Seeing the Bedouin Fires at Night - Camping under the stars
While this work week has been fairly repetitive, there is nothing to describe the way that I have felt the past day and a half.
The week began with a change - our first day off! Relaxing as that supposedly sounds, there are several things that should be noted about staying in Aqaba instead of going to the desert.
1) It's HOT. Much hotter in town, and much more humid. And there's no escaping the heat, and no breeze.
2) You have to get up EARLIER than usual to get breakfast ready for the diggers. I curse the person that came up with that idea.
3) You work longer, and it's actually difficult to sit still and process finds when you want to work on your square.
Instead of digging, we processed and drew pottery (count sherds, categorize them, find the ones that can be used for dating finds, learning use, reconstruction and location) and worked on small finds (processing items found in your square such as bone fragment, charcoal, shells, coins, etc.)
It's dreadfully hot and really hard to concentrate, but we're allowed to nap until 7:30 after clean-up which almost makes up for it - but not really. Oh well! We stay home 1 of every 3 working days, except Thursdays when everyone goes to site so we can do a tour and describe our own squares. Not terribly exciting, but it means that we get to work in the desert, and I love the workers we interact with.
After Saturday's day off, we were itching to get back on site - which is why, when we were put to work on Sunday and Monday continuing to dig in Mike and Darcye's impossible square, we were ecstatic to Fas Kabir (big pick) rather than collect finds, especially since we weren't keeping anything from that locus (layer) so we were able to move dirt quickly and with as much force as desired. Tuesday was another day off. The rest of the group went to the museum while I kept my friend Ana company on her way to the doctor - she wasn't feeling at all well this week (she's MUCH better now) and so it was time to get checked out. There is a separate section of the hospital for women - with female nurses for each male doctor - where we were able to get tests run, processed, and see a doctor twice all within three hours, including transportation and an hour rest back in our apartments in between tests and results. It was amazing - though hospitals don't sparkle here, they're highly efficient and inexpensive, which was great. Wednesday we were back in the square with Mohammed, and as he had extended a camping invitation to us a few days previous we decided to go with him instead of Salim, especially since Salim's group was quickly becoming massive and totally unrealistic. Khris continued to go with Salim, but Darcye, Mike, Meaghan and I were to leave from site the next day with Mohammed so he could take us to camp. We drove into the desert around Wadi Rum - stopping to climb occasionally while the truck went ahead. We stopped throughout the day, taking time to hike up sites that Mohammed knew as well as I know my own neighbourhood. Knowing that, it made me think that it was a bit like walking around the block; I wouldn’t have exclaimed over every house in Ottawa, and yet every single mountain was more beautiful to us than the last. There was a beautiful sand dune, and I was instructed to sit down, only to realize that I was about to be tugged down the dune by my ankles! It was so funny, and so unexpected, but kind of like toboganning. So silly! On one particular journey, we were climbing up a natural rock bridge, when Meaghan’s pants ripped. We went back to the car for her sewing kit and my safety pins, which I’d fortunately packed after the last day we’d had on site, where a similar thing had happened. While we were adjusting Meaghan’s pants for a temporary fix, a Bedouin gentleman, one of our friend Salim’s uncles, started walking towards us from where he’d been sitting, not too far from the truck. Now in a bit of a pickle, we pinned faster. Finally sorted out, the three girls adventured over a rock face to fix the pants for good. It was absolutely ridiculous.
We ate chicken barbecued over a fire, climbed more, saw amazing views and hiked to watch the sunset while Mahmoud and Arrod set up camp, before driving the truck out to meet us. It was my first time ever riding in the back of a pickup truck, and with bouncy desert roads and Mahmoud's unsteady steering, it was a little terrifying. The sand is extremely slippery to boot, which is unfortunate. As the evening drew on, we climbed under a natural rock bridge-formation to watch the sunset. It was windy and beautiful, and being with friends made it so much better. I don't think I've experienced a quiet like that since arriving in Jordan, and hearing nothing but the wind was an exceptionally beautiful feeling, especially after the clunking noises our beat-up Toyota truck had been making. It apparently has poor steering, clutch, and the key falls out of the ignition - something we didn't learn until later! As the sun was setting, we were briefly joined by Salim's group, who were riding camels to their camp. After they moved on and the sun had fully set, we started driving back. This time, Mike was invited to take a turn behind the wheel. Now, a few things should be noted here as well. Firstly, Mike only learned to drive standard two weeks ago in Sweden and Norway.
