Jordan will always be in my heart as it was my baptism of fire, my very first ride, my very first adventure, we all have our first time don’t we?!
It was going to be my very first desert, and being born in EU you don’t know how it is like.
I always wanted to go, how does it feel the desert ? I wanted to truly understand its mystic and magic. Believe me to start with Wadi Rum is like starting from the top.
At that time, the umpteen movie shot there was released, the Martian with Matt Damon and I was going to ride in this Martian-like redness; whilst I am writing I can confirm the new episode of Star Wars : The rise of Skywalker shows already in the trailer some good locations again in the Wadi Rum!
I was fully aware this was going to be for me a real adventure, my first Arabian horse, first time ever that I would experience real camping in the middle of nowhere and sleeping under the sky; Lots of firsts as you can see and I was definitely up for it and emotional.
This trip was going to change once for all, without realising it then, my way to see life and holidays.
Baptism of fire indeed it was.
It was April and after a long way to get there I experienced also my first time in a Muslim country, landing at local 2 am didn’t help when at about 5 am the muezzin started praying and chanting, from the mosque nearby, literally one hour after I got there. In this state I met my group and got on the transfer to the magnificent Petra, our first stop and no riding day.
I stuck my eyes to the windows and soaked in the landscape of this exotic country, unfortunately whilst taking in all, despite the sleepless night, I saw first thing the drama of plastic everywhere in the fields, the shepherd and their flocks immersed in a beautiful landscape littered with plastic bags and bottles flying in the wind, white blue green flags popping around the countryside.
I will never accept this and will not refrain to write about it, if you love this planet you should react to plastic and the plague that comes with it.
This made aware that traveling is also discovering, observing and understanding and not just holiday. I started immediately with a big punch and I had to get real. Not a Thousand and one Night atmosphere yet!
Finally we got to Petra after a few hours drive and enjoying this magic landscape changing from north to south, from green farmland into a desert and having wowed at some happily "suicidal" camels roaming free along the motorway. We might get here the odd sheep or stray dog there it’s the camel of course!
Petra needless to say is mesmerising; I am not going to add much more as it is up to you to find out.
Its mystery will be all yours to discover and feel! I only suggest to walk as much as you can and try to see it all, it is absolutely worthy to push yourself a bit and keep going.
You will sleep in the local hotel and please get a cab and go to town in the evening and get some local food in one of the many restaurants, it is absolutely worthy!
Not to mention a superb bakery I found that offers the most delicious pastries and baklava you will ever taste, it is as cheap as you can get!
I actually bought some “energy boosters” to munch during the ride…just in case 😉
The morning we visited Petra I chose to enter the site on the back of one of the horses used there for the tourists to feel the vibe, like Indiana Jones.
Not that this impressed me as it is clearly made for people looking to snap cool pictures, yet I wanted to give it a go. The experience was very tame of course, the horse was all the time kept on a lounge by the locals as we were walking down to the canyon entrance, but it did feel cool in the end!
Another highlight was on the way back to the entrance, in the evening, the ride I paid for on one of the donkeys, felt a bit guilty to exploit this strong and stubborn long eared little steed but I truly loved to share a bit of my time with him!
Finally the first riding day arrived and with a bit of emotion for my very first Blind Date, or in technical words, the “matching day” we arrived at the stables and as nervous as I could be I met my steed.
I got separated by the rest of the riders and walked to a secluded pen, and I started to think “oh s**t” , the horse chosen for me was kept separate from the others…why?? …I could see this beautiful slim dapple grey Arabian half stallion tied to a fence, did I say at some point I wanted the crazy one?? I couldn’t remember but have to confess I played it as cool as I could but inside I was more tense than I wanted to admit.
I was probably going to be flying in the Jordan air very shortly and was bracing myself for any possible outcome.
Instead me and Salva-Kiir after a couple of hours of dancing and pulling around started to gel and trust each other, he definitely tried to challenge me and I kept my cool, we became an amazing duo!
I can't forget his spirit and his will to fly, that horse wanted to go and had all the power and speed to do it! There are a couple of episodes where I let him break free and it was pure exhilaration, I admit I am a rider with a passion for speed and full throttle gallops!
The bond with this horse developed a lot in the following days and my will to be with him and look after him grew by the day, he ended up being one of the best groomed horses of the group! I loved waking up after a night under the stars and see him close by.
You will ride and enjoy your horse in this dream like landscape, canyons big red or purple with the walls high up above, towering majestic over the red rivers of sand at their bottoms.
You feel tiny, in awe to the magnificence of the place, immersed in all the shades of red you can imagine constantly changing with the light during the day, from deep yellow and bright orange in the morning to the dark purple of the sunsets.
I cannot find the words to describe the dawns, you wake up and there is no noise , all is quiet even time feels as if it stopped.
One morning, all of a sudden at distance, stark against the backdrop of the red rocks, a ghostly white camel appears moving, slowly as camels do, nearly floating, in this calmness, soon followed by others through the canyon and you just sit in your sleeping bag and soak it all in, because you know it is one of those moments that can last with you forever.
