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WADI RUM - ROCKS, LOTS OF ROCKS

11/8/2015

14 Comments

 
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Salman Camp, where I stayed for two nights.  The illumination is from a single light source - my little torchlight-lantern.  30 sec exposure at ISO3200 to maximise the light-capture.  The stars in the desert were amazing.  There are so many of them that it becomes difficult to spot the constellations because there's so much going on.  You can just about see the Milky Way on the top of the mountain.

T plus 93 - Wadi Rum, Jordan

In Arabic, "Wadi" means "valley", and "Rum" means "elevated place".  So you can imagine that this would be a very scenic place indeed.  And you would be correct.  This place is also known as "The Valley of the Moon".  Very romantic, but I didn't have the good fortune of sighting the moon, as it was a late-phase old moon and moonrise was at 3.30am!

The best time to see Wadi Rum is definitely during the "golden hours" i.e. the couple of hours after sunrise and before sunset, when the sand and the rocks light up like they're on fire.  There's an otherworldly beauty about this place.  In fact, it is so otherworldly that Hollywood has come here repeatedly to film alien landscapes.  Some recent examples include Red Planet, Prometheus and the upcoming The Martian by Ridley Scott.  And of course, the famed Transformers:  Revenge of the Fallen desert battle scene where the filmmakers passed this off as Egypt.  How insulting!

There's not much in terms of history, except that the rock formations we see today were formed millions of years ago.  Then again, so are most rock formations.  What makes the rocks in Wadi Rum so special is the way they seem to erupt from the sands of the desert.  And the geology is a bit weird too - instead of the typical "rocky" angular shapes, some of the mountains here have almost a liquid-like look to them, very much like the layers of candle wax in old churches which have accumulated over many years.

The people of Wadi Rum are of Bedouin descent, a nomadic people who used to inhabit the Syrian and Arabian deserts.  In fact the word "Bedouin" means "desert dweller".  Their traditional occupation was goat or camel herding, but many tribes have been urbanised and now dwell in the cities instead.  Wadi Rum is one of the few places in Jordan where you can experience Bedouin culture and cuisine by spending a day or two in a semi-traditional Bedouin camp.  These days throne-toilets are provided in lieu of a digging instrument.  But many camps have yet to be equipped with electricity, internet, hot water and "modern" amenities.  A great way to get back in touch with the basics.  Or an ideal place to bring the spoiled kids for a bit of good old-fashioned suffering.

I'm not super happy with the photos this time.  Wadi Rum is a very big area to cover, and it can only be done in a hired 4x4 which is expensive.  Most of the camps are within 2km of each other, but the major sights are 6km to 14km away, making walking there and back (in the summer) a bit suicidal.  So the only option for me was to join a group tour where they bundle you in the back of a bouncing pick-up truck and you don't get much time on the ground.  My advice for those who want good photos?  Spend the money - it's about USD80 for a 4x4 per 4 hour session and you'll need at least two sessions (morning and afternoon).  Also, a good guide is essential - budget another US50 per day.

Some photos from my bounce-abouts:

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My early morning (6am) walkabout - an 8km loop around the campsite yielded decent results.  You can see what I mean by the candle wax effect on the rocks in the middle 3 pics of this series.

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I like this one - I turned back and voila!  A trail of footprints in the pristine sand through a canyon.

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A selfie!

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If you can get high up, the views are stunning.  But it's no walk in the park.  The cliff face you see on the bottom pic is about 120m high.  And you'd have to free-climb it i.e. no ropes or gear.

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Can you pick out the terrified Malaysian boy?  This is about 15% of the way up.

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Pick-up truck "safari" through Wadi Rum.  Not the best way to go about it if you want sharp photos.  The back of the truck is so bouncy that you feel you will be launched off the vehicle at certain points. 

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Sunset at Wadi Rum.  It's very pretty.




Disclaimer:  If you notice some differences in the style of these photos, well done.  I've bumped up the colour saturation substantially in post-processing (except the very first pic).  Most "professional" photos of Wadi Rum are treated this way because it's impossible to simultaneously make the mountains, sand and sky pop.  Some go waaaay further than what I've done for these shots.  Not quite the way I like to do it, but I thought I'd try something different for a change.
14 Comments
chong
13/8/2015 12:57:44 am

Wadi Rum. It's pretty both during day and night. No wonder you can't see the full moon as it's now beginning of the chinese lunar month. Imagine the scenary with stars and moon twinkling above you. Bedouin reminds me of my Geography lesson on middle east during my secondary school. Just to add, we did 1/2 hour desert adventure using Toyota Land Cruiser 4X4 in Dubai. The tyres were deflated to low pressure and we ups & downs etc and many of us vomitted & some even pissed. Ha Ha.

