Wadi Rum and the Ride Home

Oh my god. I would have written this post yesterday upon my return home, but my blood was boiling and my eyes were drooping too much to compose a comprehensive account.

The night at the Bedouin campsite was pretty wonderful. A full moon shone in a sky dotted with multi-colored stars. The resort-style camp sits in the middle of a nature reserve, solitary and isolated, so no lights spoiled the view. Kajsa, a new friend of ours, and I climbed up a mountain on the side of the camp to see the panorama.

Even though my alarm was set to wake up for the sunrise, I got lazy and slept in. Oh well.

I finally rolled out of bed to eat a delicious breakfast of hummus, pita bread, and the most delicious olive oil ever. Then, we climbed into trunk beds lined with benches to explore the Wadi Rum desert.

We drove away from every semblance of civilization to see the unearthly rock structures and blazing sand.

"Where the heck am I?"

It honestly felt post-apocalyptic. It was about 110 degrees outside, and only lizards and camels roamed the sand.

Hey there, camel

Panorama!

We wandered into a cool, natural cave..

Saw a mushroom-shaped rock...

And beheld gigantic mountains that looked like melting candles.

After a couple of hours of exploration, we jumped into a shuttle to get back across the border through the town of Aqaba. Our driver had some eyebrow-raising comments on the miraculous success of monarchies and interesting observations about his country.

Driver: "The only reason we have peace is because of our king. Monarchies are the best."

Me: 

Mhm okay I see. 

Aqaba was a city in development. Money pours in from Gulf countries and even the United States to build up new housing complexes and city centers. Lots of propaganda spouting from our driver... I couldn't tell if he whitewashing all the problems with this Jordanian city... Or if it really was as perfect as it seemed. We never actually got out of the car, but here's a picture through the windshield.

Aqaba was clean, kind of empty, and lined with palm trees and beautiful buildings. It actually reminded me of Palm Springs sort of! It's hard to compare the places and sights and experiences I have here to things back home; I don't want to "cheapen" the uniqueness and singularity of my time here. However, I do want to try and relate what I see and hear and feel in this region of the world in a way that makes sense. So, there ya go!

Our group made the same walk across the deserted expanse of no-man's-land back to Israel. Kajsa got questioned a little harshly (they asked for her grandfather's name) but I skated across with no issues. 

me #strutting back to Israel

After a quick lunch, Kajsa and I walked to the bus station for our 5-hour bus ride back to Tel Aviv.

Do you really think it was uneventful? Do you?

Kajsa and I sat down in some seats near the front of the bus, and within minutes, a random girl came up and told us to get out of her seat.

Kajsa and I looked around at all the empty seats around us like,

But this young lady insisted we move. And even asked that we show her our tickets to prove we had bought them???!!!

So we got up and sat in the seats right behind her, eyeing her the entire time like--

We settled into our seats for about an hour, picking up a few more passengers as we made our way to Tel Aviv. 

Then--I kid you not--I got roused out of a nap with a tap on the shoulder, and I was told I was in someone's seat.

WHAT. 

Kajsa and I were slightly annoyed--

But we decided that since everybody was so concerned with sitting in the exact seat printed on their tickets, we'd go back to seats 50 and 51, which were the numbers on our tickets. Only... all the seats were full.

And four people were simply sitting in the aisle.

Let me say that again.

Kajsa and I had paid twenty-five dollars each for seats on an over-booked bus.

(Cue the constantly-recurring question of, "Is this abnormal or are we just spoiled Americans?")

How could this be?

Well, when Israeli soldiers are dressed in their uniforms, they're allowed to get on the bus for free. However, this means that sometimes they'll get onboard buses that have already sold out. Meaning that people who paid money for their seats sit in the aisle. 

In. The. Aisle. 

Some guy insisted that Kajsa and I just kick the people in our seats out because "f*ck them," but we realized the futility of this. Everybody would be kicking everybody off until they got to a soldier in his or her seat. So, Kajsa and I decided to bite the bullet and just occupy the floor... Not with any silence or acquiescence of course. Did you really think we'd sit nicely, quietly, lady-like?

Many loud sighs, lots of almost-shouted , open-ended comments ("I guess we will just SIT ON THE GROUND THEN"), and multiple pictures filled the bus as the onlookers sat uncomfortably.

That picture above is Kajsa and me literally laying in the aisle because we were pretty damn exhausted!!!!!!!

Three hours after being resigned to the ground, two people got off the bus, so Kajsa and I sprawled across some seats. 

I got on my next bus--IN A SEAT--and after another hour and a half, I was finally, finally, FINALLY home. I took a quick shower, then passed the eff out. 

