The adventure began the minute our guide Atif turned on the engine and the truck started moving through the desert sand.
Pavel and I sat in the back, happily bouncing around, grinning and doing our best to hold on to the metal rails as the truck made its way across Wadi Rum.
It seemed as though the entire desert belonged to us. For a while, there was no one else in sight.
The sand was golden yellow now as we drove deeper into the desert, leaving our camp and the familiar landscape around it behind. Huge rock formations filled the horizon ahead, growing more imposing as we approached, only to give way to others farther ahead.
Atif zigzagged between them, following routes through the sand that I couldn’t see, and as the sand grew softer and deeper, we occasionally had to jump out and help push the truck free.
After driving for a while, a small structure appeared ahead of us, tucked against one of the enormous rock formations.
From a distance, it looked almost like a large tent standing alone in the desert. As we got closer, I could see that it had a solid roof, but hardly any walls. They rose only a couple of feet from the ground, with long pieces of fabric hanging down from the roof to enclose the space.
As we entered, it surprised me how cozy and welcoming it felt inside. Colorful cushions covered the low benches, and the air smelled of warm tea and sweet perfume. A small collection of merchandise was arranged on a table near the entrance.
This was Lawrence’s House.
The owner offered us a cup of tea and invited us to sit and rest for a while.
While we drank our tea, I wandered over to the table with merchandise to find the source of that sweet scent. Among the items for sale were tiny decorated tins filled with solid perfume. I opened one and immediately loved the fragrance—soft, sweet and floral.
The little tin was too beautiful to leave behind, so I bought one and tucked it away with my things.
Our next stop was Um Fruth Rock Bridge, a natural stone bridge stretched high above the desert floor. Unlike the quiet places we had visited earlier, this one was busy. Several groups had arrived at the same time, and people were already making their way up the rock.
There was no actual trail to the top. Instead, we followed a worn route across the sandstone, smoothed by countless feet climbing the same way before us. In places it was steep enough that we had to use our hands, but it was quite manageable.
Once at the top, we took turns walking across the arch and posing for photos while our guides took pictures from below.
From there, we could see the trucks far below and the sandstone walls rising all around us, making it feel almost as though we were standing inside a canyon.
Getting back down was a little tricky. From above, I could see just how steep the route we had climbed actually was. The sandy ground suddenly looked a long way below.
Back in the truck, we continued through the desert until Atif stopped beside a small sandy cliff. Another group was already there, clearly for the same reason. Atif pointed to the cliff and said we could jump off it if we wanted to.
Pavel and I didn’t need much convincing. We ran to the edge of the cliff and jumped. Flying through the air made me feel like a kid again, and I immediately wanted another turn.
We scrambled back up the cliff and convinced our guides to join us. All four of us ran and launched ourselves into the air together while a man from the group that had arrived before us took a picture. Then we did it again, and again, and again, until the sun started to set and we were urged back into the truck so we could return to camp before it became too dark to find our way.
As Atif navigated his way back, we sat quietly and watched the desert begin to change. The bright afternoon light was fading, and the first colors of sunset were spreading across the sky.
Safely back near camp, we climbed onto a large rock to watch the rest of the sunset.
As the sun sank lower, there was a strange feeling of finality to the moment, and a little sadness too. Our adventure in Wadi Rum was coming to an end, and I already missed it.
I secretly hoped that we would come back here one day.
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