Stepping out of the Groove: Gulf of Aqaba and Wadi Rum Desert

We left Petra and headed south towards the Gulf of Aqaba. We settled into a nice spot in the south of Aqaba near the marine park. Our hotel had a pool, breakfast included, and a nice view of the beach and the Sinai. From our perch, we could see the Sinai (Egypt), Israel, and Saudi Arabia (5km to our south). An interesting locale, politically, to say the least.

I knew that the Red Sea and Aqaba were a bit of a destination for scuba diving and Joanie was agreeable to including it on our itinerary so I could squeeze in a couple of dives. The stop in Aqaba ended up being a nice little reset for us in Jordan. Petra and Madaba were both great spots, but very busy. Aqaba was laid back. I did get a couple of dives in and we also did some snorkeling. The highlight was a Lion Fish that Rock and I spotted while snorkeling.

Wadi Rum was our next (and last) stop in Jordan. Wadi is 'valley' and Rum is 'moon'. It is desert landscape, similar in nature to the Colorado Plateau and Utah sandstone country. What was unique about it were the massive sandstone monoliths that dotted the landscape. Huge walls, towers, and massifs, as far as the eye could see. We stayed in a bedouin camp about 6km outside of the only town.

Our day activities included a guided hike/climb/scramble up to a beautiful natural arch; some sand dune surfing on a modified snowboard, a visit to the remnants of Lawrence of Arabia's home, camel riding, and exploring some of the various sandstone canyons. The terrain was really enchanting. It had a powerful feel to the place and it was a nice capstone to our Jordan experience.