises in store. In this series of reports, join me in tracing the unique experiences in the desert country of Jordan.

Stranded?!

Do you know this kind of movies that start with a scene where the main character appears behind the departing bus, at a bus stop in the middle of nowhere? That’s exactly how the Jordan adventure began with my brother Adrian. On a hot September day last year, we got off the bus in the dusty desert just before Eilat, surrounded by sand, stone and a petrol station.

We had to walk the last stretch to the Jordanian border crossing. So we scrambled down the hill next to the road, hoping not to get too burnt by the midday sun. Shortly afterwards, a helpful Israeli picked us up in his car because he wanted to spare us the 15-minute walk in the heat and dust. What a cute shortcut in view of the heat and dust that awaited us in the coming week.

The border crossing was deserted and we got to the other side without delay. There were significantly more people in uniform at the Jordanian border facility than in Israel (it’s so easy and quick to find yourself in a different reality). And still we had to wait for the one person who could operate the machine to scan our backpacks. We had our irises scanned two or three times and then we were allowed to make our way to the cab rank.

Action-Scenery of the Border Crossing

My imagination always runs wild at these border crossings, or have I just been watching too many action movies? In my mind, I see scenarios in which either heavily armed soldiers rush towards me and I am locked in a brightly lit interrogation room or I step a meter too far to the side and cause a huge explosion. Not that I have ever experienced such situations outside of movies. Of course, everything remained calm that day too and a little later we were in a cab heading towards the center of Aqaba.

However, these concerns are not entirely far-fetched. During our week’s vacation in Jordan (exactly two days after we entered the country), three Israeli civilians, who were part of the security staff there, were killed in a terrorist attack at the King Hussein border crossing (Allenby Bridge) between the Palestinian territories and Jordan near Jericho. We were glad that the border was open again when we returned via Aqaba-Eilat. So we didn’t hear anything more about the incident than media reports.

At the same time, I am shocked at myself for mentioning this tragic incident so casually. Even then, my biggest worry was that we would not be allowed back into Israel. In the meantime, I have to admit that I have become “accustomed” in a way to situations like this happening again and again. And then I have to actively remind myself that it’s not just numbers and names that are at stake here, but that these people have left behind relatives and a life like yours and mine.

First Goal: Finding Food

When we arrived in Aqaba, we picked up our rental car at a sketchy Europcar branch and then found no suitable place to eat at first because hardly any stores were open on a Friday lunchtime, which is when Muslim cultures are supposed to pray.

After a rather disappointing visit to a shopping mall, we finally made our way to the market, which was again very crowded in good Arab fashion, with one store next to another. Nevertheless, it was not so easy to find our way around and to buy useful food that did not have to be cooked before consumption. Eventually we found a bakery where the sales clerk gave us all – and I mean all – the baklava variations to try.

Welcome to the Red Desert!

With bread, water and baklava, we set off in the direction of Wadi Rum. Fortunately, we had already booked our accommodation in advance, as this was exactly what the tourist police wanted to know from us at the numerous checkpoints. In Wadi Rum Village, we were first served hot tea in the desert heat, just like Arabian hospitality.

After an afternoon nap, our host drove us to the camp, as the temperatures would have been too high beforehand (which was no longer a bother the next day). In Wadi Rum there are countless camps of this kind in a wide range of comfort and price categories. We had opted for simple accommodation in order to at least get a taste of Bedouin life.

Wadi Rum is located in the south of Jordan and is the country’s largest valley (720 km²) initially carved out by a river. It is surrounded by some of Jordan’s highest peaks or contains them within its own territory. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011, as it contains evidence of ancient civilizations such as the Nabataeans.

Especially at the “entrance” to the wadi, where we left the village by off-road vehicle, the red sandstone cliffs tower up on the sides. Fun fact: Wadi Rum is (understandably) very popular in the film industry as a backdrop, as some Star Wars movies and also Dune and other films were partly shot there.

Among Bedouins

When we arrived at the camp, we moved into one of the traditional Bedouin tents (which easily accommodated two people and allowed them to stand upright), only to spend the night outside under the indescribably beautiful starry sky. My brother and I were the only guests in the usually highly touristy phase. The camp owner told us that he was one of the younger sons of at least 30 brothers of the same father, if I remember correctly.

According to his account, this head of the family was also the founder of the village, which today has several hundred inhabitants from the Zalabieh tribe. Our guide, at any rate, was 28 years old, had recently married and was building his own house for his soon-to-be-born family in the village. The lack of tourism due to the war meant hard times for the entire wadi and also delayed his building plans.

Adrian and I slept quite comfortably right next to the fire pit. The next morning, we were picked up by our host’s younger brother in a somewhat rickety vehicle for our day trip. You can see the individual stops better in the photos. Our driver took us to the respective places and then often joined the other guides in the tent to smoke shisha while we scrambled unsecured on rock formations and marveled at the magnificent view.

One Adventure After the Other

To top it all off, we were allowed to glide down a dune on a snowboard, if you know how to glide. Adrian looked cool, my descents were always accompanied by loud screams from the back of my throat. It was scary. And in the end, I really did have sand in every pore of my body. But you can’t let fear get in the way of an opportunity like this!

The sunset was of course duly celebrated with the best view. When we returned to camp, the most delicious hot dinner was waiting for us, prepared by our host’s wife. It was so plentiful that, despite our hunger, we couldn’t possibly finish it all. After a second night under the stars and a romantic campfire, we said our goodbyes and set off towards the Wonder of the World, Petra,