Alison's World & Adrianism: Tribal

Thursday, 27 January 2011

Bedouin Experience in Wadi Rum, Jordan

A Bedouin is any member of a community of Arabic-speaking desert nomads of the Middle East. Ethnically, the Bedouin are identical to other Arabs. Bedouin traditionally have made their living by animal husbandry, and social rank among them is determined by the animals that they herd: camel nomads enjoy the greatest status, followed by sheep and goat herders and, finally, cattle nomads. Traditionally, Bedouin would migrate into the desert during the rainy season and return to cultivated areas during the dry season, but since World War II (1939 – 45) the governments of many countries have nationalized their range lands, and conflicts over land use have arisen. Many Bedouin have since adopted sedentary ways of life; most, however, retain pride in their nomadic heritage.

Wadi Rum also known as The Valley of the Moon is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in south Jordan at 60 Km to the east of Aqaba. It is the largest wadi in Jordan. The name Rum most likely comes from an Aramaic root meaning 'high' or 'elevated'. To reflect its proper Arabic pronunciation, archaeologists transcribe it as Wadi Ramm.

Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human cultures since prehistoric times, with many cultures — including the Nabateans — leaving their mark in the form of rock paintings, graffiti, and temples. As of 2007, several Bedouin tribes inhabit Rum and the surrounding area. In the West, Wadi Rum may be best known for its connection with British officer T. E. Lawrence aka Lawrence of Arabia, who based his operations here during the Arab Revolt of 1917–18. In the 1980s one of the impressive rock formations in Wadi Rum was named "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" in memory of Lawrence's book penned in the aftermath of the war, though the 'Seven Pillars' referred to in the book actually have no connection with Wadi Rum.

When we arrived in Wadi Rum, we were pleasantly surprised to meet Hanim Benziane, a Malaysian living in Doha, with her Husband Karim, and kids, Ryan and Louisa. We had a great night camping in the desert and were visited by wild dogs overnight. The next morning however, we got bogged down in the sand and as were were digging our way out, met some Bedouin, in a 4WD who offered to let us attach our winch to their truck, for a fee.

Desert dining
Wadi Rum, Jordan
21 Dec 08

The desert is one big sandpit
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

Tuah gets bogged down
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

We need to dig Tuah out of the dunes
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

Adrian and his Bedouin friend
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

What's left of what was supposed to be Lawrence of Adrabia's house
Wadi Rum
Jordan

Plants growing in the middle of the desert
Wadi Rum
Jordan

Running wild in the desert
God's idea of a giant sand pit
Wadi Run
Jordan

Nabatean Stone Drawings
Wadi Rum
Jordan

With Hanim, Karim, Louisa and Ryan
Wadi Rum, Jordan

Tribal Markets of the Omo Valley, Ethiopia

The lower Omo River valley in southwest Ethiopia is one of the last unspoiled wilderness regions in Africa. Isolated by the 4500m-high Ethiopian mountain range to the north, the impenetrable swamplands of the Nile to the west and the desert of northern Kenya to the south, the valley is mainly fed by the Omo River which bisects Ethiopia’s largest and most inaccessible parks: the Omo National Park which lies on its west bank and Mago National Park on its east Bank. The valley is also rich in paleo-anthropological fossils; the latest hominid remains to be discovered date back over four million years.

The lower valley of the Omo unlike any other place on Earth has the largest diversity of ethnically different groups in the whole of Ethiopia and possibly in Africa.In an area of less than 15,000 square kilometers more than ten different languages are spoken (excluding dialects ) .Experts believe that for thousands of years it was a crossroads of a wide assortment of cultures where early humans of many different ethnicities passed as they migrated from and to lands in every direction. To this day, the cultures and people of the Lower Valley of the Omo are focus of study for their incredible diversity.

The entire Omo region is inhabited by ethino-cultural groups pertaining to two important linguistic lines: Nilo-Saharan and Afro-Asiatic. The Nilo-Saharan linguistic line includes Bume, Mursi ,and Surma while The Afro-Asiatic line is comprised of Karo,Banna,Bashada,Hamar,and Dizi who are Omotic and Dassanech, Erbore, Tsamako who are Eastern Cushitic .

In general, Omo valley people are structured by the Age-system.This is a system exclusively associated with men, who must pass through several stages from birth to adulthood. The rites and ceremonies determine the progress each male makes with in his group. Child, Youth and Adult are the three main stages of life. Each of these stages brings with it a series of social obligations towards the family and the group, as well as certain advantages or rights.

The fact that the majority of the peoples are herdsmen is a typical characteristic of the Lower Omo region. Livestock not only has economic value, but also social value. It is strongly connected to a network of social relationships that comprises their culture. It is the source of food, clothing, an expression of wealth and Prestige, and also play great roles in an individual’s stages of life like initiation, weddings, etc….

Although, the nomadic ways of life of the region do not allow the development of advanced material culture, it is largely compensated by the exceptional ornamental and symbolic wealth of their decorated bodies. A wide and varied aesthetic culture is reflected on their bodies as an expression of beauty and as a demonstration of messages and signals expressed through scarification paintings, ornamentation, and hairstyles.

We spent a few days based in a Hamer Village in Turmi and although the locals were very friendly, poor Adrian was totally hysterical when we visited the local market. They were used to seeing blacks, they were used to seeing whites, but obviously had never seen brown folk. Hence, everyone was trying to run their fingers through his hair and touch his skin.