Wadi Rum: There are no words

I flew from Cairo to Amman on Tuesday, arriving around 3:30 pm, found my driver, and made the three-and-a-half hour trip to Wadi Rum. I arrived after dark, just in time for dinner at 8pm. And after a little gathering around a fire and a cup of tea, it was time for bed.

I woke up the next morning just as light was beginning to hide the stars. After breakfast, I joined four other visitors for an all-day jeep tour (actually in a Toyota pickup) around Wadi Rum.

I took zillions of photos. I have yet to edit and caption them and pare them down to the best zillion minus twenty or so.

Pictures, though, can’t begin to capture it. And there are no words to express how I felt seeing this otherworldly place.

That word, “otherworldly,” is why Ridley Scott chose Wadi Rum for scenes from The Martian.

The camp where I stayed was a half-hour drive through the desert from Wadi Rum Village, where my driver dropped me off and picked me up. Meals were really good. People (the staff and the other guests) were friendly. The other visitors I met were from the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, and Spain. My tent was just big enough for a double bed. Shared bathrooms were across a bit of sandy expanse, so bringing sand into the tent was guaranteed. (The floor of the tent was wood.)

There’s nothing more I can say. Look at the photos. It’s the best I can do.

Here are a few of my favorites. (The one up above is from today a little before 6am. The moon and Venus with the first indication of morning.)