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WADI RUM
Welcome to Wadi Rum
Around 70 Km northeast of Aqaba lies Wadi Rum, a vast silent place that is both romantic and extremely beautiful. Massive mountains rise vertically out of pink desert sand, which separate one dark mass from another. The faces of these sheer rock cliffs have been eroded by the wind into faces of men, animals and mosters.
Every where in this great and empty place are indications of man's presence since the earliest known time
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As they are known in Arabic, the bedu, or "desert dwellers" endure the desert and have learnt to survive its unforgiving climate.
It is difficult to count Bedouins, but it is generally known that the majority of Jordan's population is of Bedouin origin.
Most of Jordan's Bedouin live in the vast desert that extends east and south of the country, in black goat-hair tents known as
" beit al shaar " or house of hair.
Their traditional way of life, such as constant wandering for pasture and water for the flocks, has been tampered by our modern times, and most of the Bedouins has partly settled down to cultivate crops.
Only a very few can still be regarded as true nomads, but most of the Bedouins have successfully combined the two lifestyles to some degree: they will camp in one spot for a few months at a time, grazing their herds of goats, sheep and camels until the fodder found in the area is exhausted. They will then move on.
The children in age of school will, on the other hand, remain in the stone house that every family has in the village.
The only concession that every Bedouin has made to the modern world is the acquisition of pick-up truck (to move their animals long distances), plastic water container, and sometimes a kerosene stove.
Bedouins are most famous for their hospitality, and it is part of their creed - rooted in the harshness of desert life- that no traveler is turned away.
When invited for a cup of tea, or more often, a coffee, it is very improper to refuse. The tea is very strong and sweet, but the coffee is sometimes a real ceremony. The coffee grains will first be grilled in front of you on the open fire, then grounded with spices (cardamom, cinnamon or cloves for instance), then cooked and served with all the ceremonial, unsweetened and very strong in small cups.
As long as you do not shake your cup from side to side, you will be served again!
But the traditions of hospitality go much further, and the custom wants that any guest receive shelter for 3 days and 3 hours, no matter whom it is. !
The Jordanian government, which in the past promoted the setting of the Bedouin, recognize the unique value of their contribution to Jordan's culture and heritage, and provides services such as education, housing and health clinics all over the desert. However, some Bedouins pass these up in favor of their lifestyle, which has served them so well over the centuries.
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