Two days ago we left Petra to head for Wadi Rum.
The coach took us up through the village to reach the ridge above it and along to a viewpoint over the valley and the Petra reserve from where we collected the bikes.
Traveling along the traditional line of the Kings Highway, traffic was generally light as we climbed steadily through small villages onto the main spine of the country. Wind farms decorated the hilltops and the terrain was generally arid and rocky.
A cafe provided a welcome break from the climbing after which there was a short descent to reach the Desert Highway, the main dual-carriage way through Jordan. Full of speeding lorries, it would be too dangerous to cycle so we jumped on the coach for 15 mins whilst the road descended to the desert plain.
Reaching the bottom, we rejoined the bikes for a loop through the desert. The track was rough and eroded and in places covered by shifting sands, but there was an immense sense of place as we pedaled steadily across the plain towards the hills on the far side. No traffic blighted the calm as we enjoyed the crossing heading to a community centre near some 8th century ruins for a delicious lunch.
Refreshed we picked up a tarmac road and headed back across the plain to complete the cycling for the day. A short coach ride then took us on to Wadi Rum.
Our overnight accommodation had been upgraded- definitely glamping and we spent the evening discussing the Bedouin people under the light of a full moon.
The Oyster Wheel 