Southern Exposure: Wadi Rum

"vast, echoing, and god-like." -T.E. Lawrence

This last weekend, we headed south for a little taste of the actual wonders of Jordan. And after all our distasteful experiences with taxi drivers, public transportation, and Jordanian men, boy did we need it.

The first day started off with a three hour camel ride in Lawrence's old stomping grounds, Wadi Rum. Yes, camel riding is the iconic Middle Eastern experience (not to mention Lawrence's preferred method of transportation) but believe you me, we could have lived without the angry, farting camels and all the leg and back pain associated with being perched atop them for three hours.

liz is clearly enjoying her camel ride. not to mention her guide who may or may not have been trying to kidnap her for an impromptu bedouin marriage ceremony.

atop a sand dune and fantasizing about the turks.

caravan.

Stunning desert expanses and magnificent canyons aside, all that camel-caravanning was just a bit much for us. I think it's safe to say that we were more than a little relieved to kiss our belligerent ungulates goodbye and sit down to enjoy the much-lauded sunset over Wadi Rum.

please disregard the interesting hair stylings. its a bedouin thing. you wouldn't understand.

And after the sun went down, well, what do you think? It was time to party, bedouin style. By which I mean: dance around the fire in a big circle, sing in Arabic at the top of your lungs and, if you have the chance, maybe find yourself a brand new Bedouin hubby.

tea.

dj.

my husband's cuter than yours!

After a late desert night, we awoke groggy-eyed to find our camp bathed in the morning sunlight and our usual breakfast of tea and pita bread waiting for us. Finally, we were ready to take off on our four-hour jeep-bound journey toward Aqaba. As good ol' T.E. would say, “nothing is written.”

sunrise.

our camp just after dawn.

tents.

desert expanse.

what can we say? the desert gets us pretty excited.