Desert nights

This was the singular experience we were the most excited about. Spending the night under the stars in the middle of red sands of Wadi Rum!

After being picked up from the village we arrived at our camp just in time to witness the magic of the sun setting on the horizon. We spent two nights there and both sunsets were amazing!

People gather on the nearest rock elevations and just silently contemplate at the yellow, red and orange rays as they come down over the desert mountains and red sands. Sure, a lot of people break out their cameras for the moment but there is a general sense of communion while looking at the sun which is quite magical.

As the shades take over, people then gather outside the main tent waiting for dinner to be served. It is an amazing thing to have people from all over the world just sitting down and sharing their experiences over sweet tea on the desert. Australians, Spaniards, Americans, people travelling alone, people with families, just sharing their time and enjoying the moment. Both nights it was the same and it was pretty fantastic.

It then continued throughout dinner. People simply continue talking to each other while they have their chickpea soup and until the main dish is served. That is when the show begins. 

Using the natural resources of the desert, the Bedouins cook a traditional dish called Zarb. This is essentially a barbecue over hot coal dug onto the ground and it is delicious! At the camp, we were shown how it looks while it is taken out of the ground and it was actually quite interesting to see.

And as good food and good company must be celebrated, we then danced!

The host put on some traditional music and invited the people to join him while dancing. It’s a bit like follow the leader, the Bedouins show us the moves and then we repeat it but it just made the experience all that much merrier. 

The night then coming to a closure, our host invited us to go with him into the desert. He took us a little outside the camp and its lights, sat us down and  before telling us stories about the desert he told us to just sit silent for a moment. Again, it was a sense of communion under the stars. Just feeling the tranquility of this remote place…

After everyone left, we actually just stood there and took a moment to be there by ourselves. A precious moment.

As magical as the sunset was, morning brought with it the sunrise. We were sleepy, it was actually chilly and there were not too many people up to see it but it sure was another spectacle. Suddenly from behind the hills there was an explosion of sunlight and warmth. A thing of beauty.

Because we were there two nights, we also got the chance to see this sunset, dinner and sunrise cycle twice and it left us with a reflection regarding our hosts. They seem to live in a loop.

Every day they see people go by, serve the same food, dance the same dance and tell the same stories to wide eyed travelers. Same as we have ours, this is in fact their jobs but unlike most of us, they are expected to be exotic and smiling all the time. It cannot be easy and I respect them all the more for it.