Salaam from the beautiful shores of Aqaba! I am currently sitting in the Intercontinental (a lovely five star resort) which is located on the edge of the Dead Sea. Can you say best internship ever?
The past four days have been absolutely wild. Having left the city of Amman four days ago, we embarked on a tour and guided learning experience of the southern Jordanian regions. We have respectively visited Dana, Petra, Wadi Rum, and are now at our final destination.
Day One: Dana
After driving an hour from Amman, we landed at the scenic Kayak Castle and wandered through the ruined premises. After sweating from climbing through the ruins under the scorching sun, I was happy to get on the tour bus once more and believed the physical portion of the tour finished. How wrong I was!
Our bus dropped us off at an eco-lodge, a quaint little village with a rustic exterior and an interior reminiscent of a tent or hut. After braving the mosquitoes and large scorpion in the corner of the room, we were called out for a nature hike. This involved walking ten kilometers down a thorny mountain trail until we reached the bottom of the valley. Despite the wear and tear on my hiking clothes and body, I was appreciative of the scenic beauty of the valley and the wildlife - there were lizards and jackals around the trail, though we did not run into the latter.
After the bottom of the valley, our tour guide lit a small campfire and pulled a tea set out of his backpack! We stopped to admire the mountains and take a tea break, then trekked all the way up. By the time we headed up, the eco-lodge was a welcome vision of comfort.
Day Two: Petra
As one of the wonders of the ancient world, Petra is the most visited tourist destination in Jordan. In the Arab tradition, Petra is where Moses struck rock to elicit a spring of water.
We settled into our tents, sitting on traditional futons around the campfire. As the sun began to set, we were loaded into the back of pick-up trucks. Around the desert sands we flew, as the sensation of driving through the sands - alternatively rocky and smooth - reminded me of sailing through the ocean.
As the sun set, we loaded off from off our jeeps and sat at the top of a shallow mountain, watching small lights begin to flicker from within the camps.
On our return to the lodge after sun-down, we were served chicken and potatoes that had been roasted in an underground metal pit, which tasted beyond delicious!
Our evening ended with a serenade from a Bedouin band, which erupted in traditional dance from a large amount of tourists. As the stars spread throughout the sky, creating the clearest and most beautiful view of the milky way I have yet seen, we dragged our mattresses outside and shared stories while star-gazing.
The past four days have been absolutely wild. Having left the city of Amman four days ago, we embarked on a tour and guided learning experience of the southern Jordanian regions. We have respectively visited Dana, Petra, Wadi Rum, and are now at our final destination.
Day One: Dana
After driving an hour from Amman, we landed at the scenic Kayak Castle and wandered through the ruined premises. After sweating from climbing through the ruins under the scorching sun, I was happy to get on the tour bus once more and believed the physical portion of the tour finished. How wrong I was!
Our bus dropped us off at an eco-lodge, a quaint little village with a rustic exterior and an interior reminiscent of a tent or hut. After braving the mosquitoes and large scorpion in the corner of the room, we were called out for a nature hike. This involved walking ten kilometers down a thorny mountain trail until we reached the bottom of the valley. Despite the wear and tear on my hiking clothes and body, I was appreciative of the scenic beauty of the valley and the wildlife - there were lizards and jackals around the trail, though we did not run into the latter.
After the bottom of the valley, our tour guide lit a small campfire and pulled a tea set out of his backpack! We stopped to admire the mountains and take a tea break, then trekked all the way up. By the time we headed up, the eco-lodge was a welcome vision of comfort.
Day Two: Petra
As one of the wonders of the ancient world, Petra is the most visited tourist destination in Jordan. In the Arab tradition, Petra is where Moses struck rock to elicit a spring of water.
Our DukeEngage group trekked through the dusty valley trail, viewing with awe the mountains on either side of us and the horses and donkeys that were passing us by. In the mountains were carved sculptures and monuments - tributes from the ancient Nabataeans civilization to the Gods and to mourn their dead.
The entire hike took upwards of 5 hours. We detoured from the monuments to climb up to the Sacrificial Altar, which proved to be an upwards stair-climb of ten kilometers. However, the view at the top was glorious - one could see the entire ancient city from the top. Another detour led us to the famous monastery, the largest monument in Petra that the civilization dedicated to their Gods.
Sore, tired, but utterly amazed at the beauty of the landscape, I showered and fell into a comfortable night's rest.
Day Three: Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum is translated literally into "Valley of the Moon." The area consisted of a sand dune and large mountain formations. Rather than staying at a lodge or hotel, our program director sheparded us into a Bedouin-style campground.
We settled into our tents, sitting on traditional futons around the campfire. As the sun began to set, we were loaded into the back of pick-up trucks. Around the desert sands we flew, as the sensation of driving through the sands - alternatively rocky and smooth - reminded me of sailing through the ocean. As the sun set, we loaded off from off our jeeps and sat at the top of a shallow mountain, watching small lights begin to flicker from within the camps.
On our return to the lodge after sun-down, we were served chicken and potatoes that had been roasted in an underground metal pit, which tasted beyond delicious!
Our evening ended with a serenade from a Bedouin band, which erupted in traditional dance from a large amount of tourists. As the stars spread throughout the sky, creating the clearest and most beautiful view of the milky way I have yet seen, we dragged our mattresses outside and shared stories while star-gazing.
It was a night beyond comparison. It seemed as if hundreds of shooting stars crossed the night sky as I lay down. I tried to picture the various constellations but only succeeded in identifying the North Star. We stayed up and talked until the sun rose in the wee hours of the morning, then utterly collapsed into sleep!
Day Four: Aqaba
...Only to be awoken a few hours later to ride camels!
Riding the camel was possibly one of the most harrowing parts of the journey, perhaps even more so than hiking. Even as I tried to remain calm and collected as I sat in between its humps, the camels gave me little confidence in my ability to remain on them without falling. My dismount was rough at best, as the camel leaned forward trying to shake me off.
Fortunately we all made it in time for a Bedouin-American breakfast of pita with jam and eggs. As the tour bus took us away from Wadi Rum and towards Aqaba, I fell asleep deeply and contentedly.
What a beautiful, exhausting, rewarding, tiring, breath-taking trip that I went on. I am so grateful for the ability to so fully explore the Jordanian wilderness and ancient wonders and will remember it for the rest of my life.
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