Cycling in Jordan
Lara Dunn saddles up and bikes from the
Dead Sea to the Red Sea
Jordan is a great place for beginner divers to experience the Red Sea
Think of a beetle on its back, legs
waggling uselessly in the air, trying to regain control of its forward
locomotion. Right now, that beetle is me, struggling to maintain anything
resembling a straight line, as I cycle across the soft sand of Wadi Rum – ‘the
valley of the moon’. This UNESCO World Heritage site in south Jordan is
cherished for its red sands and huge, bizarre granite and sandstone rock
formations rising from the valley floor, but I’m finding it hard going.
the
soft sand of Wadi Rum – ‘the valley of the moon’. This UNESCO World Heritage
site in south Jordan is cherished for its red sands and huge
It’s the final day of my amazing journey,
cycling 280 miles across Jordan from Madaba near the Dead Sea in the north to
Aqaba at the Red Sea in the south. It’s been a physically challenging trip, but
one where every single detail is indelibly imprinted on my memory. I guess
that’s what travelling by bicycle is all about.
During my week here, I’ve experienced the
rural landscapes of the Old Testament and the castles of the Crusades. I’ve
visited Mount Nebo where Moses died, bobbed about like a cork in the Dead Sea
and watched from the back of the van as others viliantly pitched themselves
against a brutal 25km climb from the Dead Sea (at 400m below sea level) up to
the crusader fortress at Kerak (some 930 metres above sea level)… and failed.
Eyes closed in the ruins of Herod’ Castle at Mukawir (where John the Baptist
lost his head), I’ve drunk in the silence punctuated only by birdsong and the
faint rustle of the wind, the Dead Sea a hazy smear on the horizon below.
The
Memorial Church of Moses on Mount Nebo
Staying in the home of a Bedouin family, I
was shown hospitality unlike any I’ve ever known, including a delicious
traditional cardamom coffee that signified I was welcome and that the host
would lay down his life to protect me! Sitting cross-legged in a circle on the
floor of the tent to eat (with our hands) a traditional meal of meat and tangy,
creamed rice was a great way of getting to know the rest of the group I’m
travelling with. Seven professionals from the UK and Scandinavia, my fellow
travellers and I were all looking for a trip to test our strength and stamina
while getting a unique insight into an unknown culture.
the
home of a Bedouin family
The landscape under my wheels has changed
constantly, too, from rolling agricultural land, to the furnace-like heat of
the Dead Sea road, through broad valleys complete with grazing camels, along
some of the most exciting and scenic off-road trails I’ve ever ridden. And
that’s all before I reached the heart of the desert itself. I brought my own
mountain bike on the trip but you can hire one there, and a support vehicle
travels with you, carrying your bags and – occasionally – you and your bike,
too. Our accommodation has varied each night – usually simple, small local
hotels – but always comfortable. We’ve been constantly accompanied by children
calling out ‘hello’ and ‘welcome’ and refreshed with endless glasses of the
local, delicious sweetened sage-perfumed tea, which tastes so good after a day
of sweating in the saddle.
A welcome rest came in the form of a day
exploring Petra, the ancient lost city. It was crowded but undeniably amazing.
The unique architecture, hewn from the bare rock walls of the canyon, shifts
subtly in hue with the changing light and the crowds of donkeys and camels make
it easy to imagine the hubbub and bustle of this once important city.
The
ancient city of Petra
The cycling has been varied, exciting and
at times exhausting, especially this section through the desert. As I look back
on the trip, it’s not just a taste of history, culture and adventure I’ll take
away with me, but magic and memories to last a lifetime.
