Off-Campus Study

Dunes & Deserts

leahcooper

During our excursion in the south of Jordan, we visited Wadi Rum, Jordan’s most famous desert.

Wadi Rum is famous around the world, and chances are you have probably seen it on the big screen once or twice. The Martian, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, Rogue One: Star Wars, Aladdin, The Rise of Skywalker, and the new movie Dune were all filmed in Wadi Rum for its Mars-like rock formations and sand.

T.E. Lawrence also spent a lot of time in Wadi Rum, and we got to stop and see the large and narrow cave where he lived. Lawrence of Arabia was a British officer and archaeologist. He’s known for his role in the Arab Revolt and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign against the Ottoman Empire. Today, his cave is hardly a landmark, reeking of animal secretions and too small and dark to navigate.

We started our visit by riding camels. While most native Jordanians avoid riding camels, they are a popular tourist attraction for many foreginers. So, naturally, we had to give it a try!

Myself on my enormous camel. Each camel was guided by a local Bedouin caretaker. You can see my guide to the left of me.
My friend Devon’s camel and mine were BFFs and frequently leaned into rub their noses against each other.
We spent thirty minutes on our camels. You’ll notice in this photo that my right leg is swung across the top of the camel’s first hump. This allows the rider to be more comfortable and prevent bruises on one’s rear. Even a thirty-minute ride requires frequent adjusting to stay nice and comfortable!

After our camel ride we hoped in our “Jeeps”, which are really Toyota pick-up trucks, for a drive through the desert and sand dunes!

Before our ride, all loaded into the back of the truck!
We made our first stop atop a large dune! Notice how the color of the sand is different across the valley. The sand I am standing on has a bright red hue, whereas the sand behind me is almost green. Even though it was nice and windy, the sand was packed pretty tight and we didn’t get too much sand in our faces.
Desert as far as the eye can see.
My friend Roxy, on the left, and Ameena on the right. Roxy was smarter than I was and brought her keffiyeh with her to cover her head and mouth when driving.
All loaded back up and ready to ride after our first stop! You’ll notice I quickly realized that if I wanted to have a successful trip I would need a scarf to cover my face during our drive. Riding behind the “Jeep” in front of us meant lots of blown-up sand.
Our second stop was at the cave of Lawrence of Arabia, the entrance of which is just behind us. Frankly, we had more fun yelling across the canyon and hearing our voices reverberate across the rock formations.
Maybe the best part about our Jeep tour was getting to ride through the desert at sunset. Right now in Jordan the sun is setting at about 6:20pm. I am in the vehicle just ahead.
My friend Parker and I on the Jeep as we made our way back to base camp. The best way to describe this moment is with a simple Owen Wilson “Wow”.
You can’t visit Wadi Rum without doing a sunset hike atop the desert mountains. Here I am, standing on top of a mountain next to base camp.

We had a wonderful time visiting Wadi Rum. One thing I have learned over the course of the last month in Jordan is that studying abroad is more a process of unlearning than it is learning. Whether it’s learning about the true nature of Islam or that deserts aren’t always necessarily just endless hills of white rolling dunes–daily life abroad consists of many instances of small growth. During my time in Wadi Rum, I learned that Jordanians don’t actually like riding camels, that deserts have a wide range of environmental conditions that extend beyond the sand, and that the local Bedouin community cares for the desert and the creatures in it. They’re small pieces of new knowledge, but important when it came to understanding my experiences. When you make your way abroad, be intentional about asking questions to better understand the moment you’re in. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much you can learn or better, unlearn.

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