My trip to Wadi Rum in Autumn 2019 - before corona

 

Wadi Rum 1963

I try to find some matching picture from now, but I never made any from up so I cannot put here nothing what would show the same motive. This one I put here show almost a little of village, but not so much anyway. Next time I go to Wadi Rum I will try to do something like on this old one picture.

and one other picture from opposite side of the village

This time I arrived to Wadi Rum very late, around 3.00 AM due the hotel which I booked but when I arrived there they had not this room I booked but other which I not liked at all. So I decide me to go right to Wadi Rum even if it was so late. But had no feeling to stay at that hotel when they can't keep free my booking.

I called my host there asked if it is OK I arrive so late and it was no problem. He let open the door into the house and gone to sleep again. So when I arrived by taxi it was only to go in the house and to my room and I was happy to be there, at my second home can I say.

First days I did nothing, stayed in the house with all my friends there I have. It was so nice to meet them again.

To see one new baby, a boy, brother to Ayham who was happy to meet me again.

 

 

 

         and of course also Yara, his cousin. 

She want to have a sister in end of the year and I hope I can be there still when she will be born.

 

 My host arranged the 4x4 for me so I could take a trip around there in the desert, by my self. So next days I was driving there, looking and relaxing.

I like much more such tents than the other like bubbles or like African villages LOL

But there was still not much driving in the desert, I had very little fuel and could not drive deeper, just near the village.
Later I got to know that my host refueled only little with purpose, he did not want me lost there, haha.

Otherwise I did not much, only one trip here and there in the desert, but not alone but with my friends. I like Wadi Rum very much, it is the most beautiful desert I experienced and I saw a lot of other desert in Morocco including Western Sahara, in Algeria, Tunis and also Egypt. Actually even Mojave desert in USA many years ago. But Wadi Rum is no. 1 ☺

here we had a nice shelter because it was blowing quite much and was not so comfortable it sit outside. And from there it was a wonderful view.

so got we even visit of camels - they are so funny animals, I like them but never I sat and rode one. Went not to be like a "stupid" tourist, haha, so I wait when it will be more genuine or suitable. Maybe one day I will do it.

 When my friends not had time due many tourists in theirs camp I did my obligate walk in the desert by my self, by foot. Never I gone so much and so many kilometers at home or somewhere as here in this beautiful place. I had "my own rock" to go to, sit there and look at the life around. Sometimes there were goats and sheep going, or camels, or cars with the tourists, or it was only empty. 

there up on the rock it looks like as it is there a drake guarding and watching over the desert 

 

 

 

 

When I am in the village Wadi Rum I am living in the house of my friends and have there a very nice comfortable room.

 

 

 

So it was the time to go back home. I flew from Aqaba and had nice last view over Aqaba at night.

I miss Wadi Rum and my friends all the time when I am back home and look forward to my next travel which should be in the Spring 2020 and then in Autumn also, but due the stupid corona I have to wait and wait. 

I hope this year 2021 I can finally go there, depending of when I can be vaccinated, but it is going slowly. 

Though fortunately soon it will be and then directly I book the flight and go again. ☺

 

Qasr al-Hallabat, Madaba archeological park, Citadel in Amman, Autumn 2018

Qasr al-Hallabat 

it is located just off the main road about 30 kilometers east into the desert from Zarqa. It was originally a Roman fort built during the reign of Caracalla (198-217 CE) to defend against raiding desert tribes. There is evidence that, before Caracalla, Trajan had established a post there on the remains of a Nabatean settlement. During the seventh century CE, the site became a monastery, and the Umayyads then fortified it and decorated it with ornate frescoes and decorative carvings. Two kilometers past Qasr al-Hallabat, heading east, are ruins of the main bathing complex known as Hammam al-Sarah. The baths were once adorned with marble and lavish mosaics. Today, you can still see the channels that were used for hot water and steam (Wikipedia)

It is located on a hill from where it was a wonderful view to all the holes so it was the perfect place for this castle. It was blowing there too, which was really nice since it was about 42 degrees the very day I was there.

The pictures below are just from the castle, Hamman I didn't see unfortunately due lack of time.

Madaba archeological park

I have been a couple of years ago in Madaba and visited one archeological park, but the other one I had not got time to visit. So this time I was going there to see it also. It was bigger than the first one. And very interesting to see it. There was rest of the road which reminded me very much about Via Appia Antica.

 And I finish this piece with the Citadel in Amman where are remains from the Roman, Byzantine, and Umayyad periods. 

The Citadel itself is located at the top of a hill in Amman, where there are wonderful views of the city which lie on 7 hills just as Rome does. Interesting that both cities do. Though Rome is younger than Amman, I wonder if it was just slumber or ... Quite honestly, I love Roma, but I can't say I even like Amman. But, I've been there just a whole day. Though Rome has much more to offer than Amman. There I was most curious about Citadel. And I got to see that, plus a little more there in Downtown. But that is enough for me. In Jordan there are still so many places that attract me much more and I hope I want to see almost all of them when I go there again.

A little pictures from what i saw down there in downtown.