Bedouins…
They are the land, merging into the landscape without borders in a world vast and unforgiving. They abide by nothing but the rains and the sun, sensing their future in the desert winds. But never alone, like the ibex that rely on the protection of the herd, Bedouins have strength through their family, as strong as their connection with the earth.
Traditionally Bedouins have been nomads and shepherds, roaming the land to find better pastures. They depended on their animals for nourishment-meat and milk products from their goats, sheep's or camels and traded for fresh vegetables and fruits. Today most Bedouins are sedentary and many have turned to agriculture, construction and driving for their livelihood but their hospitality and family ties have continued to be a strong part of their lives.
Even as modernity has slowed the wanderings of Bedouin life there still lingers the aroma of tea scented with wild herbs. There are a myriad of ways to prepare Bedouin tea, depending on the wild edible herbs available but sage, available throughout the year and in many parts of the country is often used.
Bedouins have their ownspecial blends of teas that they make from the dried leaves of various desert plants. On special oc
casions, they mix the leaves from those plants with other spices. Many tourists have tea with the Bedouins they meet and then buy the blends to take home as a reminder of their amazing experiences. Bedouin tea is quite expensive because it is scarce. In the United States, dried thyme or sage can be substituted for the Bedouin tea This select blend of black tea leaves and wild desert herbs gives this tea a wonderful aromatic flavor. The nomadic Bedouins traditionally drink this tea "strong and sweet," so it is recommended to leave the tea to steep for at least 5 minutes before removing the bag, and then sweeten.
Basically Bedouins represent he pure or original Arab culture or those things which are particulars of Arab culture e.g. Bedouin people are excellent hosts and are well known for looking after guests and making them feel welcome. This is part of a tradition that has been passed down generation after generation. Firstly there is the famous Bedouin tea, made from tea leaf with sugar, and desert herbs and marmaraya. This gives it a distinctive flavour.It is customary as soon as a guest arrives to get the tea on the fire, whilst sharing stories and news.
To accompany all this hospitality the Bedouin are excellent story tellers, many have stories about how things were in the 'old days'. Most have great stories about their relationships with camels, about amazing herbal medicine cures that they use and about general family life. Many Bedouin people are also great poets, and have a real talent. But this is often reserved for special occasions such as weddings.
Bedouin people are strong advocates of herbal medicine, this was their only source and hope of getting better when was ill in the desert. They have hundreds of herbal cures and medicines, one of the most popular being camels milk. It is used for many conditions including stomach and digestive disorders, circulation problems and bone complaints. In addition they have vast knowledge of the desert plants and what they can be used for. They will amaze you with this, and in Jordan we find evidence of how effectively these cures have worked on people. Our safaris have been developed to provide more an insight into the fascinating life and knowledge of the Jordanian Bedouin and to provide examples of how this knowledge is still used today .
Finally Bedouin people are very open minded to western culture, tourists have been coming to Jordan for over 40 years now. They love to talk about different ways of life and share stories and experiences. The majority of Jordanian Bedouin now depend on tourism to sustain an income for their families.
