thericechronicles: Wadi Rum

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum (Arabic: وادي رم‎) also known as The Valley of the Moon(Arabic: وادي القمر‎) is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southern Jordan 60 km (37 mi) to the east of Aqaba; it is the largest wadiin Jordan.^[1] Wadi Rum is Arabic for "Sand Valley", as Rum (Arabic: رَمَّ‎) means sand, especially light sand that can be carried by wind.^[2]

Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human cultures since prehistoric times, with many cultures–including the Nabataeans–leaving their mark in the form of rock paintings,graffiti, and temples.

In the West, Wadi Rum may be best known for its connection with British officer T. E. Lawrence, who passed through several times during the Arab Revolt of 1917–18.^[3] In the 1980s one of the rock formations in Wadi Rum was named "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" afterLawrence's book penned in the aftermath of the war, though the 'Seven Pillars' referred to in the book have no connection with Rum.

Hello My Dear Great Ones,

Wadi Rum, famous due to the movies, "Lawrence of Arabia," and more recently "The Martian," is a fascinating, and in my opinion, a rather surreal place. The rock formations are impressive, spectacular, and unique. As the light changes during the day so does Wadi Rum always making it interesting to see. Thankfully on the day we went it was overcast and relatively cool, allowing us to really enjoy Wadi Rum and play on a rose colored sand dune.

We spent the night before our adventure in Wadi Rum in a rather rustic Bedouin camp. We stayed in one of these "tents."

Breakfast was here.

The camp itself was located in an amazing location.

The next morning we loaded up in trucks to explore the desert.

Was a very interesting ride...

We stopped at a small camp to check out the views and play on a sand dune.

Rock formations were crazy.

Views were grande.

Celia and I had fun racing down this dune. It was a great workout.

Celia got dressed up like a local.

Then off we drove to our next stop.

Lots of camels at this juncture.

Some ancient camel drawings.

Instead of driving to the third and final stop you had the option to continue in the truck, ride a camel or walk it. Of course I was to cheap to pay 15 American for a camel ride, and I was sick of the bumpy truck, so I chose to walk and get some good pictures.