Jordan: Wadi Rum and Petra!

1/27 - pov lilly

The bus picked the six of us and a whole bunch of people up at 2am. We headed to Jerusalem to get even more people, and then headed down to the border crossing all the way south in Elat. The bus ride was brutal. Getting to the border took about 6 hours including all of the stops, which meant that any sleep we got was sitting upright in the crowded bus. Definitely different from any of our other weekends, maybe better because we didn’t have to plan anything but also maybe a bit more hectic. Once we got to the border around 8:30, we got off the bus and ran into six more MIT GTL students that had booked the same tour as us! We really do just continue to run into so many people we know here. The border crossing was a bit slow because we were with such a big group, but it was relatively easy. You basically have to go through security to leave Israel, and then you do this three minute walk along this path that isn’t really in any country, and then go through security to get into Jordan. Another stamp in my passport!

Once everyone was through security, we headed to our first stop, which was lunch in a beachside town called Aqaba. Kareem, our tour guide, brought us some traditional Jordanian breakfast treats called kinaffeh. It was super tasty. On the way there, we stopped along the highway to get out at a viewpoint where you can literally see Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Israel. It was a massive version of four corners, except with the Red Sea in the middle. It was absolutely stunning. We got back on the bus and headed to lunch at one of the resorts in Aqaba, which was super good. We also walked to a little beach there and got to put our hands in the Red Sea.

Once we fished lunch, it was a two hour drive to Wadi Rum, which is a massive desert where they filmed the Martian, Indiana Jones, and some of Star Wars. I fell asleep as soon as we got on the bus and woke up when we entered the gates into Wadi Rum. I can’t even describe waking up and looking out the window to see these massive rock formations and the wide open desert (even though Marie was still passed out). We got off the bus and hopped into the back of trucks, where we sat on benches as drivers took us into the desert. People next to us were doing donuts, racing, and enjoying the space. We also passed by plenty of people on camels.

Our first stop was at a rock. I know it sounds kinda silly but this is the best way I can describe it. The rock was really big and really cool. First thing our tour guide did was advise that we take our shoes off, which was really a good idea because there was so. much. sand. We climbed up the hill to get to the rock, where we spent the next half an hour taking pictures, admiring the view, and going even further up. I did lose a fight with a rock and ended up on my back on the ground stuck between two rocks. I managed to scrape up my left arm and break every single nail on my left hand, but you should see the rock. After plenty of insta-worthy photos and comments about how cool everything was, we headed back down the hill. On the way back to the truck, we stopped in a tent for some tea. The most common tea in Jordan has a really distinct flavor, kind of like a super concentrated lemon and honey cough drop. It was really good though. While people shopped around for scarves and bracelets and attempted to figure out the conversion between the Jordanian Dinar and USD, I played with a little cat named Moo Moo. He was soooooo cute, and curled up right next to me as I drank my tea.

Once people were done shopping, we hopped back in the trucks and headed to our next big rock. This one had an arch in it and was great for photos. We also got a big group picture that I think is totally worth of going on the MISTI Israel homepage (Daniel if you’re reading this I hope you agree)!

Up next, you guessed it, another rock! This one was a bit higher up, so we climbed up and sat for about an hour as we watched the sunset. It was just crazy. Between the 12 of us GTL kids, we must have said how much Wadi Rum reminded us of mars at least a thousand times. My high school physics teacher always said it was his dream to have a student be involved with the first human landing on Mars, and I think this is as close as I will get.

Once the sun set, it got pretty cold. They took us back out of the desert and we took our big tour bus to the campsite. After our first weekend in Masada, Marie and I figured we’d be on the ground in tents, but the campground was superrrr nice. We put all of our stuff in what was essentially a hotel room inside a fabric circus tent. The beds looked so comfy, but it wasn’t time to sleep yet. Kareem, our tour guide, assured us that nobody would be asleep before midnight, and it was only seven at this point. Everyone met outside of the dining tent after dropping their stuff off to watch the cooks get our food out of the ground. I don’t know about anyone else, but I had never seen something cooked in the ground like this. When we walked up, we could smell the food cooking and knew it was going to be really good. Two of the staff members swiftly cleared the sand from the top of the compartment and lifted the lid to reveal our food. After that we hopped in the dinner line and feasted. Everything was so good. We had lamb, chicken, pasta, hummus, veggies, pita, and a bunch of other stuff. And the most exciting part? They had dessert! In addition to some chocolate cake, they had this orange gelatinous jello-looking stuff. It was super tasty, but I don’t think any of us actually knew what it was. I still don't. Maybe I should look it up?

Anyways, after dinner we had what Kareem called a “Jordanian Rager.” We moved to this large circular room with a bunch of benches around the edges and carpets and pillows for sitting in the middle. After some awkward standing around, the party turned from a middle school dance into a real Jordanian rager. The men that were DJing came out, grabbed our hands, and pulled us into a big circle to dance. I would not consider myself a good dancer. Like not at all. Like if you could be dyslexic with your feet I would be. It took all of my concentration just to learn the two steps of the dance and then to do it while walking in a circle and swinging my arms. It was a little hectic but I think everyone managed to get the hang of it. Our next dance still involved moving in a circle, but you faced inwards and clapped at a person that went around the inside and clapped back at everyone. Once we started the dance, the Jordanian man next to me pulled out a long black cape and put it over my shoulders. He motioned towards the middle of the circle and I got right in. It was so much fun. Once I made my way around the circle I passed it off to the lady next to me and she went around. We also did the Macarena, but I don’t really know if that's a traditional Jordanian dance or not.

