Part of our time in Jordan included a day in Wadi Rum. Wadi Rum (high valley) is a rocky desert in the southwest of Jordan. The sand is very red. So red in fact that it has been used in several movies as the surface of the planet Mars. It's also famous as the home of Lawrence of Arabia. He fell in love with the desert and the Bedouin lifestyle.

We jeeped it into the desert to get to our campsite for the evening. Our Bedouin drivers were crazy so the ride was lots of fun but a little bit scary as well. I was often screaming and holding on for dear life as we fishtailed across the sand. I'm not sure the jeeps were in a roadworthy condition either. We had a breakdown and a flat tyre on our ride out to the camp. We blamed it on our guide Okla, as he always seemed to be in the jeep that broke.

At our campsite, we spent the evening relaxing, playing card games and toasting marshmallows.
The next morning, we had the choice of 30-minute jeep ride or a 2-hour camel ride out of the desert. Andrew and I opted for the camel ride. It was fun for a while but then it started to hurt. Camels are bony!

Here are some more photo highlights:

Climbing sand dunes.

We also climbed this rock formation called The Bridge. I know! I climbed it! Crazy Jess.
The colour and light is so beautiful in Wadi Rum. It's definitely worth a visit.
More photos on Flickr.

Our visit to Wadi Rum was part of our Road to Jordan tour. We did a 17-day tour with On The Go to Egypt and Jordan and we had a lot of fun. Other entries from this trip include: Kom Ombo and Edfu, Feluccan Fun, Abu Simbel and The Dead Sea.

You don't really swim in the Dead Sea. You float. There is no need to tread water. No need to make an effort to stay afloat. You couldn't sink if you tried. You can be a few metres from shore at a depth that is over your head and you still won't sink past your chest.

The salinity in the Dead Sea is 33% which is almost 10 times more salty than the ocean. The reason why it's so salty is because the Dead Sea has no outlets. Water runs into the sea and then when it evaporates the mineral content is left behind.

There is one downside to a swim in the Dead Sea. It stings! After only few minutes you start to discover cuts and scratches that you didn't know that you had. Beauty is pain though. The high mineral content of the water is supposed to have beneficial properties for the pores of the skin. Soaking in the water is one way to absorb the minerals. You can also cover yourself in Dead Sea mud for a concentrated dose of goodness and sliminess.



More photos on Flickr.