Inspired by Peter O’Toole’s portrayal of Lawrence of Arabia, “On to Aqaba” became our cry as we headed south on the Desert Highway.
After parking our SUV at the Wadi Rum Village Rest House, a young Arab pulled up behind us.
“Mohammed Mutlak camp?” he inquired. “Welcome,” he said pointing to the back of his Toyota pick-up. “Please get in.”
The padded seats did not look too comfortable to me.
“Why don’t I drive my car,” I suggested.
Abdullah shrugged, “If you want but you will miss breathing the fresh desert air.” He waved his hand in the air.
“I think I should drive,” I told my waiting friends.
“Thelma,” my friend counseled, “They do this all the time.”
I relented, and we hefted our luggage into the back of the truck.
As Abdullah sped through the deep, red sand, our hair was mussed. Our noses were filled with pink dust. Dogs chased us. Our teeth rattled. Still, it was better that I had not attempted to drive.
We officially arrived at our camp just before the sun set. We had enough time to do some yoga before cracking open a bottle of white wine and toasting our driver and our lovely camp.
To be continued……
ABOUT MOHAMMED MUTLAK CAMP
Mohammed Mutlak Camp is found in the southern-most tip of Wadi Rum. It is a lovely camp. You can contact them via email or call Mohammed directly at 00 962 7 7721 5675. My review is on TripAdvisor.
ABOUT ARRIVING IN WADI RUM
Driving south on the Desert Highway, just past the town Ar-Rashdiyya, (past Ma’an) there is a big petrol station on the left. You pass it and the road to Wadi Rum, then make a U-turn. You turn right (east) onto the Rum road. It is about 12 kilometers to the Wadi Rum Visitor Center.
There you will be greeted by a hoard of young Arab men offering taxi rides or camps. If you have made reservations, one of them will announce himself as the Mohammed Mutlak representative. You pay him the entrance fee to the reserve. 20JD for a four-wheel drive and 5JD per person. Do not despair, there does not appear to be any “official” manning the ticket counter at the center. Wadi Rum is run by the Bedouin. They all know each other.
He will direct you to drive to the Wadi Rum village and to park at the Wadi Rum Rest House. There someone else will pick you up.
ABOUT WINE IN JORDAN
Jordanians grew grapes and make wine. However, the only places I have noticed wine or alcohol for sale is at the airport or in higher-end hotels. We bought our own bottles at Bahrain Duty Free and carried them on the plane, car and camel as we traveled.
Tales of Dragons, Rabbits and Roosters 
Oct 13, 2013 @ 13:03:20
I love your photos of Wadi Rum – and wish I was there. have you been to Petra yet? Or have I missed that blog. I feel like I’m travelling with you. X
Oct 19, 2013 @ 10:28:00
Petra is still on the horizon. Stay tuned!