Dude, you didn't need to find this out this way...thanks Anna...
But in any case, yes, the story is true somewhat, but no heroics, just ears that work and a curiosity about things that go bump in the night. Or smash, with a yell. But you get the drift--no pun intended. Well, sort of intended...
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Taylor the rescuer
I've been meaning to post this story for several days now - Taylor is the hero of our trip to Wadi Rum.
Let me go back...
Wadi Rum is a part of the beautiful desert in Jordan, made famous in part by the film Lawrence of Arabia, which was filmed there. We spent a day there, and in the evening stayed in a Bedouin camp site. It was all actually very luxurious, with about 20 large, roomy tents, with four beds in each. At about 2 am, the wind started to really pick up, and before long we were in the middle of a huge sand and wind storm, and the temperature was somewhere down near 3 degrees. What had previously been a beautiful clear night, where there were so many stars visible it was astonishing, turned into a howling, cold, dusty, dark night, with all of the stars obliterated.
In the middle of all that, while we were trying to sleep (most people, we later heard, unsuccessfully), Taylor (and note how I only say Taylor... ie not me, nor any of the other 40 or 50 people in the camp), heard a loud crash somewhere outside. He jumped up out of bed, grabbed his headlamp and raced outside.
I thought he was going to the bathroom, rolled over and went back to sleep (in my defence, sort of, I was wearing earplugs...).
It turned out that one of the tents, with its heavy metal poles and metres upon metres of goat's wool (ie heavy) fabric, had been picked up, carried by the wind, and flipped over, leaving the poor couple trying to sleep inside exposed in their bed, with a mangled and broken tent 10 feet away.
Taylor was the only one who heard all this happen, and the only one to be out there with light and to help them. We happened to have an extra bed in our tent, so Taylor brought the couple to sleep there. As the three of them tumbled back into our tent I sleepily rolled over again, wondered who these people were that were now sleeping 3 feet from me, and promptly went back to sleep.
In the morning we learned the names of our new tent-mates, and over the next few days enjoyed getting to know them a bit better. They were very sweet and very grateful to Taylor for helping them out that night. And though it may sound like it wasn't an enjoyable time there, we actually had a great experience, and both would have loved to get to spend more time in Wadi Rum.
Let me go back...
Wadi Rum is a part of the beautiful desert in Jordan, made famous in part by the film Lawrence of Arabia, which was filmed there. We spent a day there, and in the evening stayed in a Bedouin camp site. It was all actually very luxurious, with about 20 large, roomy tents, with four beds in each. At about 2 am, the wind started to really pick up, and before long we were in the middle of a huge sand and wind storm, and the temperature was somewhere down near 3 degrees. What had previously been a beautiful clear night, where there were so many stars visible it was astonishing, turned into a howling, cold, dusty, dark night, with all of the stars obliterated.
In the middle of all that, while we were trying to sleep (most people, we later heard, unsuccessfully), Taylor (and note how I only say Taylor... ie not me, nor any of the other 40 or 50 people in the camp), heard a loud crash somewhere outside. He jumped up out of bed, grabbed his headlamp and raced outside.
I thought he was going to the bathroom, rolled over and went back to sleep (in my defence, sort of, I was wearing earplugs...).
It turned out that one of the tents, with its heavy metal poles and metres upon metres of goat's wool (ie heavy) fabric, had been picked up, carried by the wind, and flipped over, leaving the poor couple trying to sleep inside exposed in their bed, with a mangled and broken tent 10 feet away.
Taylor was the only one who heard all this happen, and the only one to be out there with light and to help them. We happened to have an extra bed in our tent, so Taylor brought the couple to sleep there. As the three of them tumbled back into our tent I sleepily rolled over again, wondered who these people were that were now sleeping 3 feet from me, and promptly went back to sleep.
In the morning we learned the names of our new tent-mates, and over the next few days enjoyed getting to know them a bit better. They were very sweet and very grateful to Taylor for helping them out that night. And though it may sound like it wasn't an enjoyable time there, we actually had a great experience, and both would have loved to get to spend more time in Wadi Rum.
again
For those of you not yet tired of photos of Anna and I standing in front of yet another pile of rocks, here you go. Can't remember where this place was.
Petra by night
Our first view of this amazing place was by candelight. It truly is one of the word's wonders...and incredibly romantic by night!!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Goop-ing up with Dead Sea Mud
Pretty awesome stuff I hate to say. Also, you feel like a 3 year old playing with mud smearing it all over yourself...this was a few hours ago.
Orange blossoms
Anna enjoying an orange blossom today.
This is Anna typing now, saying I think I look like a complete goofball in this picture. Cheesy faces aside, the blossoms really did smell amazing!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
At Cairo International
After an amazing 3 weeks in Egypt, we are now at the airport about to leave for Amman. Yesterday we had a great day touring around Cairo with May and Ayman, followed by another nice evening with Catherine. A highlight from the day was the Khan al Halili market - a bustling, crazy and fun place. Two of my favourite comments were from the exuberant shopkeepers, outside their shops hustling their wares. The first was "I don't know what you are looking for, but I have it! Come in come in!!", to which we burst out laughing; the second was when Taylor and I were stopped, admiring the wall of one of the buildings in the market that was built with a lovely blue marble, and the shopkeeper across the alley said "You like?? You like? I give you good price!"... Not only the shirts off their back but the walls off their buildings...
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Driving lessons
Egyptian driving and road habits in general are quite charming. This is exactly what it appears to be: a man taking his grandmother (who could barely walk) for a walk in the MIDDLE of a divided highway (totally normal by the way). Our driver swerved past at 100Km/hr like everyone else and they made it safely across our lane. Lots more to tell on this front...wrong way on a divided highway, directions while zipping along the highway, etc etc...too much of a list to go into here, but looking forward to sharing all later. It is really quite fun and hospitable despite the initial impression of craziness!
Cairene Catherine
Catherine has a HUGE apartment in Cairo that has been our home base. She has been wonderfully hospitable and it has been super fun to hang out with her in between our jaunts around this great country! Almost feels like we live here somehow. There was even a party there with some Yanks a few nights ago!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
4 statues of Ramses II at Abu Simbel
This very humble man made only four colossal statues of himself on the outside. Inside there are approximately 4 gazillion carvings of himself. Quite elaborate and beautiful, and mostly of the mighty man smiting his enemies.
Nefertari's temple at Abu Simbel
Amazing how Ramses II was able to light the place up like that considering it was built 3000 years ago!!
Unidentified veiled beauty
sitting patiently in front of Abu Simbel's temple to Nefertari--Ramses II's wife.
The Magnificent approach to Abu Simbel
As named by our captain, and it was complete with dramatic music and all. Despite all that Abu Simbel really is magnificent...
These temples and tombs were moved from their original sites when the Aswan dam was built
The tomb of Penot. Pronounce at will as it is likely not right...can't remember the correct one.
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