Jordan Bedouin Experience

This past weekend I was in Jordan learning about the desert Bedouin way of life that was lived by the patriarchs. The place is a gorgeous desert environment that is a nature reserve called Wadi Rum. This picture was taken from the visitor's center before we really got started. The mountain is called the Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

Although sometimes stubborn the camels can be a lot of fun.

We rode little Toyota trucks back to the site.

When we first arrived we found out that a baby goat had been born just ten minutes before. This is her first attempt at standing up.

The next order of business was dinner. This poor fella was the chosen beast.

Here is the same sheep about twenty minutes later. I will spare you the pictures in between. I have to admit the slaughter was pretty dramatic with a knife to the throat.

Dinner was cooked in a below ground steel drum. A wood fire was built in the bottom with lots of coals the food was loaded in and in two and a half hours it was all done.

After the rice goes the sheep.

A blanket keeps the sand out.

The sand keeps the heat in. In the desert wood is often hard to come by so fuel conserving cooking methods like this are important.

Some women making flat bread in the traditional way. They stretch out the dough like a pizza crust and then throw it on this hot steel dome. They are really good at the whole process, turning the dough with their bare hands and not burning themselves.

A view of the desert from high in the cliffs.

Sunset at Wadi Rum.

A Bedouin breakfast of olives, goat cheese and flat bread.