Showing all posts tagged Middle East 🌍

In Wanderlogue

7 Petra Tips You Truly Need but Nobody Tells You About

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7 Petra Tips You Truly Need but Nobody Tells You About

Just like everyone else who travelled to Jordan, I absolutely had to put Petra as one of my major destinations. I spent one and a half days in Wadi Musa where Petra is located, which I believe is proper enough to get the best out of the whole complex – if you know how.

Frankly, I came a little unprepared because the vacation was squeezed between two separate business trips. Hence, I did not manage to research any tips about exploring the site prior to the travel. That, however, led me to asking around extensively instead; from fellow tourists that I met there, the tourism office staff in Petra, to a couple of Petra local guides who were keen on helping me probably simply because they felt bad for this tiny Asian lady travelling alone. Those, in addition to experiencing all the strenuous walk and hike myself, made me come up with these tips I think people should know about to make the best out of their Petra experience.

So, if you are like me, or even on a shorter visit, or basically just want to make your trip as effective as possible, this will be the article for you to read on!

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In Wanderlogue

Satellites of the Skies & Sunrise in Wadi Rum, Jordan (2022)

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Satellites of the Skies & Sunrise in Wadi Rum, Jordan (2022)

The Satellites

It was around 4 AM when I woke up in that modest but properly decorated tent. We were in the middle of a desert, kilometres away from the next nearest accommodation.

By “we,” I mean myself and the landlord’s sibling – just the two of us amid that vast nothingness. He was supposed to be sleeping in one of the other tents, although I wasn’t sure if he was really there, or which tent exactly, in case I needed help with something. All I felt was aloneness.

How could I not? There were zero signals on my phone, whether for regular calls or the internet. I started regretting having paid a ton of money for the SIM card, since for the next couple of days, I wouldn’t be able to use it anyway. With no handy source of entertainment available and the disconnect from the outside world, it felt like the world was on pause. The quietness was particularly the most deafening.

Yes, in that desert, each of the accommodations was spaced out pretty far from each other that you probably won’t be able to spot your neighbouring hostels from where you are staying. My mother would’ve freaked out hearing that I slept in the middle of nowhere all by myself, and having a foreign man nearby that did not even speak any of my languages wouldn’t have helped my case. It’s a good thing I spared these details from her.

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In Wanderlogue

Abu Dhabi & Dubai, UAE (2019)

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Abu Dhabi & Dubai, UAE (2019)

It was around midnight local time, and I remember looking out the window to watch thousands of silver specks scattered among the pitch-black sky for quite some uninterrupted time, feeling at ease. That week had gone extremely fast, and I could hardly believe I was already flying above the Indian Ocean by the end of it. I had no time to process anything, as I was only allowed to make decisions after decisions. And there I was, in that window seat, off to another phase that I was both excited and terrified about.

I tried to record what I was feeling, as those eight hours would be the first time in that week where I got to sit back and not be in a rush. But I could only come up with a tweet draft, which never saw the light of day anyway.

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