Secondly, the sand is SO HARD TO DRIVE IN and you slip all the time. Thirdly, I had no idea if he would be a good driver. Things started smoothly - Mike being a far superior driver to Mahmoud, we felt safe for the first time in that truck. That was, until Mike exclaimed "The key fell out!"
We didn’t realize that this seemed to be an everyday occurrence, which Mike had already witnessed a few times already. We kept driving, a little uneasy now, the car groaning as we ventured uphill. On the downhill, though, we became truly concerned, as the car skidded its way through the sand. Finally, we skidded off the road and the car stalled. I should also mention, the clutch doesn’t exactly work on the car. Though the key was found, the car wouldn’t restart properly, and besides, it was stuck without any traction. So we all piled out of the car to push our way into motion, and after a few minutes it began working and we arrived back at the campsite, seriously entertained. We started a campfire and ate again, though at this point we were too tired to eat but were afraid not to and risk offending our hosts. Then we began singing, chatting, and generally enjoying ourselves. They asked us about songs that we sang, and since no one else had any thoughts (or wanted to sing), I began “Leaving on a Jet Plane” in the middle of the small carved-out hollow where we were sitting. The acoustics were unbelievable, especially when the air around us was so still. Under the stars, it felt magical. When we were thoroughly exhausted and full to the brim with shrek and shai, we prepared for bed, setting up our sleeping bags on what was supposed to be a soft patch of sand (it was not) in the open area outside of the campsite. We curled up next to one another, Meaghan giving fake names to the constellations (Including Madiera, Fas Kabir, etc.), and then me, correcting her as we went (Scorpio, the little dipper, Sisyphus…). We got onto the topic of creation myths, and so I told the story of the creation of the world, up to the birth of Athena. It was really fun, and a perfect way to fall asleep. From the time the sun set, the moon was so bright that it caused visible shadows over plants, and I walked around a few minutes to enjoy the silence. When I settled back into my sleeping bag, it was the first feeling of cool that I’ve experienced since being here. After a sleep on what turned out to be the hardest patch of earth I’ve ever slept on (still, one of the best sleeps I’ve ever had), and then woke up to the sun rising. Unfortunately, couldn’t get back to sleep because it was such a hot day! Until the afternoon, we drove and sat and hiked and drank tea and learned how to play a game much like jacks. It was so much fun and such a great experience. On one hike, Mohammed found a yellow flower and gave it to me for safekeeping. It was such a nice gesture and so filled with friendship. When we finally headed back towards Humayma, we passed a camel skeleton along the road. Mohammed told us it was one of Salim’s uncles camels, which he remembered had died – three years ago. Its bones were bleached in the sun, and it was so surprising to learn its age. The desert really is unlike any other place on earth.Mohammed dropped us off at his cousin’s house, where we sat with his family, eating watermelon and watching his counsin’s daughter, a tiny two-year-old who received more affection from her male relatives than I could have imagined. Granted, she was unbelievably adorable. Mohammed went to get us ice cream and cold water, and arranged for a bus to Aqaba even though it was a holy day. He’d also stayed up most of the night to act as a watchperson.
I should probably mention that camping is one of the most extraordinary privileges, especially since it’s hugely expensive, so it’s by invitation only. Mohammed showed such extraordinary generosity, it was moving. I was so happy to be able to share such a great experience with such a fine friend and good person. He took such good care of us, and it acted as a reminder of how beautifully people can treat one another. We bussed back to Aqaba (by this point, we’d gone a while without any washroom breaks and I was seriously struggling) and Mohammed accompanied us to keep us safe. He was so modest, and repeatedly asked us if we’d enjoyed ourselves and apologized that it wasn’t more beautiful. I kept reassuring him that it was the best day we’d had to date, and it absolutely was. When I washed the clothes I’d worn camping, the smell of the campfire had permeated everything. Whenever I think of campfire from now on, I will remember sitting under those stars and think of the friendships I have formed, the people I have already grown to care for, and the memories from that day that will last a lifetime.
In other news, we had a very strange day today on the dig site, and it was really hot. Hard to concentrate, and there were a few frayed nerves. But tomorrow (Sunday) is a day at home, so hopefully it will be a little smoother and not too tiring. Until next time!