Alison's World & Adrianism: Jordan

Bedouin Experience in Wadi Rum, Jordan

A Bedouin is any member of a community of Arabic-speaking desert nomads of the Middle East. Ethnically, the Bedouin are identical to other Arabs. Bedouin traditionally have made their living by animal husbandry, and social rank among them is determined by the animals that they herd: camel nomads enjoy the greatest status, followed by sheep and goat herders and, finally, cattle nomads. Traditionally, Bedouin would migrate into the desert during the rainy season and return to cultivated areas during the dry season, but since World War II (1939 – 45) the governments of many countries have nationalized their range lands, and conflicts over land use have arisen. Many Bedouin have since adopted sedentary ways of life; most, however, retain pride in their nomadic heritage.

Wadi Rum also known as The Valley of the Moon is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in south Jordan at 60 Km to the east of Aqaba. It is the largest wadi in Jordan. The name Rum most likely comes from an Aramaic root meaning 'high' or 'elevated'. To reflect its proper Arabic pronunciation, archaeologists transcribe it as Wadi Ramm.

Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human cultures since prehistoric times, with many cultures — including the Nabateans — leaving their mark in the form of rock paintings, graffiti, and temples. As of 2007, several Bedouin tribes inhabit Rum and the surrounding area. In the West, Wadi Rum may be best known for its connection with British officer T. E. Lawrence aka Lawrence of Arabia, who based his operations here during the Arab Revolt of 1917–18. In the 1980s one of the impressive rock formations in Wadi Rum was named "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" in memory of Lawrence's book penned in the aftermath of the war, though the 'Seven Pillars' referred to in the book actually have no connection with Wadi Rum.

When we arrived in Wadi Rum, we were pleasantly surprised to meet Hanim Benziane, a Malaysian living in Doha, with her Husband Karim, and kids, Ryan and Louisa. We had a great night camping in the desert and were visited by wild dogs overnight. The next morning however, we got bogged down in the sand and as were were digging our way out, met some Bedouin, in a 4WD who offered to let us attach our winch to their truck, for a fee.

Desert dining
Wadi Rum, Jordan
21 Dec 08

The desert is one big sandpit
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

Tuah gets bogged down
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

We need to dig Tuah out of the dunes
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

Adrian and his Bedouin friend
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

What's left of what was supposed to be Lawrence of Adrabia's house
Wadi Rum
Jordan

Plants growing in the middle of the desert
Wadi Rum
Jordan

Running wild in the desert
God's idea of a giant sand pit
Wadi Run
Jordan

Nabatean Stone Drawings
Wadi Rum
Jordan

With Hanim, Karim, Louisa and Ryan
Wadi Rum, Jordan

The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea, also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east, and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are 422 metres below sea level, is the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface on dry land.

The Dead Sea is 378 m deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. It is also one of the world's saltiest bodies of water, with 33.7% salinity.which makes for a harsh environment where animals cannot flourish, hence its name.

The Dead Sea is 67 kilometres long and 18 kilometres wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River.

The Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around the Mediterranean basin for thousands of years. Biblically, it was a place of refuge for King David. It was one of the world's first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from balms for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers. People also use the salt and the minerals from the Dead Sea to create cosmetics and herbal sachets.

The sea has a density of 1.24kg/L, making swimming difficult.

Instructions for swimming in the Dead Sea
Jordan
19 Dec 08

Salt deposites in the Dead Sea
Jordan
19 Dec 2008

Adrian gets ready to face the Dead Sea
Jordan
19 Dec 2008

The Baptism Site also known as Bethany Beyond The Jordan

Since 1948, the River Jordan has been within a restricted Military Zone. Now with the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, civilians can visit.

The Baptism Site also known as Bethany Beyond The Jordan on the Jordanian East Bank is a world famous archeological site authenticated by the Vatican and historians alike.

Our visit to the Baptism Site, as with all, was in a group, with an official guide.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1556/

http://www.baptismsite.com/content/view/1/3/lang,english/

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