Deserts and Wadi Rum in particular will gift you with moments that cannot be forgotten and will be part of you forever.
You will experience for a few days the life of Bedouins, sitting on the colourful mattresses and carpets laid on the most improbable places in the desert, that carpet will be your nomadic home, the place where to stop eat and rest.
You will sip tea or snack on labneh and pita bread or just eating a piping hot dish of spiced chicken and vegetables, cooked freshly for you in the Bedouin style whilst sat in the most majestic restaurant you will ever sit in.
The food is definitely special and filling whilst the camp fire is roaring and you are resting from the long hours on the saddle lost in the night and the Bedouin guides improvise a chant and some music to fill the silence with desert voices.
The going of the ride is fairly relaxed with the exception of the fast, electric gellops, riding an Arabian horse is always exhilarating! Like Lawrence of Arabia or a Jedi you will fly through the desert, and you will definitely feel it even more real as you will visit one of his places!
I loved the mad energy released during the gallops that we were allowed to take, in some specific and safe stretches in the desert with the right terrain, and feeling Salva-Kiir becoming a furious ball of gasoline ready to explode forward.
Another special memory was the day the couple of Saluki pups, that were always with us, saw a desert hare and the male went for it, to see this dog hunting and chasing the prey at full speed in the Wadi was something spectacular.
We stopped the horses for a while to follow the show and see the speed, focus and agility being deployed at maximum capacity by this lightly built breed!
As elegant as they are, you cannot imagine what they are capable of! Definitely worth being there, but after waiting for a while the young boy came back empty “pawed” but exhausted as you could tell, he did give it all!
We saw him then curling up by the truck and rest in the shadow for the rest of our lunch break.
But believe it or not the most unforgettable adventurous experience I had was the rain storm that hit us one night!
A proper Tempest in the middle of a desert! How crazy is that?
Wild wind built up slowly but inexorably after dinner roaring through our camp, buckets of thick and dense rain suddenly where thrown at us furiously and relentlessly for hours, that night I will never forget.
It was pure adventure in its own right!
None of us managed to sleep, I was in my sleeping bag tucked on a wide stone ledge suspended a couple of meters above the sand and the camp below, covered by a huge stone overhang.
When the storm, thundering and flashing ferociously started unfolding before our eyes at the horizon we prepared for the worst and about midnight it hit us like a fury. My sleeping bag slapped violently by the gusts of winds was flapping incessantly around my feet I started moving like a worm as far away from the edge and into the most protected part of my “balcony with a view” and avoid getting soaked or better inundated. I managed to stay fairly dry but the noise was deafening, those in the tents instead had the issue of keeping the tents up and steady under the pummelling of the raw elements, not easy.
The horses went mad and were neighing and mine of course was the only one who managed to panic enough to pull away from his ties and ran around the camp in terror and excitement. It goes without saying that our guides spent the night awake to keep the horses under control and they did manage really well despite it all. No horse got lost or managed to escape in terror.
The morning after, was definitely “ the day after” sort of scenario, stuff scattered around some of the tents flattened, nobody looked fresh and happy and the temperature was not pleasant, the sky still heavy with rain but luckily it started quickly to open up and by lunch we were all back to normal even if knackered.
Once the food was gone we inevitably fell asleep, or tried to before the afternoon ride. In hindsight it became without a doubt the story to tell. A rain storm in the desert
If this is not adventure….
Another moment to remember was the climb to the highest part of the Wadi Rum to see from the top the border with Saudi and admire the huge expanse of the desert opening up before our eyes.
We parted with a lovely refreshing tea and fruit served back at the stables and we spent most of our time staring at horses returned to the comfort of their pens and enjoying once more a good happy roll surrounded by their friends ..except mine of course back on to its ivory tower! 😊
I wish I didn’t have to say goodbye to my beloved Salva – Kiir
Last leg of my trip to Jordan couldn't be anywhere else than the Dead Sea where I finally could wash away all the sand and float along in the sea relaxing and enjoying La dolce vita at least for one day!
Notes:
Do not forget a sheep skin for your saddle as Arabian horses can be dancing/jogging “a lot"; my lesson is never again without one!
Finally enjoy the moments you will share with your horse , my favourite was the "rolling” time, happiest moments and part of our routine at the end of each ride!
This is the desert of fairy tales, of movies, a unique place on planet earth that inspires the imagination, that makes you dream of other universes, romantic heroes and asks to be admired in awe for its stunning scale and beauty. This is Wadi Rum.
Hard Facts
Ride: over 150Km, long hours, medium to fast;
Horse ridden: Salva Kiir, Dapple grey Arabian Stallion
Horses: 5 stars, you need to be a good rider and be able to know what you are doing when on the saddle;
When: April 2017
Food: 5 stars, always freshly cooked and warm, vegetarian catered for;
Landscape: 5 stars
Camp comfort: 4 stars, no toilets, portable shower very basic;
Organisation/Team : 5 Stars
Logistics: 5 Stars
All text and photos by Veronika Strange
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