Photo of my camel ride in spectacular
Wadi Rum, possibly the most beautiful desert in the world:
That's right. No photo. Didn't happen.
No visit. No camel!
My wildly anticipated third visit to
Wadi Rum was a bust.
In fact, our entire promised schedule
was destroyed by Mother Nature in a fit of November pique. Brings you
face to face with climate change, this rainfall that "normally"
would have occurred two months earlier. For us, the storm began in
Sharm el-Sheik (Sinai, Egypt). Witnessing the dramatic thunder,
lightning, downpour, wind, and hail was rather overwhelming in such
an arid area. Sharm received its "average" annual rainfall
in that one day, its streets turning into rivers of mud.
The same deluge had hit south Jordan by
the time we reached Aqaba, at the south end of the King's Highway (and the north end of the Red Sea) leading to the high desert. In good faith we
set off on the one-hour trip to our destination but at the Wadi Rum
Protected Area boundary we were turned back. Although only a few mild
rain showers were occurring by then, flash floods from the
surrounding mountains had wrecked the tents and preparations of our
Bedouin hosts ―
impossible to receive us. Not only that, the road was eroding and
officials clearly wanted to avoid facing stranded, woebegone
tourists.
At a standstill while our driver
contemplated a tricky about-face manoeuvre, we had to suck up the
huge disappointment. Our local guide hastily (and inadequately)
improvised his planned discourse. Distant views across the desert did
not compensate. Nor did a makeshift tour around Aqaba. Even the
inhabitants were excitedly gathered at the vista of a newly-born
turbulent river, rushing to the sea beside the highway.
What a terrible shame in more ways than
one. Tourism in Egypt everywhere suffered a mortal blow after last
year's explosion of a Russian airliner departing from Sharm. So many
Egyptians depend on the industry to support their families. They are
warm, friendly, good-natured people, trying to stay optimistic.
Atmanna
laka al'afdal (I wish you the best)
from me and my fellow travellers.
Wadi Rum nostalgia:
 |
| (https://camelchaser.blogspot.ca/2014/07/wadi-rum-jordan-2008.html) |
Photos:
BDM
©
2016
Brenda Dougall Merriman
No comments:
Post a Comment