Today, I will be sitting on the couch for 12 straight hours because I need to remember what it is like to not sit on a floor. I'll call it a sanity day. Back to the grind tomorrow.

And with that, I end another blog entry and get back to reality. 

With much love,

"My feet SURE ARE SORE" Aubs

Welcome to Jordan: Petra

Kajsa and I began our Jordanian adventure bright and early this morning! We were shooed out of our hostel into the 100-degree heat around 6:30 AM and met with our driver, who took us to the Jordanian border. 

While Jordan and Israel do currently have an uneasy peace, the remnant tension from past wars lingers between the barbed wire outposts in the middle of the desert. Kajsa and I pretty much zoomed through the Israeli side--we ARE practically natives, after all--and we made it to no-man's-land with no problems. We had to walk the 60 meters between the two countries, as no cars are allowed through (as far as I know).

Foreboding!

We were ordered to get rid of all food and drinks between the countries... But I wasn't about to get rid of my freaking fruit leather strips!! A girl's gotta eat! 

So, my bag is rolling through this X-Ray machine, and a twenty-something Jordanian soldier is smoking a cig and eying me suspiciously, and I'm just like--

Of course, I passed through, and snacked on some gummies to celebrate. 

Then there was the two hour wait for our tour guide to actually show up and shepherd us through the crossing... Impatient Aubs gets a tiiiiiny bit sassy, so when our guide finally showed up frazzled blaming traffic, I was like--

But--the wait was entirely worth it. The drive through the Jordanian desert was stark, and towering, and breathtaking. I've never seen a landscape this dynamic and intimidating. And, just some cool historical context, this is where Moses and the Jews wandered during their Exodus!!

I witnessed numerous things on the journey. Wild herds of camels roamed the side of the road (I about died). Men actually DO wear those checkered head coverings (I sincerely thought it was a Hollywood dramatization--it's like going to Texas for the first time and seeing guys wear cowboy hats and boots and being like OMG). 

I got to taste the most delectable olive oil of my life. 

And I listened to our hysterical and overly candid tour guide explain Jordanian culture. He insisted that religious women do not engage in "maneuvers" before marriage because "imagine a man walking into a phone store and they hand him a used phone--blech--you wouldn't want that." I was simulatenously disgusted, horrified, and entertained. 

After this eventful two-hour drive from the border, we arrived at one of the Seven Wonders of the New World: the lost city of Petra!

Built around the turn of the era (aka like 1 AD) by the Nebatians, this city was carved into the red stone of the Jordanian desert. While there are numerous homes that remain, most of the structures are actually unbelievably grand tombs. This culture's emphasis on the afterlife ensured that every individual--including the slaves--found their resting place in rocky tombs. Wow. 

 There's a seamless merging of nature and construction, humanity's will to be remembered and the earth's everlastingness, that I'd never witnessed before. I walked around the entire time with my mouth dropped open.

The main entrance to the most recognizable tomb was called "The Gorge."

The beauty of this place cannot be captured by photographs. But one of the final stops--the Treasury of Petra--almost brought me to my knees with its magnificence and the feat of its engineering. 

Just... WOW. Contrary to its name, this structure hid no money and is just a tomb for a royal family (or so they want you to think....)

From the beautiful city of Petra, we embarked on another long drive to the Wadi Rum desert, where Kajsa, numerous other guests, and I will be staying in a Bedouin camp. Bedouins are nomads who used to trek across the Arabian deserts but have begun to settle down and build towns and villages in the past few decades. Our digs are adorable.

And we hope to catch sight of tomorrow's sunrise from this campside mountain after a good night's rest!

So far, I've loved Jordan. The people, the geography, and the history have bewitched me. Can't wait for tomorrow to explore the desert and the cities!

Your favorite world traveler,

Aubrey

Easy, Not So Breezy Eilat

Kajsa and I spent the day in Eilat, the southernmost city in Israel on the borders of Jordan and Egypt! It was relaxing and beachy and UNBELIEVABLY hot--but getting here was a not-so-welcome adventure.

I had a bus fiasco this morning because duh of course I would, and I ended up showing up for our 5-hour bus to Eilat THREE MINUTES before its departure!! I was so freaking frazzled, but we made it, and I figured that would be the end of the daily drama for transportation.

But life had other plans and was like--

I was seated next to a little boy, maybe 6 years old, who kept yelling and getting out of his seat and being so obnoxious. I'm sitting there like, child, WHERE is your mother to whoop your ass? That's when I knew a) I was raised correctly because the second I even THOUGHT  about stepping out of line, my mother was like--

And I was like,

"What, me, no nothing??..."

