A Night With the Bedouin
After a long 40 minute bus ride we arrived at the Bedouin tents in the Negev Desert. We were first greeted by a local Bedouin man in the hospitality tent. He served us traditional Bedouin coffee. I know some people like their coffee black, this was probably the most bitter coffee I have ever tasted. While an acquired taste, it was fascinating to try and some even said they preferred it to standard coffee. Ellen, Yosefa, Adam, and Neil even tried their hand at grinding the coffee with the intricate rhythmic pattern used in the traditional process. While we drank coffee, he also shared his family’s history of living in the desert and how things have changed and adapted as many Bedouin have shifted from being nomads to living in a house. One cultural value that really jumped out to me was his sense of duty to hospitality. He explained that he did not care if it was a stranger, a friend, a brother, and enemy, but that they were always welcome in his house. I think this is something we can all really learn from, to see past our differences and treat even strangers or enemies with dignity and respect.
Next we moved on to an amazing meal! In groups of five we shared pita, hummus, salad, rice, chicken, and boiled potatoes. It was more food than I think we knew what to do with. We also of course enjoyed some more traditional Bedouin coffee and tea. Our Israeli friends then surprised us with a night of activities. First they tested our knowledge of Israeli trivia. All I’ll say is there may have been some balloon popping and a lot of pushups involved. The Israeli ladies taught us some traditional dances. Mom and Dad, we finally got to put all of those years of doing the electric slide at Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s to good use; I don’t think we’ll ever forget signing Hava Nagila acapella and doing the Hora under the stars in the desert. Lastly, we learned some traditional Israeli songs in Hebrew. It was a great reminder to look into those Rosetta Stone Hebrew lessons and of course looking into finding that Israeli Pandora station.
The tent itself was unlike anything I have ever experienced. They said we’d be sleeping in a tent but that doesn’t quite do our living situation justice. All 39 of us were in one large open tent, some scorpion, spider, cricket, and ant guests may have also joined us. We quickly set up the provided mattresses and sleeping bags. It was a great chance to bond and connect. Card games were played, stories swapped, and songs sung around a bonfire with our trusty Shorashim guitar. In such a quiet and peaceful place in the desert it was a great chance to really focus on getting to know the amazing people on our trip and enjoy the tranquility that can be found in the desert. After staying in the tent that night, I think Ben Gurion’s dream of settling the desert and making the Negev a prosperous addition to the Israeli state is something many of us found a new appreciation for.
When all of our ghost stories and would-you-rather games ended, we woke up the next day for a camel ride! In pairs, we each rode a camel. I know this was the first time I can recall ever seeing a camel outside of the zoo, let alone riding one! What an adventure! Many of us really connected with our camels and decided to name them with such examples as Camela, Layla, Henrietta, Eziekial, Sinbad, and Daisy Mae. It was quite the experience, from the camel standing up and sitting down, and maybe even dodging some camel spit and snot in between. Overall, the Bedouin tent experience is unlike anything I have ever experienced and certainly something I think we are all unlikely to forget.
Rebecca
