Have you ever driven with a crazy Bedouin in a four-wheel drive in the desert? If not, you have missed one of the most amazing adventures of your life.
We were staying in Dahab, a lovely spot on the edge of the Red Sea. A tourist spot, which is a Mecca for anyone who likes diving or snorkelling. It was one of the places on our trip when activities were varied and optional. Most were geared to The Red Sea, which has an abundance of amazing coral reefs. I like the sea but I am not that keen on any of the sports attached. I prefer the dry land.
I decided, as there was a number of things to do that were optional, I was not shirking out on the water as I could choose something other than diving or snorkelling.
One of the activities offered was a four-wheel drive trip with a walk through two canyons. That did appeal. It was much more in line with what I liked. I thought there would be nothing in a drive and a walk where I could flunk a test.
How wrong I was! Things that appear to be simple do not always turn out that way.
We went with Adventure Tours. There were two vehicles and I was in a vehicle with seven other people. It was an open backed four-wheel drive with the seats facing inward. Our driver was Farouk Abdul Adala, a Bedouin, and with him was his ten-year old son, Abdulla.
It was Friday, which is a holiday in Egypt – like our Sunday in New Zealand.
Abdulla looked so handsome dressed in a Muslim gown, and head kafih trimmed with lavender. If he had been ten years older, he would have won the heart of any young girl.
Farouk's pride in his son was plain for everyone to see. As well as learning things at school, he wanted to teach him the traditions and heritage of the Bedouin.
He sounded like a model father. It looked as if we would enjoy a great day.
There was only one small thing I had not taken into consideration. When he was behind the wheel of a vehicle, his personality changed!
"I like to be first," he said, with a wicked grin and a gleam in his eye. "I must always be first."
We had to drive about an hour before we turned off the tar-seal and onto a sandy desert and then the fun began.
It was like being with a couple of boy racers in the sand as the two vehicles vied with one another to be first. The sand was loose and soft in places so it was necessary to keep up the speed however; I reckoned that if Farouk had his precious son with him there was no problem.
My grandson Hayden, who drives rally cars, would have been in his element. He would have thought it was the ultimate in absolute fun. I think I show my age, when it comes to fast driving but maybe all this desert was affecting me? I have never laughed so much for ages. They say that laughing extends your life so I am going to live for years yet!
The crowning touch was towards the end when I slid off the seat and into an inglorious heap at everyone's feet.
The desert is incredible, quite different to what I imagined. I thought it would be flat with rolling sand dunes and boring. I was in for a surprise. Sinai and Jordan also have huge majestic and rugged mountains.
The day was glorious with a clear blue sky, which accentuated the starkness of the mountains against the sky. The canyons, perhaps not in the same class as the Grand Canyon in America but quite amazing places never the less.
In the morning, we walked through the Rainbow Canyon. It was tremendously hot but the rocks and pathway so intriguing that I was clicking the camera non-stop. By the time, we reached the end, about an hour and a half's walk in the searing sun, we were quite glad to sit down and rest.
Then we went a further hour in the vehicle, still at break-neck speed, to an oasis where there was an appetizing buffet lunch waiting for us. That was more than welcome and the food delicious.
Refreshed and reinvigorated by lunch and a rest, we set off to walk through the White Canyon. I had thought the Rainbow Canyon would be more exciting but I enjoyed the White even more. It had different and more rounded rock formations, and at one stage, to the utter dismay of one of our group, we had to climb a rock using a rope. I found that easy and fun. Again, the camera clicked away madly. To walk along the track and look up at lofty, rocky mountains was a marvellous experience. In the White Canyon, we had the advantage of it being a little cooler than the Rainbow. The rocks and narrow clefts that we had to squeeze through meant the sun never reached certain places on the track. The respite from the sun was welcome and made the walk most enjoyable.
It turned out to be a fun day and age was certainly not a limiting factor. A grand day and I slept like a log that night. Strange to say I don't even seem to have a bruise to show. Perhaps I imagined the jolting and sliding!
The Bedouin people are fascinating and most follow the Muslim rites religiously. I tried not to enter into a conversation about the Muslim faith but that was not always possible as many are fanatic. It is even more difficult when their English is limited and my Arabic is ziltch! To me is seems all geared to the men, their rights and pleasures.
