Harden Of Arabia
Trip Start
May 08, 2006
1
62
108
Trip End
Mar 07, 2007
Wadi Rum,
Jordan
Friday, October 6, 2006
Wadi Rum is where the real Laurence of Arabia happened and also where it was filmed. Said to be some of the best desert landscape in the world, and they were right.
Got the minibus at the insainly hour of 6 in the morning from the hotel (no hostels in jordan). Stupid me forget to pack and woke up at 10 to 6. Crammed some stuff in, the rest i carried in my arms. If i missed that bus i would have to hitch hike, taxi or wait till the next day at 6am.
The minibus went to the main bus area. There was only 3 people including myself. 2 other tourists.
a. Where I stayed
The driver said, we had to pay double price or the bus could not afford to run. Turned out to be only an extra 5 bucks so no biggy. As with most busses around, there is the driver and his assistant. Assistant tried to sell me a tour of wadi rum. I declined choosing to see what i could find. As i wanted to see my options. Arrived after an hour. (Jordan is small). The book says to go to the visitors centre, but the word is to go into the village or get a Bedouin once inside the entrance. The visitors centre wanted 120 oz a night to get driven around the desert and stay in the main tourist camp on the borders of the desert. BS.There was an entrance fee of 2 dinar. I didnt have change so they guy said pay on your way out. So nice in jordan. I forgot to pay though. As i walked through the gate, some guy dressed in business clothes wanted 200 oz a night. A bedouin guy called out to me and i bartered him down to 25 dinar a night. Still a lot but cheaper than anything else.
His cousin came over, Eid. Got in, confirmed the price, he didnt even want to talk about the price. He just said 50 no more. Most jordans dont want to rip people off and only believe in fair deals. Eid showed me around the desert. To Laurence of Arabia Spring, Burdah Rock bridge and a canyon which you are meant to climb inside about 8 metres up a cliff to get to some inscriptions
b. Dessert
. I chickened out while he waited outside, when i came out i said they were great. I did try to climb up, but it got to a point where the cliff leaned backwards near the top. There were groves but i just couldnt do it.Eid was to be my guy for the next two days. Ended up becoming good mates. He is the same age, hes married. Told me a story about how is wife had lost a goat and it ran to his camp. It wasnt like a tour, it was more like him showing me where he lives. He actually just moved into the village now on the outskirts since he got married. But the desert is his home. His parents and sister live in the middle of the desert and i stayed with them. When i arrived around lunch time they were making home made pita bread on the back of a big upside down wok thing. They kept giving me bread. Eid sort of didnt do Ramadan so while driving he scoffed down bread and smoked like a chimney. The best bread ever i think. So hot and fresh. It was amazing to see them make these massive bread things. I asked to take a picture but they said no. You cant take a picture of a Bedouin woman at all. Never ever. Not even next to their husbands or family photos nothing. Therefore you never ever see a family photo or any photos of women. Eid was telling me he has no photo of his wife. I dont have a picture of a single bedouin woman. They dress really nice and look really cool, not like the men who dress so so
c. Me on the Rock Bridge
.The place i stayed was made of Goat hair. I dont have any close up pictures beacause taking my camera out was almost like taking out a gun. Everyone got really uncomfortable. Sucks though.
On the first night, Eid said i was lucky, beacause all the neighbours had been invited over for a party. Eid and his massive family, (everyone is related) killed a goat. It was really bad, you heard bahhh bahhh, bahhh beerrrrrrrrrrrr.... i tried not to watch. Lets just say I wont be eating lamb for a long time. They skinned it, pulled out its guts, took of its head.
The whole afternoon on the first day was spent going around inviting neighbours, who were k's away to dinner. Also searching for his uncle, who being a bedouin (desert people who move around) had moved to better grazing land. All i did was drink bedouin tea. I love it. It almost tastes like cinnamon! Its different to anything else!
At night there was about 80 people in this tent about 12 metres wide. Half were kids. I was the only westerner. I taught these 5 boys how to play cricket
d. Yet more Dessert
. They even built a bat. I used my tennis ball from Mongolia which a little girl took home!! It was hard to teach a game without any english at all. All sign language. Good practise for tennis coaching i think. Was a bit frustrating because you go Howzz that!! and hold up 1 finger and they go ahh 1 more go. Had to modify the game to wherever the ball stopped you get to through at the stumps, (no running mode). A table was used as stumps. Trying to explain that you had to bowl and not chuck was hard, they couldnt get bowling at all. They did massive winding motions.Two sisters came down to play, i had to put my camera away. No pictures the boys said. So wierd. I pointed for the girls to play. They said no girls allowed to play. I realised it really is a mans world over here. I said fine took the ball then no play at all then. The girls were reluctantly allowed to have a bowl and a bat. The girls were better then the boys. Better timing and could actually bowl.
