Have you ever entered a cafe where you didn’t have to pay to get free beverages and pictures taken? This is a story about a resourcefulness Bedouin who embraced technology like no other.
In the autumn of 2022, my partner and I visited the ancient city of Petra, a half-built, half-carved into the rock city built as early as in the 5th century BC that was the ancient capital of the Nabatean Kingdom. Petra was an important trade center for all sorts of goods, textiles, ivory, and spices from Arabia, Asia, and Africa. Over time, trading grew, so did the city, until prevalent routes started to shift towards the north and the sea, which diminished gradually the city’s power as a trade center. With the massive earthquake that took place in 363 AD, Petra was partially destroyed together with its great water-supply system, which left the city abandoned and lost over time. Petra was rediscovered in 1812 by the Swiss explorer John Lewis Burckhardt, and it has been home to nomadic tribes known as Bedouins since as far back as the 1500s. In 1985, Petra was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, and in 2007 it was named one of the new seven wonders of the world.
The Bedouins are well-known by their hospitality. Before Petra was a popular touristic attraction, people from all over the world went there to stay for long periods of time. Canadians, New Zealanders found home in one of the many cave homes in Petra, stories well captured in books such as Married to a Bedouin and Living with Arabs: Nine Years with the Petra Bedouin. All of them sound so distant and impossible today, when Bedouins primarily live from tourism and learned how to monetize their tents.
I didn’t get to know the Petra of the 1970’s, nor did I stay in a cave for free for a month, but I visited this city in 2022 to still learn an important lesson about Bedouins and life: looks are deceitful, and Bedouins remain to be a resourcefulness as Nabateans were when they built a prosperous city amidst a mountainous desert. Probably only them can live and wander through Petra.
My partner and I had been hiking for over an hour in the heart of Petra city when we arrived at the top of a hill from where we were expecting to see the famous Treasury facade from an angle like no other. Even when touristy, Petra city remains intact and unadapted to ease tourism. It has no walking paths, so you have to hike around rocks and it can be a tiring experience.
Once we reached the top, we saw a small tent with a hand-written welcome message in the entrance reading “Welcome to the place with the best view of Petra“. The tent was built inside a cave and it consisted of four large Bedouin-style reddish carpets extended on the floor and a few large cushions to rest your back if needed. No chairs, no tables, no menus, no loo. I was amazed to think that was the closest I would experience to a Bedouin lifestyle, as it was away from the touristic trap tents closer to the Petra Archeological Park entrance. The kitchen was right away in front of everyone, and consisted of a big pot where the man who welcomed us was constantly making Bedouin tea, a combination of water, black tea, and lots of sugar.
Unsure from where to sit, Muhammad, the man who welcomed us and we just went to the edge of the tent to see the famous Treasury. What an absolute breathtaking view! We took a few selfies, and decided to have some Bedouin tea. Over the tea, we learned Muhammad was the owner of the tent, which his father left him as inheritance. Muhammad climbed there everyday at 6 AM on his donkey, which looked well-cared and relaxed just outside the tent. This man dedicated every day of his life to serve tea and photograph tourists. He never worried about charging for the tea, the entrance to this strategically located cafe, or even upgrading his tent infrastructure. For over 25 years he had subsisted from tourists contributions and he claimed to be a happy man without ambitions of anything else. He sadly didn’t have even visible teeth left and his clothes were clearly overworn, but this was not troublesome whatsoever.
We, of course, paid for our teas. We chose the price, which was pretty much a tip and entirely voluntary, and decided to stay longer on the edge to contemplate the treasure further. We were the only ones in the tent for a while, thus it was difficult to estimate how much money this man could make in a day. When we paid him, he thanked us and immediately after he asked us for our phones, which was strange considering he didn’t even own one! What followed after was a 10 minute photography session with this man, leaving us incredible pics and, as I call them, influencer-style videos from the Treasury facade that we didn’t even know how to do! (I failed as an Instragrammer?) I couldn’t resist to ask this guy how he learned to master these photography skills, to which he just replied: “I understand what tourists want, and these photos will keep Petra close to their hearts“. I was just not expecting this toothless man to be such an expert and master my phone like a professional, and to date I wonder how much he could monetize his business to do more than survive! Yes, I have the capitalist chip so embedded.
It’s astonishing to see how technology has penetrated our societies all around the world. As we democratize access to the Internet and smartphones, social media and digital communication become survival tools for many isolated communities, being the Bedouins one of them. I like to think of Petra as the city that has been lost and found, and it’s ready to welcome the modern world in a different way. True Bedouins are not like the rest of us, they adapt easier, live happily with less, and experience freedom as its best. Every time I feel I’m overthinking a situation or witnessing myself want more, I just ask myself: what a Bedouin would do?
Want to meet another authentic Bedouin? Check this post from NatGeo. If you want to support Muhammad, visit Petra and ask for guidance to follow the path to the highest point from where you can see the Treasury. Curious to know how about your experience, so let me know in the comments!
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