Often local women come to me and so we try to talk. But it is difficult as I am unable to learn Arabic. But we gesticulate, laugh and have fun anyway. Unfortunately, I can't take pictures of them, they are Muslims and you can't therefore take a picture of a woman. Most of the time they are shepherds, go with their goats and sheep and then they stay with me to rest and have a chat.
I'm a little afraid of dogs and it often happens that when I come to my place dogs run around there and bark at me, then I just go on and hope they don't bite me. So scared I am. It's just one dog I'm not afraid of, it's my host's dog, but he knows me and just looks at me and lets me in peace and quiet. A really nice dog watching goats and cheep, even if on the picture he was sleeping only.
I have rented the car for a few days to go a little around. For a long time I wanted to see a part of the desert I read about in Lawrence of Arabia's book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom as he rode toward Mecca from Wadi Rum. It was really nothing remarkable, he didn't write much about the place itself, just that he rode camel against Mudawara. So I wanted to go there and see what it was for landscape there.
The road went through the desert of course, but there were some strange surfaces of the sand that I do not know what it could be. Later I asked my host but did not get a real answer actually. But I think that somewhere under the earth there are huge amounts of water, oddly enough. Some years ago I have found an article about it but will not really remember what it was then that I did not pay much attention to it. I tried to find this article, but without success.
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| From the top it looks like this, but when I took picture it was nothing strange to see. |
A little further on I have seen that it was a water treatment plant so it might be true that there are lots of water under the earth there.
That day blew a lot and it started to come up with a small sandstorm too, though it didn't last long.
That day blew a lot and it started to come up with a small sandstorm too, though it didn't last long.
I come to a village called Munayshir. It wasn't big, just a few houses.
After this village it started to become a little unclear how to continue. One road went straight ahead but there it was the boom and it seemed to be closed or what it was. So I gave myself to the right on a narrower road until I came to a village which I unfortunately do not remember the name, but something like Al Zagh or the like. The road split there again, but one ended in the desert and the other began to deteriorate. It began be a little late also so I decided to turn around and go back to Wadi Rum.
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| Gaul Mosque in Al Zagh |
So, at least I have seen the bit I have been thinking for a long time so I was happy in any case.
Unfortunately I did not come so long because apart from to not know which road to take it was still about 1 hours of travel until Mudawara and I started after lunch so I not had much more time to go all the way, of course. Maybe another time I'll do it anyway.
On the way back to the village, I stopped at the train station to look at Hejaz Railway locomotives and wagons. Station is rebuilt of course and there are no remains of the old station. And it is not clear either that there was the station through which trains traveled from Damascus to Mecca.
Anyway, there was a locomotive and a couple of wagons. I wanted to go inside one wagon, but unfortunately it was closed so I got to look only from outside.
Then it was only to go back to the village, but again, on the way I wanted to stay and say hello to one Bedouin family I know well. It is grandmother to one nice little boy living in the village where with his mother and where I am staying when I am in Wadi Rum.
Grandmother have her tent outside the village, she want not live in the village but in tent. In the winter she is staying close the village, on summer she is moving outside to the desert. But it was colder than normal it is this time of the year, so she was still in her winter tent.
And what was´t happen, even if I know I cannot go with normal car in the sand, I did it, thought I can go one little bit for, but - stuck in the sand almost directly. Got to call for help because it was impossible to come out of course.
Next day I was going to Al Humeima. I have been there last year but not saw everything and especially wanted see swimming pool which I missed, including Roman Fortress. But, on some way it is not"allowed to me" to see it.
I arrived there and first I was going to look at those desert kites or also desert stone circles I saw last time, but then I have not been there near, saw it only from there down. But, actually, it was better to see it staying down, when I came up, it was not the same because stones were not so near each other.
this picture I took from down and the circle is perfect apparent
but here, from up, it is nothing to see, unfortunately
but the view from there was fantastic
I stayed a while there up looking over the landscape there and suddenly it was one woman coming to me and began to talk with me. But, this time she could speak a little English so we could talk more than only with hands and so. I had to laugh, I maybe have some magnet or so that almost everywhere I am, women come to me to talk a little.
Like the others so she too was shepherd, had many sheep and goats but even donkeys and I got to take picture of them.
Then it was time to go and find this "famous" swimming pool. I decided me to drive a little further, not go and search after it by foots. It was not so easy to go by foot there and because I got to know it is quite a bit from the Visitor Center. I took the car and continued to drive out and would take one road to left. But it came some car in opposite direction, stopped me and asking where I am going. I explained to him but he said I cannot go there because there are military exercises.
I turned and thought about how to do, if I should give up or try anyway. I have stopped and parked the car and went towards the direction I thought it should be. It was right too so I continued, but then it began to hear different military orders etc. so in the end I gave up for to not get any problems with the military.
The swimming pool and Roman fortress must be there somewhere behind this great area. I don't know what it could be before, giant area it was, surrounded with remains of a wall.
But, I went back to the car and left. Without seeing what I actually went there for this time. But, it will be other times too and I have to succeed, it is said, third time lucky. So hopefully ...
To Ayla - the ancient Islamic city
To see Ayla was also on my list long time ago but first this time I got possibility to visit it. Even if it began a little funny and I thought it will be the same like with the swimming pool in Humeima. I first went by car and google map showed me the way. I was a little surprised because it should be in center of Aqaba, close to all hotels, but google led me far away. Then I arrived at the entrance to Ayla, the old town.
There was a big gate where a guard asking me what I will do there, so I said I want to visit this ancient city. It looked a bit strange, but I thought OK, maybe it is the entrance and eventually I arrive at the old Ayla. The guard let me drive inside saying I have to follow the main street who will lead me back.
I drove and looked for Ayla remains, but I only saw exclusive buildings, boats, maybe golf too, but nothing more.
So I drove further and back to Aqaba center. Parked a car and continued by foot. And followed Google map which this time took me to where I wanted to go, to this Islamic city of Ayla.
There was not much left, but a couple of walls and street with a portal were there so I could imagine me how it could be before. I was glad to be there and see it.
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