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JORDAN AT THE MERCY OF THE HABBOB
The Wadi Rum desert where Lawrence of Arabia, Red Planet,
Mission to Mars, Star Wars and Dune were filmed
Drinking coffee in Wadi Rum
Between Peter O'Toole and
Omar Shariff
Upon arriving in the Wadi Rum desert, I
can’t help but recall that moment when Pe-
ter O’Toole, dressed entirely in white, blue
eyes, blond hair, stands beside Omar Sharif,
all in black, with jet-black hair and eyes, wat-
ching from the top of a dune as their men on
camels prepare for battle. That scene from
Lawrence of Arabia left me smitten — with
both of them — during my teenage years.
A young man with warm eyes shows us the
face of the real Lawrence of Arabia, carved
into the rock; far less attractive than Peter
O’Toole, let’s be honest. He then offers us a
coffee — apparently, it’s very rude to refuse
— and there’s no reason to: it’s sweet and
delicious.
Wadi Rum, the Valley of the Moon, is the
grand finale of a one-of-a-kind journey. Its
multicoloured hues, rock formations shaped
like curious sculptures, and the murmur of
the wind on the sand make us leap, play, and
feel the privilege of standing on the set of
Lawrence of Arabia, Red Planet, Mission to
Mars, Star Wars, or Dune.
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