Wadi Rum
Trip Start
Oct 20, 2008
1
24
93
Trip End
Jan 31, 2009
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Wadi Rum,
Jordan
Friday, November 14, 2008
Came to Wadi Rum after 3.5 hours in Diana's car. Drank tea with some of Diana's friends who are ex-pats at separate organizations. Walked in the canyons and watched the sunset in the middle of the dessert.
Staying at a Bedouin camp. The Bedouins built fire in one of the huge tents that can house up to 20 people. The smoke really bothers me. Had chicken with rice and yogurt for dinner. This has been an authentic Bedouin experience, because it's only us at the camp and one of the Bedouins, Salah, is the boyfriend of a close friend of Diana's.
The Bedouin tradition seems to be dying in Jordan. Most of them no longer live in camps, bur rather in villages. The camps are mostly used for touristic purposes. The new generation prefers the Western/urban life style. This is obvious even from their clothing.
Salah: the ex-boyfriend of a close friend of Diana's; wears a t-shirt, jeans and boots, instead of the traditional Bedouin dress; his relationship with his girlfriend was ruined, because the elders didn't allow them to continue without getting engaged; speaks good English; quite handsome with his long hair jelled backwards.
Henrique: late 40s; from Barcelona; used to be a member of Doctors without Boarders; now, works as a consultant for the European Commission; has been based in numerous underdeveloped countries; was involved in a mission in Darfur; was kidnapped by the Liberation Army for 5 days; the kidnapped doctors got so bored that they started playing marbles with dried camel's poop.