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Neoh
14/8/2015 07:02:01 pm

Hi Chong! Yeah, luckily I was able to hold it in! Although after a 4 hour ride one tends to feel a bit inside out and upside down.

I can't remember any history lessons from my time talking about Bedouin... I think your secondary education was much better!

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SC
13/8/2015 06:02:48 am

Stary stary night, that's what in my mind when seeing the first picture. I thought you would ride on camel through the desert but guess this was impossible during the summer? Love the footprints and sunset photos especially. Just wonder will you show us your 'leather' face in this blog at the end of your adventure?

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Neoh
14/8/2015 07:07:39 pm

Hi SC,

Thanks for your comment. Yeah, it's possible to ride a camel, even in the summer. But it's something like 15 Dinar (USD21) for an hour. And an hour by camel only gets you maybe 6km. A 4x4 is the only way to see the sites that are 10 plus km away - 30km round trip.

I shall consider unveiling my leather face. Hahaha.

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Suef
13/8/2015 06:57:53 pm

Very nice Neoh! Good to see you're still going stronggg..enjoy the rest of your travels

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Neoh
14/8/2015 07:10:54 pm

Thanks Suef! Hope you preparations for your Europe trip are going well! I just emerged from Petra, so stay tuned for more pics :)

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Suef
16/8/2015 09:08:21 am

Thanks Neoh... I'm actually in the states now..saw your pics on Petra, they look phenomenal! You need to take more selfies!

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Neoh
16/8/2015 02:55:53 pm

Oh right! I suppose the W.Europe trip got postpone then :)

Have a great time in the States. If you're in NY, don't forget to check out Mario Battali's Eataly. It's one of my favourite places. Supermarket and several restaurants all in one place!

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Suef
16/8/2015 04:31:55 pm

Hahaha noo I'm heading to Europe after US! Oh I just came from NY. In SFO now..Maybe I'll check it out the next time! Any recommendations for SFO?

Neoh
16/8/2015 08:52:50 pm

Ooooooo... San Francisco is my favourite city in the world! Everything there is so perfect, from the lifestyle to the food and even the people. There's so much great food in SF. For good and decently priced Italian, try Delfina - they like sous-vide-ing stuff. For cheap-ish and great pizza, there's Tony's Pizza Napoletana. For a real 3 star treat, there's French Laundry in Napa Valley. Or its sister restaurant, Bouchon which you don't have to reserve 3 months in advance for. 3 days is usually enough. Use opentable.com to check for free tables. You should definitely try to go to Napa or Sonoma Valley, even if you don't eat there. The drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito on the way to Napa Valley during sunset is incredible. The bridge lights up like a beacon. Also, Zuni Cafe for some pretty fantastic Tuscan bread and roast chicken salad. Sounds simple, but it's legendary.

Also, I would highly recommend that you rent a car and take a drive down Highway 1 which runs from Seattle to LA (and further beyond). Seeing the Big Sur with waves crashing against a sheer cliff of 500m is something I'll never forget.

And of course all the other touristy stuff which your guidebook will have lah. GG Bridge, Lombard Street, Hayes Street, Panhandle/Golden Gate Park, Ghirardelli chocolate factory etc etc. Just spend time walking around. You'll love it :)

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Neoh
16/8/2015 08:57:57 pm

Oh, oh, and if you have a car, try Chez Panisse in Berkeley. I think it lost its Michelin star some time ago, so prices came down slightly. The food is still phenomenal though. Prix fixe lunch is always the best deal. The founder, Alice Waters is also the founder of the distinctive slo-food style which makes Californian food so special.

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Neoh
16/8/2015 08:58:48 pm

Don't forget to get a car!

Sorry, I get very excited when friends visit SF.

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Suef
17/8/2015 04:36:07 pm

Wow thanks! We walked across GGB yesterday and about to run around golden gate Park now! Napa tomorrow! I❤️SF

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Neoh
17/8/2015 05:46:35 pm

Excellent! You have a great time :)

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