...in Wadi Rum, and then Aqaba...

After two full days in Petra (and some sore legs from all the hiking), we headed to Wadi Rum after a leisurely breakfast. One of the few UNESCO natural and cultural sites, Wadi Rum represents an outstanding example of melding both: there are flora, fauna, and amazing geomorphology, coupled with not just historic Bedouin people and tribes, but also rock art (mainly petroglyphs) that span from Neolithic to contemporary times.

Between Petra and Aqaba, and a short drive from the Desert Highway, Wadi Rum puts you smack in the middle of a place so foreign, that it has been used as the setting for the planet Mars in several movies (The Martian, starring Matt Damon et al. was filmed here, as was Red Planet, starring Val Kilmer, et al., Lawrence of Arabia, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen are among the list). It’s not difficult to imagine being on the red planet when you’re in Wadi Rum. At first glance, Wadi Rum might seem familiar, especially for those who have visited the US Southwest, with its sweeping vistas, huge monoliths, and sand dunes. But once you’re in Wadi Rum and see, for example, a Toyota Landcruiser in comparison to an outcrop, it strikes you just how big, grand, and open this place is. If you like places that make you feel small and insignificant, Wadi Rum fits the bill.
We climbed an anchored/ramp dune for a view halloo. Those darker-colored vertical things at the bottom of the image? They’re people. The vehicle is a late-model Toyota Landcruiser. Like I said: vast.

The best way to see Wadi Rum is to explore it. We were lucky enough to ride camels for a bit, and then get picked up by a four wheel-drive vehicle to take us on a loop that included a stop at a giant ramp dune and Khazali Canyon, famous for its petroglyphs. With any luck, we will be investigating this site (and others) more thoroughly in the near future, inshallah. The way the glyphs have re/patinated is incredible, and I’m excited to study them in more depth. We stopped for tea at our Bedouin guide’s brother’s house and chatted about the place, its history, the petroglyphs—“inscriptions” as locals call them—and potential research opportunities. But the conversation was again dominated by how few tourists there are. Even to this amazing UNESCO World Heritage site, we were one of only a handful of folks visiting.
Petroglyphs in Khazali Canyon. Note the sheen/shininess on the rock. It represents a unique geomorphologic process that serves to protect the rock art. I do not recall seeing this process being so prevalent anywhere else I have visited. Anywhere. Fascinating.

After spending the morning and part of the afternoon in Wadi Rum, we jumped back on the Desert Highway and headed to Aqaba on the Red Sea’s shore. It’s Jordan’s only port, and without it, the country would be landlocked. Aqaba is also an SEZ: Special Economic Zone. If you’re unfamiliar with SEZs, Google it. Or take a world regional geography class. The drive down to Aqaba was full of geomorphologic wonders! Large dikes (volcanic intrusions that occur underground in rock fissures) of grey, black, bluish-grey, green, and tan color around every corner, folds and faults, flood debris...it was all there, giving evidence for the tectonic rifting and uplift associated with Jordan. Just fabulous!

Aqaba itself serves two functions: port city and vacation spot. Resorts and hotels line its shores, while huge cranes transfer shipping containers from barge to land and back. Although it hosts an international clientele, its main tourist population comes from local Jordanians and neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt—both just a stone’s throw from Aqaba. In fact, on a clear day, you can see Egypt, Israel, and a smidgen of Saudi Arabia from Aqaba if you’re in the right spot. And then there’s the Red Sea itself with beaches, SCUBA diving, and snorkeling. In fact, 20% of the fish found in the Red Sea are not found anywhere else, making for a neat biogeography project: why and how could that happen when it’s really just part of the much larger Arabian Sea?

As for cultural significance, Aqaba also hosts, it claims, “the oldest purpose built church in the world”, dating from the 3rd century AD—pre Nicaean Council. It’s not much to speak of ruin-wise, but locationally and architecturally, it’s pretty neat. Especially considering it is just mud/clay bricks. Near the sea. The seafood is also scrumptious (or so my travel companions said, since I’m not keen on eating fish), and on Thursdays and Fridays, Aqaba hosts “Souk by the Sea” where locals sell handicrafts and different products. There’s also traditional live music and dancing. We happened to be there on a Thursday evening and had a lovely dinner while enjoying the surrounding local flavor and helping out the struggling, tourist-driven economy. A great end to our Desert Highway swing.

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