Wadi Rum is a desert in Jordan that's a really popular spot for people to go camping and hiking. In 2013, I was talking to a friend from Bethlehem, and I had mentioned that I wanted to visit Jordan one day, and the first place that he recommended was Wadi Rum. It just so happened that FCA invited me back in 2014 and we were going to take a trip to Wadi Rum after the sports camp projects we did the weeks before. I was so excited! This is definitely a place that you can spend several days hiking, four wheeling, riding camels, etc. We just spent one night, but it was still incredible and will forever stand out in my memory.
It was a long drive through the flat and sandy desert to get here. I can't imagine being a foreigner and having to navigate my way around here with no help from locals. Luckily, we had one of my good friends from Bethlehem drive us and ask for directions in Arabic with locals along the way. I really don't know what we would have done otherwise, haha. You feel like you're in the middle of nowhere for basically the whole drive. I spent a lot of time hanging out of the sunroof while standing on my seat taking in the scenery as much as possible. I have some funny cell phone videos I took of the locals' reactions to a blonde girl sticking out of an SUV sun roof saying "marhaba" (hello) as we passed through town. I had one brief and basic conversation in Arabic with some camel herders as we approached our bedouin camp. Everyone was real nice. The scenery was incredibly striking. The mountains were a beautiful warm color the closer they were to you, and the more distant they got, they took on a pale purple and blue tint.
As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by two local Wadi Rum guys -- Atala and Mohammad. They were 21 and 27 respectively. They drove us around in small pickup trucks in the desert to all the great spots for views. They were so much fun. Atala, the shorter guy, broke just about every stereotype you may have about these regal people from the desert. He was having a blast taking photos with my camera, speaking in Arabic with me (we called each other zalmati, which means "my man" haha), doing jumping pictures on the edge of cliffs, and taking selfies with my phone, OH...and driving the truck while he's literally hanging out of it completely, ha! Reminded me once again that people are people anywhere you go. I love experiencing a bond with someone who seems completely different from you. There is nothing sweeter.
One of the coolest experiences I've ever had was sleeping outside here. At our bedouin camp, there were tents lined against the mountains and a separate area with colorful rugs and low couches around a fire. Our team sat around the fire at dark, drank tea prepared by the local men, laughed together and eventually sang worship songs along with a mini music player someone had. It got quieter and quieter as people fell asleep, and eventually I was one of a couple people awake. Although we all had tents, we all slept outside in the open. I remember laying flat on the couch, looking up at the perfectly clear sky seeing thousands of stars, while hearing the sound of palm tree leaves rustle in the breeze. I had no concept of time. It was completely pitch black other than moonlight and the dimming fire. The fire grew dimmer as the sounds grew quieter, but the Jordanians stayed awake and quietly had tea together throughout the night. The vulnerable feeling of sleeping outside in the desert was unlike anything I had felt. There was a unique oneness I experienced with God. It was so amazing.
