wadi rum

we spent the better part of a day bouncing around Wadi Rum in southern Jordan in the back of a 4x4, and i can only say i wish we'd stayed longer. the scenery is nothing less than stunning. Wadi Rum is a valley carved out of sandstone and granite, all sand and stark rock mountains, dunes and sparse vegetation. westerners might recognize it as the place where Lawrence of Arabia did his thing, but it's been inhabited since prehistoric times, and is still home to several Bedouin tribes.

many Bedouins now make their living off eco-tourism, leading climbers and trekkers on adventures through the desert. our driver, Mohamed, expertly maneuvered us through the sand, took us to a series of amazing spots, and even saved the day by restarting a jeep full of italians. and he makes tea! (using what one of his hysterical guide friends called "benzina bedouin", aka desert brush.)

after a day of scrambling across rock faces, climbing natural bridges and struggling up dunes, we wound up on a cliff watching the sunset paint the valley around us in a million shades of red, orange and brown. a person could easily get lost in contemplation there. my only wish was to stay a little longer. a lone Bedouin, watching the sunset not far from us, overheard Meghan and Erin exchange a few words in arabic. he said it was nice to hear. sometimes a little effort really does go far.