Camp Life

The weather has been cold the past few days. We've even opted to stay in the village during the evenings and play cards or work on the new Sunset Camp website that we're collaborating on. Wind and sand and cold are quite painful. But yesterday morning, the air was still and blue. All I thought about was getting outta the house and going to the camp. So around noon, we jumped into the jeep with Ferris and Abu Ayman and headed out. The sand seemed to feel like sludge under us. I thought maybe it was because of the rain from the other day, but actually, we had a fat flat tire, right under my butt. Was it my tall western weight that did it? We'll never know. So we stopped to fix it. Bailey and I sat down and had a cookie and Emeline walked away from us into the desert without saying a word. We watched her walk until we could barely see her anymore. She doesn't communicate well and leaves us wondering what's going on a lot.
Once the tire was fixed, we had to drive through untracked desert to go get her. Ferris kept his sense of humor and speeded right by her, laughing. Come to think of it, he even laughed when he saw the flat tire. There are no clocks around here. No stress.
Once we got to the camp, Bailey and I started cleaning the tents. Just a few minutes in, Abu Ayman came knocking at the tent and handed us two little glasses full of a thick sludge called coffee. It was delicious, but a bit too strong for us. Nevertheless, we sat around the kitchen shack in silence and sipped. Bailey and I eventually and secretly dug a hole in the sand next to us and buried the coffee. Don't tell!
After we cleaned, Bailey and I got out mattresses that were ripped and sewed them back together. We sat on a pad in the sand, overlooking the Wadi Rum. We talked about people behind their backs and made plans to change my dining room into a Bedouin tent, pricking our fingers every few minutes. Abu Ayman started cooking for the guests with Emeline and Ferris curled up in the sand and slept. A very happy camp!

For lunch, we all sat in a circle and dipped pita in a vegetable and meat mix. Mmmm, so good. Then, Emeline, in her broken English, tells us it's chicken hearts and livers. Oooo. Ok. I continued to eat, although reluctantly, but Bailey went to eating just bread. If we just hadn't know, we would have filled our bellies, no problem. What's so different about eating organs as compared to flesh (ew, gross word)? Why does it repulse me? They both have a function in the body? But when I think of the organs, I think of them pulsating and processing, whereas thigh meat seems like a harvest. I need to get over it if I'm not going to be a vegetarian. I appreciate the fact that Abu Ayman used every single part of the chicken. Nothing went to waste. And he did it with love.
So the afternoon was peaceful and the shadows started to grow longer. Some of the guests arrived from their tour, 4 American college students. We showed them their tents and when I walked back to the common round tent, Emeline was sitting in the sand sobbing. She was incapable of telling me anything, so I asked Ferris to drive us back so I could take her to the Medical Center. I know she'd been having some migranes and figured that's what was going on. Once into town, Mohammed drove us about 5 houses away from his to the small hospital. There was no one in there, so Emeline just layed down and the doctor appeared immediately. She got a shot and some meds and Mohammed put everything under his name so that the whole thing cost only $1.50. The doctor spoke perfect English too. Great facility, funded by the USAID.
Well, I put Emeline to bed and made her drink some water. She's only been drinking tea. Not good. Then, Ferris and I headed back to the desert. We would stop every once in a while, jump out of the jeep and pull dead bushes out of the ground for firewood for the camp. Prickly things! Once back at camp, I joined everyone in the round tent and we talked, ate, and danced to the lute and drum. When I say dance, it's more like an aerobics class around the fire! Not many fancy moves, but you get a workout and lots of laughs. The moon was half full, so I went out and stood on a rock by myself for a while and looked out. I could stay here a long time, I know it. There's purpose and quiet here.