After dancing, we hung out, listened to music, and chatted with everyone. Once it was a little bit later, the room started to clear out and Kareem took us stargazing. It was amazing. There’s no light pollution in Wadi Rum, so you can see every star in the sky. We attempted to name some constellations, but I think the only ones people actually knew were Orion and the Big Dipper. But honestly that’s more than you can see in Boston 90% of the time so we’re pretty well off. We had an early morning to head to Petra and it had been a long day, so everyone headed to bed after stargazing.

1/28 - pov marie

After yesterday's exhausting day, we slept like rocks. However, we needed to wake up early today because we went on a sunrise camel hike!! I begrudgingly woke up at 6:10 to shower - I was already cold and so I quickly ran to the shower, hoping to have some hot water. Unfortunately, I was very wrong. Our section of tents must have had a water issue because there was no warm water. Instead, I speed showered in freezing cold water. It was not enjoyable, but at least it woke me up.

Lilly (intelligently) did not shower after I told her about the water situation, so we got ready and met up with the rest of the camel group. Kareem, the tour guide, brought us to the same 'field' (not at all a field, but the area of desert) where we had stargazed last night and there were three camels just chilling!!! And then suddenly, a herd of 30 camels appeared out of nowhere. It was crazy.

They started helping us onto the camels one by one; if you have ever seen a camel stand up, you know that they are not the most graceful. They only work in angles: first they lift up their torso a little, and then theirs butts entirely, and then the rest of their torso. Because of this, you just get thrown back and forth. It's quite funny.

Once we were all safely on the backs of our camels, we began the walk. The camels were tied in lines of 4 to 5, and a Bedouin directed them at the front. Although we didn't walk too far, it was gorgeous to see the desert in the morning light and it was so fun to move around on these funky looking animals (added bonus: they sound exactly like dinosaurs).

We stopped at the base of a cliff to watch as the sun peaked over the horizon. Once again, it was absolutely beautiful. Just to add to the vibe, the Bedouins set up a fire and were making tea for us all to enjoy.

After the sun rose, we returned via camel to the campsite and had a delicious breakfast before packing up and leaving for Petra! The bus ride there was about 2.5 hours, and I think everyone slept for most of it. I did wake up briefly to watch the driver beeline up a mountain (instead of take normal but boring hairpin turns) on a dirt road. We did a quick bathroom break at another souvenir shop. Jordanians really are true businesspeople; immediately when we entered, they divided and conquered to try and sell us absolutely everything and anything. Somehow, in the process of trying to buy a scarf, I got myself a Jordanian boyfriend and then he tried trading me for four plates. Rough.

If you ever visit Jordan, know that it is truly a bartering country - everyone in line to pay got vastly different prices. Those who stood their ground and negotiated could bring the price down, those who did not got ripped off...

After this little break, we drove another ~30 minutes to Wadi Musa, the town directly adjacent to Petra. Those that wanted to hike all the way to the Monastery quickly left the rest of the group since it is a very far walk, but Lilly, Kayla, Arya, Rylie, Sari, Sam and I stayed for the guided tour. Kareem walked us through the entrance and the Siq (meaning canyon; the path that leads to the city of Petra), explaining the different ruins and their function and significance; we stopped every 15 feet because there was so much to see and talk about. He demonstrated how they built a water system that would collect rain in the cliffs and filter out any debris. He also applied some beautiful makeup on Arya using the pink rocks to show how women at the time would use the natural resources. Having walked in knowing absolutely nothing about the Nabataeans, it was super cool to learn about their amazingly-preserved city and how they ran it.

At one moment, Kareem asked if we wanted to se a beautiful, 2000 year old woman. He made us close our eyes and then turned and moved us around. When we finally opened our eyes, we could see the Treasury poking out through the cliffs! It was absolutely breathtaking.

Once we got to the plaza, Kareem gave us two hours to explore the rest of the city before lunch. Our group immediately paid some locals 5 dollars to go up a cliff for a fire photo opp (honestly did not need to pay them, we could have just gone up but we didn't know this...). Once we got to the top, it was a speed-round instagram session - I was squatting, blocking the light from entering the camera and the others were taking turns to rapid fire pose. It was ridiculous but worth it because the photos look amazing.

After seeing the Treasury, we continued to explore the city (or as much of it as we could see in two hours). We walked through (I believe) the Street of Facades and saw the amphitheater and a ton of carvings and whatnots in the cliffs. It's kind of crazy because you can climb up on any of the rocks unrestricted, regardless of the giant gaping holes in the ground and the cliffs (this would never fly in the US; wayyyyy too many potential lawsuits). Everywhere you looked, there was something to see: an ancient carving, a beautiful mountain, a random donkey, etc. It's hard to describe but it was absolutely gorgeous.

The other girls started walking back, but Sam and I wanted to run around some more (and were okay if that meant speedwalking to make it to lunch). We went up close to the theatre where some local kids asked if I wanted a photo with my husband (answer: no) and then began climbing some stairs sandwiched between two cliffs. We aren't sure where they lead (but they seemed to go all the way up) but we made it halfway before needing to u-ey to make it back in time.

We met back up with the others, had a delicious lunch and then food-coma-ed it out on the bus ride back to the border. After successfully passing through all of the security and customs checkpoints (and not just abandoning my passport at the xray machine), we got back into another bus and began the long journey to Tel Aviv. In total, I think we did close to 10 hours of bus today... it was kind of awful but seeing Petra and Wadi Rum was definitely worth it. We got back to Tel Aviv around 1:30 am, and then each took our respective taxis back to our schools, where we immediately collapsed and fell asleep.

Overall, an absolutely gorgeous weekend!