Wadi Rum, Jordan

Destination:

• Wadi Rum, Jordan
  

Notes:

• Ride a camel to The Seven Pillars
• Stay in the desert and take in the spectacular night sky
• Try the “Bedouin Whiskey” tea
• To enhance your appreciation of the journey, read T.E. Lawrence’s autobiographical book to gain an appreciation for the land and the revolt against Ottoman Turks that occurred almost 100 years ago.
• Give your vertical game a go.  With such dramatic terrain, rock climbing is a must.
• Visit Petra, and be amazed.

Full Review:

A true gentleman can gain great appreciation for solitude and desolate land by journeying to the place that Lawrence of Arabia once explored and is minimally populated by Bedouins.  He knows how to engage nature through self-reflection, and this spot provides the perfect place to do just that. Tea is always a must; and any time you interact with locals, or enter into a dwelling, make sure to partake in a fresh glass.  You should quickly get over the fact that the glass has simply been rinsed in dirty water as the way to cleanse it; there are not many other options in such a sparsely populated area.

Enlist the help of Bedouins, a desert-dwelling Arabian ethic group, to assist in your Wadi Rum adventures.  For accommodations, stay in their tents in the middle of the desert and enjoy hearty meals of meat, rice, and potatoes cooked in a primary tent in the middle of the camp.  Stay up well into the night smoking hooking, playing music, and hearing stories about the dessert along with the history of the region.  Eventually wander out of the dwelling and look up to appreciate the thousands of stars painted across the sky hovering just over the still and vast landscape of sand and rock.

Ride a camel to The Seven Pillars of Wisdom.  It will take a while and the animals can have a mind of their own but always remember that you are a man and in charge of the hard-headed beasts – don’t be afraid to make it known to them too. Other than camels, four wheel drive vehicles are the best way to blaze your trail through the desert sands.  There are numerous other nooks and crannies to explore or simply find the perfect spot to sit in the shade and appreciate the solace away from the sun. It would be a good idea to brush up on your mechanical skills before departure as the vehicles fail often in the rugged conditions.  Additionally, be sure not to venture too far and end up in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia without having made prior arrangements. For those that would like to get in more physical exercise, there are multiple rock climbing opportunities, particularly for gents that like to boulder or lead-climb.

Eventually venture farther north in Jordan outside of Wadi Rum and find Petra, the historical city that boasts rock-cut architecture and a lengthy water-conduit system built by men before Christ walked on Earth.  Take note of Al Khazneh (the Treasury) which was prominently featured in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade – the last movie Spielberg made in the great trilogy before the abysmal Kingdom of the Crystal Skull reared its’ ugly head.