Water Adventures in Wadi Mujib
It was almost 5 years ago when I first heard of and visited Wadi Mujib. Having heard that exploring the Wadi is quite an adventure but never having visited it myself, I convinced a friend of mine to join me on an expedition to discover Wadi Mujib for ourselves. However I had no idea that at the end of the winter season’s rains the waters in Wadi Mujib would be quite high so I never expected to have to swim! So when I went to go and pick up my friend to go to Wadi Mujib I wasn’t exactly dressed for the occasion. Sure, I wore Bermuda shorts and a t-shirt but I also wore heavy hiking boots that wouldn’t help in keeping me afloat!
Anyway, I passed by my friend’s house at around 7am and didn’t wait very long before my yawning tousle-haired friend climbed into the seat next to me. About an hour later and we had arrived at the edge of the Wadi Mujib Nature Reserve which is on the shore of the Dead Sea. We paid a small fee to a reserve attendant and walked down to the entrance of the gorge we would be exploring. The entrance to the gorge had a shallow stream flowing towards us and we had to scramble over rocks and climb around the bigger outcrops, but all was well. As we moved on the stream became deeper and deeper until it reached a point were we had to swim against the current. My friend being the very fit person she is and despite wearing hiking boots as well, swam ahead easily whilst having a running commentary with me at the same time. On the other hand I was sinking slowly as the weight of my water-filled boots pulled me down; there were safety ropes attached to the side of the gorge to help weak swimmers but my masculine pride would not allow me to avail of them! Thankfully though, I managed to reach shallow waters safely although I was panting like a mad man by then; oblivious to my distress my friend was walking ahead, looking around herself in wonder and still telling me how glad she was that I had brought her there.
I don’t want to go into any details about Wadi Mujib because I don’t want to diminish any of the enchantment for any first-time visitors. Suffice to say that we spent the rest of the day clambering over little waterfalls, walking along paths through narrow walkways and surrounded on either side by high rocky walls open at the top to the sun and climbing up steep but short rock faces. The trek requires only moderate physical exertion but depending on the time of year and seasonal rainfalls it can get quite difficult. You can also approach the pass we explored from another route, entailing a less tiring but equally exciting experience. The Wadi Mujib Nature Reserve also has many attractions, hiking trails and wildlife which are worth visiting.
last summer I came to Jordan for my summer vacation, a friend took me to that Wadi but we took the long trail… I remember that hike took us around 7 hours to complete… the joy we had that day cannot be described… I was little when my family moved to Canada 15 year ago and I had no idea such places back home ever existed!