On day two in Wadi Rum, we focus on hiking.

But first, a few more desert highlights in the morning:

The color of the sand occasionally shifts from pale to orange, like in the image below — a rainbow of desert hues.

Eid shows us more stone carvings from centuries ago.

What do you think this one looks like?

Then he shows us how his ancestors made soap using the leaves of a specific plant. He plucks the leaves, crushes them with a stone, adds water, and a minute later he’s lathering his hands with fresh soap.

We break for Bedouin tea at this camp.

Eid grabs some desert brush to start a fire so he can cook lunch.

Lunch time!

This meal is insanely good — our guides wrap eggplant in foil and put it in the fire, then make a baba ganoush dish that I can’t get enough of. Plus more fresh veggie stew (with whole cloves of freshly cooked garlic!) and tuna.

Our next activity is something I did yesterday with the U.K. girls (in the shade), and we return again today (in the sun).

Check out this giant land arch, the Umm Fruth Land Bridge. Those brave enough can climb up and stand on top.

Navigating the cliff is a challenge because it’s nearly vertical. There are a few toe-holes, but proceed with caution.

Here’s a shot going back down. Doesn’t it look scary? But I do it twice and it’s super easy the second time. The trick to descending is to walk like a crab on all fours and keep your center of gravity low.

I made it!

When I return the next day with Nadjah and my tent-mate Ashley, it’s even more spectacular because the sun is out.

Nadjah and Ashley:

And here’s me… I’m the queen of the world!

Our afternoon plan is to drive to the southern end of Wadi Rum and tackle a tough hike with rewarding views at Jebel Al Hash (jebel means mountain in Arabic). Nadjah will lead us to the top.

More stunning scenery from our drive to the mountain:

Our “road”:

Here’s Eid, looking sharp in front of his vehicle. The red-and-white checkered head cloth is traditional Bedouin attire.

I’m surprised to spot a handful of tents with the acronym UNHCR, which stands for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — the U.N. Refugee Agency. While Jordan hosts tens of thousands of Syrian refugees near that border in the north, I didn’t realize that Bedouins may also qualify for these tents?

Here’s Nadjah, our intrepid driver, guide, host, and occasional chef. He is the real deal!

We drive down a narrow canyon and literally park as close as possible to the start of the hike.

Nadjah insists on carrying our water. Ashley and I both say no, we can do it… until we get to the first nearly vertical climbing wall and gratefully pass off our bottles. Nadjah’s right — we need both hands for this.

The next 90 minutes of climbing is so intense that I don’t even have pictures — we just keep moving up, scrambling over rocks, and trying not to lose our balance. Ashley and I agree that it’s harder than we expected (and not for anyone with a fear of heights), but we are rewarded with jaw-dropping views at the top.

And that’s Saudi Arabia in the distance.

Here’s Ashley:

Now we jump!

Do you know how happy it makes me when photo subjects want to play around and pose for shots like this? It’s so much fun.

One more close-up of our star guide:

Then we rush to get back down the mountain before sunset. The way up was so steep that I’m nervous for our descent, but it all goes smoothly. The moon rises as dusk sets in, and I’ll share those photos — as well as other phenomenal desert sunsets and sunrises — in tomorrow’s final Wadi Rum post.

Green Desert graciously hosted my two-day visit in exchange for photography services. Opinions are my own and I have no hesitation in saying this Wadi Rum experience is truly fantastic.