From a goat hair tent. Today, we met Ali, our Bedouin guide for the Jordanian desert.

Bedouins are nomadic Arabs that historically lived in desert regions. Though, don’t let that simple description fool you. Today, some desert-dwelling Bedouin have cell phones and jeeps that bounce over desert dunes. Not all Bedouin have remained in the desert. Many have moved away from their rural roots in favor of city-life.

We started our morning with a visit to the Sheikh. Sheikh is an Arabic word that means elder -- the elder of a tribe or a wise man. The Sheikh, like other desert-dwelling Bedouin, lives in a goat hair tent. The floor of the tent is little more than thick carpets placed over the red sand. Beds are thin cushions that are placed on the carpet floor. In periods of rain and cold, these tents and personal belongings can be easily moved - often to seek shelter in a cave.

We shared a cup of tea with the Sheikh and his family. Jordanians serve tea to welcome people. Served in small cups, it’s typically sweet and infused with mint or herbs.

After tea, Ali arranged for us to share a traditional Bedouin meal with a local family. On the menu - mansaf - a local delicacy of goat cooked with a special yogurt sauce. The head of the goat is placed in the center of the serving platter. As a sign of respect, guests are offered the best cuts of meat. It’s delicious and very filling! Afterward, everyone just laid around as their food digested. It reminded me of Thanksgiving in America and how everyone gets so full on turkey, that they resort to taking a nap afterwards.

After we recovered from the mansaf, Ali showed us some traditional head-coverings. He showed Ben and Jenny how to tie a keffiyah, which can be useful in a windy desert. I also learned a how to tie a scarf to protect my head from the sun and keep the sand from my eyes.

Camels and the Bedouin. To complete our desert experience, Ali took us to meet some local bedouin herders. In the desert, jobs are few and far between. Some Bedouin raise goats, some are tour guides, and, yes, some Bedouin raise camels. Here, camels are a mode of transportation, but they are also a valuable food source. Both camel meat and camel milk are consumed. We were interested in camel transportation -- more specifically, trying to ride a camel across the vast desert landscape. This was my first time on a camel and I had a bumpy start. As you will see from the video, it’s a bit jarring when they first stand up. Also, I was a little nervous with the way my camel kept groaning loudly. Though, I was assured, they just make that breying sound when they are hungry. I must have had a VERY HUNGRY camel!

Tip: To ride a camel Bedouin-style sit in a cross-legged position, like Jenny is sitting in the photo above.

Learn a little Arabic before continuing your journey through Jordan.

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