Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
delightful and can advise on bike rides, hikes, ballooning and other activities in the local
area. The hike around Lion Mountain (12km, three hours) is particularly recommended.
AHMED OGLA AL ZALABEYH: STEWARD OF THE
DESERT
Until he was seven years old, Ahmed lived the life of the nomad in Jordan's southern desert. His parents were keen
for him to be integrated into the modern world so Ahmed and his siblings donned shoes for the first time and went
to school. Over, a decade later, after attaining a degree in English literature in Amman, Ahmed is back in Wadi
Rum. Describing his four years in the big city as the worst of his life, he is relieved to come home to the desert and
this is where he intends to stay. Newly married and now part of the tourist industry, Ahmed is both passionate and
articulate about his Bedouin roots and he looks forward to bringing up his own family with a firm idea of what it
means to be Bedouin.
What are the best places to visit in Jordan to have a Bedouin experience?
There are many who claim to be Be-
douin but who use the label for commercial ends. If you want to meet the real Bedouin, you must come to the desert
- like here in Rum, or in Wadi Araba or in small pockets of the Eastern Desert. In these places you will encounter
families who know what it means to live in the traditional nomadic way, moving with the seasons.
Where do the Bedouin go to escape the tourists?
Ah, that's easier than you may think! We throw everything into
the back of our pickup truck and follow the camels into the desert, beyond the camps and the car tracks. That's our
spiritual home and we return to it often.
How do the Bedouin find sustenance in the desert?
Livestock are the key to survival. The Bedouin trade among
themselves, exchanging camels and sheep for products such as goat-hair tents, rugs, milk and cheese or items of
hardware from the market.
What does it mean to be Bedouin in the modern world?
Life in the desert is about the basic origins of humanity.
For us this includes the concept of hospitality which runs very deep in our culture. Increasingly, though, thanks to
the need for education and access to better transport, it also means settlement - usually near to the desert's edge.
How will you ensure your children love the desert the way you do?
I will take them, like my father took me, to
all the places where our story can be told. Knowing that our grandfathers sat by this rock or under that tree helps us
connect to the land and ensures our history is passed along.
What advice have you for the tourist wanting to meet the Bedouin?
Don't be suspicious of our motives - just
come and talk, or share tea with us. Yes we want to make a living but we want our culture to be understood more.
Eating
Apart from the good Rum Gate Restaurant at the visitor centre, there are limited eating
options in Wadi Rum. The small grocery stores along the main road through Rum village
