Petra and Wadi Rum

In the morning, I wake up with the call to prayer shortly after 5 o'clock. It's a bit too early for me, I turn around a few more times, but then reason prevails: I want to explore Petra again today with fewer crowds.

Let's go, this time more focused through the Siq. I notice many more details, many more carvings in the stone. And this time I also leave my phone in my pocket when I step out of the Siq and stand in front of the Treasury. Today I notice how red the stone is. Yesterday I had my sunglasses on the whole time. But today it's cool and cloudy, so no need for sunglasses. The colors are completely different, much more intense. Unfortunately, you can hardly see that in the photos - that's because my phone camera is unfortunately too bad. I have to invest in a better one and unfortunately I have to do it sooner than I would like: yesterday I suddenly got a crack in the screen... You have to look at it positively: better now than at the beginning of the trip!

I linger in front of the Treasury for a long time, so long that it's too late to take the non-dangerous, but very long path to the viewpoint of the Treasury. If my parents are reading this: there is definitely a path that is not dangerous. :) But this path takes 90 minutes, which would be too long because we're leaving again at 11 o'clock. What the guides do for a fee is to climb to other viewpoints on fast and very steep paths. Not suitable for everyone.

So there isn't much time left after the Treasury, I take a look at the Royal Tombs, have a warming tea, and go back.

Today we drive further south, to Wadi Rum. I'm really looking forward to it because we will spend a night in the desert. I have chosen the luxury version (I'm still me and therefore glamping, not camping...), which means that we are in tents with real beds, a bathroom, and air conditioning.

After a good 2 hours drive, we reach the visitor center. Our guide has to register us there because it is both a nature reserve. On the other hand, many people go on their own and quickly get lost - even if you think you are good at orienteering: it's not quite that easy in the desert.

We drive off with pickup trucks and visit some beautiful viewpoints, climb a dune (ouch, my calves!), see rock drawings that are 3500 years old... I LOVE the landscape of the desert, it evokes something very deep within you. Here, you are completely at the mercy of nature: the sand infiltrates everywhere, the wind has little to stop it except for the already heavily eroded rocks. The sun shines mercilessly, there is hardly any shade. The temperature is freezing cold and yet very warm in the sun... In short: extremes. The jeep ride is great, but after a few hours it gets very chilly. We settle into our luxury tents at the campsite and have to turn on the heater. So, I have to sleep like that at night, despite good insulation (for a tent, that is), it's cold, the tip of my nose is icy.

In the evening, I can hardly keep my eyes open, but I really want to look at the starry sky. You can see many stars, but the visibility is not ideal because clouds are forming. That doesn't matter, I can't stand it for more than 20 minutes anyway, and I stay the longest - everyone else has fled from the icy wind. I have to admit that I asked for one of the camel hair coats that everyone here wears in the camp and received one: not camel hair, but at least another layer against the cold and wind. I also had to buy a hat and gloves in Petra and it was worth it! But now quickly under the warm blanket and warm up.