And--

b) I'm gonna have the best behaved children on earth, because my children even think the words "what if I..." I will be like--

I figured this mother needed some assistance in whoopin some sense into this boy, but I refrained. For FIVE HOURS. I kept thinkin,

And I think it was only my proximity to the Holy Land that helped me to pass. 

But that wasn't all. At a short rest stop, I lost track of time (maybe since the driver only said the time limit in HEBREW), but after getting cut in line by a soldier with a loaded AK 47 (I wasn't about to question him), being told that the frozen mochas weren't quite ready yet (at 12:30 in the afternoon) and struggling to order some fries at a McDonald's, the ENTIRE BUS was waiting me for me and Kajsa was literally fighting with the driver to make him sit for me a few more seconds. Honestly I shouldve been embarrassed, but I was so frazzled and hungry, I sauntered on like--

And I ate my McFlurry like I had all the time in the world. 

The views, though, were beautiful. 

Beautiful, barren desert. I'm not being sarcastic either--it was stark and intimidating and STUNNING! 

And finally--after 5 hours--

Wahoo!!! Kajsa and I walked a short four minutes to our funky hostel--

--which has lots of abstract art and sculptures that either honor or make fun of religion... I can't quite tell which one. 

Kajsa and I then made our way to the beach in weather that almost cures me of my New England winter PTSD...

WOW. We waded a lot in the Red Sea, which was actually very chilly and perfectly refreshing. Kajsa thought she was gonna melt/pass out; I thought I'd died and gone to a burning heaven.

That last pic is me trying to part the sea--didn't quite work!!

Kajsa and I grabbed dinner, and befriended our waiter, Fauud, who gave us his number in case we felt like raging. Thanks, Fauud, but no thanks. 

It's now 11:30 PM and still about 100 degrees. Thank GOD our room has AC!!!

Tomorrow, we cross the border into Jordan--gonna be amazing!

Tanned and not quite toned after all that pita,

Burnin' Up Aubs

Tired.

The past few days make me wanna--

Let me explain why.

First of all, a hilarious, albeit tragic, sequence of events that I was too ashamed to share with you all a few days ago, but I figure I will now.

I have this cool app on my phone called "TimeHop," which presents me every morning with a summary of every single social media post and text I've sent on that exact day in previous years. So, on July 26, 2015, I got to see the posts from 7/26/14, 7/26/13, etc. etc. And what happened on those days, you may ask?

July 26, 2013: My six month "anniversary" with my ex-boyfriend. Awk nowadays, but sweet at the time.

July 26, 2014: My first ever kiss with a long-time crush. AWHHH. (No, it didn't work out.)

And on July 26, 2015--I logged onto my YouTube account and the first suggested video was titled "Life With Cats."

Life.

With.

Cats.

absolute, utter shock

So, in other words, I'm going to die alone. Where did I go wrong, my dear readers!!???!!

I mean, I'm joking. I know that my single status has allowed me to embark on unforeseen adventures. I'm in a foreign country with zero obligations (except the daily call to my mommy), and I get to explore the world without inhibitions or guilt. I wouldn't trade my lack of a love life for anything.

Still... When I see the daily engagements on my Facebook newsfeed of my high school classmates and college peers, I wanna yell--

Don't grow up, then I'll have to!!!!

But hey--I'm still kind of an adult!! I mean, I woke up early this morning to do dishes, to load some laundry, and to clean up the kitchen. 

I know my mom is reading this right now like, um excuse me? You know how to do dishes?

But because my family left yesterday (which I honestly can't think of right now without tears coming to my eyes), I feel like I possess some responsibility in the maintenance of the house. Michal and I are gonna take GREAT care of this home.

I strolled to the nearby market to buy an ingredient for banana bread, which I planned to make as a nice treat for dessert. 

But let me tell you what being away from home means.

It means staring at a wall of packaged dairy products without understanding any of the package labels since you don't know the language.

It means handing the cashier a 100 bill because the garble of Hebrew that was meant to mean numbers made no sense and you're too embarrassed to admit you only speak English.

It means forgoing any sense of comfort, or ease, or comprehension in order to submerge yourself in confusion and plain idiocy at times for the sake of learning culture and living in an incredible, unfamiliar place.

And I know I'm lucky and that this is an amazing opportunity, and I am taking advantage of every second--but I am exhausted. Mentally, physically, emotionally, psychologically. I feel like I'm always on edge, because I never quite know what is going on around me. It takes a lot of energy! 

Which means... I need sleep. After this next episode of "Army Wives," that is.

Gonna sleep like a rock,

Aubs-a-lot