The men sit in one side of the tent and the women on the other. With the divider in between. The women sit in whats called the harem. i made the mistake in the arvo when it was just me, eid and his sister and mum. Eid had to go do some stuff. He pointed to a cushion on the mens side. I didnt want to be antisocial so i grabbed the cushion and sat with his mum
e. View from Eids Range Rover
. She said no no you go on that side. I learnt then that there was a mens and womens side. I sat by myself for half an hour so wierd.The big feast was unimaginable. There were dates which tasted alwful (my first date). There was home made juice and more and more Bedouin tea. Everytime you finish one of their little mini glasses they fill it up again. Dinner came out. Made by the women. Two big plates on big truck tires and a smaller plate on a car tire. I ate on the smaller plate with the kidies and a couple of adults. On the plates was the home made bread base with a mountain of rice and meat from all parts in the centre. I didnt want to eat the meat but they took bits of and put in front of me. It was an amazing experience. Pitch black, and everyone going nuts. No forks, spoons, chop sticks. Just hands. The right hand not the left. Left hand taboo!. I couldnt get the rice from the plate to my mouth, its so hard to eat rice with your hand. Luckily the floor is sand so you just chucks sand over it.
The men told me to go to the big plate. In the centre was the goat head, with meat placed in its mouth. They took meat out of its mouth and handed it to me. I struggled to swallow. Suddenly everyone was done and i was still going. I thought there is so much food left
f. Bit different to the snow at Berchesgaden
. Eid asked me to finish as the women were waiting to eat. I was like the women havent eaten yet?? They eat after the men. They get the dregs. After all the men have put their hands in the food and taken the good bits the women get the crap. So bizarre.All the men go and pray together to as the sun goes down. Would have been another great picture but not appropriate.
I had some chats about life to one of eids uncles and talked random broken english talk to his cousins and nephews and stuff. Didnt say a word to the women.
At night the moon lit up the desert. I passed out and woke up to this bedouin standing near me with the moon light around him. Was surreal. Slept under the stars and his mum chucked a blanket on me some time in the night. Was cold but warm under the blanket.
Second day was spent driving around the desert a bit more. All we did was say hello to people and drink tea. So much tea. Eid gave me his robe to wear and his bedouin knife. I put on my keffiah i bought in Amman. His family members loved it
g. eids car
. Couldnt stop laughing. His uncle went and got his knife. Apparrently if you are both wearing knifes it means who have to fight! He wanted me to fight him but i said its ok old man, just look at john battam.In the arvo Eid took me to his house in the village. Watched Swiss Family Robinson. He ironed me one of his robes and gave me some white pants. Said i could keep them. Great guy Eid. We went to his wifes parents house for dinner. Not and fancy house at all. Just wallks and cushions. Men sit in a seperate room. His wife sister walked in without her head scarf. Was pretty funny the shock when she saw me. I was the first person eid had ever brought to his wifes family house.
Me and Eid walked around the town of Aquara. Not a tourist town at all. Nothing in english. No westerners at all. I had my rob on and my haviannahs. Got so many looks. Was told to say i was Nos Bedouin. Half bedouin. We went to the chiken shop. Where i was traumatised. There were live chickens in cages. It was terrible. They take the chicken out, hold it by its wings, the chicken makes this sound like oww oww oww oww. They take it to the counter and then bammm chop. I almost vomited. Then they turn on a machine that sounds like a band saw, it rolls all its feathers off. I had to walk out
h. We dont like cricket
. Terrible. I did not eat any chicken that night and have not since. Luckily there were some good spinach pastries called samalahs or something like that.I didnt take any pictures of people really. Felt like i was a guest and not a tourist so didnt feel comfortable pulling out the camera.
Ended up sleeping at Eids wifes families house. Stayed up late talking with his mates. They were playing all there ring tones. I got out my mp3. Eid listened. Elvis came on. Eid had no idea who Elvis was. Never heard of him. He asked if i had any arab music. We went to the music store there. Everything is in tape!!! TAPE! i couldnt believe it. Eid knew who 50 cent was, michael jackson and bob marley. I gave his funny goofy friend a listen of eminimen beacause he was a big 50 cent fan. He thought it was disco music. He was dancing funny stuff.
Left the next morning after an amazing couple of days. Got the minibus with Eids brother in law to the town of Aqaba. I found out how lucky i was in Wadi Rum. Other people had been and gone with Bedouins and not stayed in the desert with the family, but had stayed in tourist camps. I got an amazing experience. No other tourist gets to eat with their hands! Promised Eid i would come back one day.