A man can have three wives but a woman? No, she must be faithful to one man.
One fellow tried to explain to me the reason and further elaborated by saying,
"If one of my wives is sick and not fit enough to be able to reciprocate in marital rights for a period, I can go out and take another wife! However, if I already have three wives I must divorce one before I take another."
It sounded so callous to me. I had to say something back in defence of women. However, the women don't need that defence. It is difficult to tell but they appear to be very happy with their lives.
The Bedouins I met are very friendly and welcome you to their homes. They are offended if you don't go in at their invitation and drink their tea. I am allergic to tea so this did pose a problem for me. I had to sip a tiny bit and when I left, discretely place my glass where it would be least noticed. It is usually not possible to tip some out as the sandy floors of their tents are usually covered with beautiful rugs.
Their lifestyle is so different to ours and perhaps they could teach us a lot about hospitality. I could not imagine myself going out on to the footpath at home and saying to a perfect stranger, "
"Welcome, please come in and share tea with me!"
However, I could not imagine myself sitting around for much of the day, drinking tea, talking or watching television. Like many places, it does not matter how simple their lifestyle, there is usually a small television which they appear to watch avidly. I noticed though, while they did not turn it off, they certainly did not watch it when they had a visitor.
Remember, these are only my impressions that come from the short time I was there or invited into one or two homes.
They have adapted their lifestyle to accept a few modern luxuries that help entertain them in the harsh desert environment they live in, yet at the same time they are determined to preserve traditional way of life.
When one fellow found out I was from New Zealand, he smiled, as if it was a place only in your dreams.
"Ah yes," he said with longing in his voice, "New Zealand. New Zealand is all green but we have all dust!
I enjoyed my time in Dahab even though the local market shops were relentless in their pressure to try to get you inside their small domains. I made one big mistake. One shopkeeper spent a lot of time showing me how he made the picture in his little bottle of sand that they sell to the tourists. I bought one and then he offered me a 'pressie.' They love to give and receive presents. I thought since he had taken the time to show me his craftwork and artistry that perhaps I should give him one of the small New Zealand key rings I had taken with me. Big mistake.
He was overwhelmed and so pleased. "Shu Kran, Shu Kran", thank you, thank you, he said. However, the next day as I went past I was accosted and taken into his shop.
I have friend," he said in the whisper of a conspirator, "he very upset that you don't give him present". It seems they have many friends and when I was finally able to make a hasty exit, I found my only solution to the problem of passing his shop the next and last day of my stay, was to take a detour of three blocks!
Sometimes it is hard to understand a different culture from our own and patience and acceptance of their way is important if you are to enjoy your stay.
After Dahab, we had to cross the Red Sea by Ferry, which was another test of patience especially for our driver and leader. We were at the terminal at 7am and finally arrived in Aqaba (a two-hour trip) at 7pm that night. Then the truck driver had to wait around for his vehicle until midnight, as they would not let the truck go on the same ferry. We were booked to go on a ferry at 11am and it can be a long process as you leave Egypt and cross the border into Jordan but this time they excelled! The actual ferry ride was great but hanging around in the heat all day was not the best. At one stage, we were allowed to sit on our truck but even with all the windows up (the side ones are rolled up) it was very hot. There are hundreds and hundreds that cross every day. Foreigners are given preference over the Egyptians, Arabians, or whatever. They have to wait inside huge rooms with wooden seats. They do have fans going but the noise and heat is terrific. At least we were able to go outside and in the fresh air. At one stage, we were allowed to sit in these big open sheds with hard wooden seats.
I was glad that I only had to sit and wait, and not organise my own crossing.
We stopped at Wadi Rum the next day. I thought it might be a bit like an Oasis but again I was all wrong. We went for another four-wheel drive for about three hours, this time with very little walking and a driver who wasn't crazy. It was in amongst sand hills and craggy mountains. Different from the canyons but great for photos and some fun in the sand.
This trip is certainly great. The people I meet are great, but at this stage, I am not about to trade my lifestyle for that of a Bedouin.
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