Ntambama yami yokugcina e-Petra (Petra), umfana wase-Bedouin (Bedouin) wanginika itiye—wathi umkhulu wakhe wambona u-Lawrence (Lawrence)

Ntambama yami yokugcina e-Petra (Petra), umfana wase-Bedouin (Bedouin) wanginika itiye—wathi umkhulu wakhe wambona u-Lawrence (Lawrence)

Umitha wokugcina we-Siq (Siq). Umhubhe omncane wamadwala wavuleka ngokuzumayo ngemva kuka-1.2 km—i-Treasury (Al-Khazneh). Akukho emithombeni, akukho emqulwini we-National Geographic, akukho kumdlalo we-Indian Jones—ikhona ngempela lapho, isikwe kabili ukukhanya kwasekuseni okungena emfucwini yamadwala, ingxenye ingumbala we-rose gold, enye isecashile emthunzini. Umuntu ongemuva kwami washo kancane ngesi-Arabhu, 'Alhamdulillah.' Ngama ngiyame, ngangabaza phakathi kokuphefumula nokubamba umoya imizuzwana embalwa.

Ngemuva kwalokho ngabheka emuva e-Siq (Siq)—umhubhe wamadwala engangisanda kuwuhamba, owabushelelezi ngezinyavo zamahhashi nezinkamela eziyizinkulungwini ezimbili—ngaqala ukukhumbula ukuthi konke lokhu kwaqala kanjani.

Emasontweni amathathu edlule, ngangihleli esihlalweni eBeijing (Beijing) ngibuka umdlalo wokuhlungela iNdebe Yomhlaba. Iqembu lase-Jordan (Jordan) lalibhekene nomphikisi engikhumbula igama lakhe. Isikrini sakhanyisa ibhena—'The Chivalrous' (Iqembu Lamajaha)—kanye nefulegi engingalazi. Ngangazi ukuthi i-Jordan (Jordan) ikuyiphi, angazi ukuthi abantu bakhona bakhuluma luphi ulimi, angazi ukuthi kungani leli qembu lizibiza ngokuthi 'Iqembu Lamajaha.' Ababukeli babecula iculo lesizwe elingahambisani, ikhamera yagqamisa ubuso bomlandeli wase-Jordan (Jordan)—wayependiwe ifulegi elibomvu, elimhlophe, elimnyama ebusweni, emehlweni akhe kwakukhona into engicabanga ukuthi ivela kuphela ngemva kokuwina umdlalo. Angikhumbuli umphumela womdlalo. Kodwa ngiyakhumbula ukuthi ngavula isiphequluli, ngafaka 'jordan travel.'

I-Amman (Amman) idolobha elakhiwe ezintabeni eziyisikhombisa. Itekisi yagibela intaba isuka esikhumulweni sezindiza, umshayeli waguqula umsakazo esiteshini sase-Lebanon (Lebanon) esasidlala izingoma ezindala zika-Fairuz (Fairuz), wase esebenzisa uhlelo lokuhumusha wathi kimi: 'Imigwaqo yase-Amman (Amman) nokubekezela kwabantu base-Jordan (Jordan) kuyinto efanayo—iyazungeza, kodwa iyafika.' Wangishiya emnyango wendawo yokudlela ebizwa nge-Hashem (Hashem)—le ndawo esebenze iminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi ayisithupha ayivali, imenyu inezinto ezintathu kuphela: i-hummus, i-falafel, i-bread. Umenzi waphonsa inqwaba yezinkwa etafuleni lepulasitiki, washo into ngolimi lwesi-Arabhu olusheshayo. Angizwanga, kodwa othengayo ohlezi eceleni wahleka wahumusha: 'Uthi—qala ugcwalise isisu, bese ukhuluma.'

Ngosuku olulandelayo ngehora lesithupha ekuseni, ngangimile emnyango we-Petra (Petra). Uma ungahlala usuku olulodwa kuphela e-Jordan (Jordan), kufanele unikeze sonke isikhathi sakho e-Petra (Petra). Wonke amamitha ayikhulu e-Siq (Siq) anesimo sezulu esihlukile—ekungeneni kunomsindo wabavakashi, uma ujula uzwa umoya kuphela nezinyathelo zakho. Ezindongeni zamadwala ngezikhathi ezithile kunezindawo ezindala zokukhonza nezinsalela zemisele yamanzi, amatshe abunjwe umoya namanzi abe yimisipha. Cishe kumitha 800, umfana wase-Bedouin (Bedouin) egibele umnyuzi wadlula eceleni kwami, waphenduka wathi: 'Kusondele.'

Ngemuva komzuzu ophakeme ekugcineni kwe-Siq (Siq), ngahlala esitebhisini samatshe ngaphesheya kwe-Treasury (Al-Khazneh). Abavakashi babematasa ukuthatha izithombe, ukufaka ku-Instagram, ukuhlola amakhasi emihlahlandlela. Kwakukhona umuntu owayenganyakazi—umfana wase-Bedouin (Bedouin) oneminyaka eyishumi nantathu noma eyishumi nane, egqoke isikhafu esinamaphethini abomvu namhlophe, encike ensikeni yamatshe. Wangibuka, wase ethela itiye elishisayo emgqonyeni wakhe wokugcina amanzi wanginika. 'Itiye le-mint,' esho, 'ukhuphuke isikhathi eside, amanzi akho aphelile.' Itiye lalinambitheka kamnandi, linoshukela omningi. Ngambuza ukuthi use-Petra (Petra) isikhathi esingakanani. Wathi: 'Ngihlala lapha njalo. Umkhulu wami naye ulapha. Uthe wambona u-Lawrence (Lawrence).' Wabeka inkomishi phansi wakhomba phansi—izitebhisi ezingama-800 eziya e-Monastery (Ad Deir)—'Uma ufuna ukuya khona, hamba manje. Ntambama kushisa kakhulu.'

Isibhakabhaka sasebusuku sase-Wadi Rum (Wadi Rum) asidingi mhlobiso. Umholi wase-Bedouin (Bedouin) wadweba umgwaqo we-jeep wasekuseni esihlabathini ngezinyawo, wase engitshela indaba: umndeni wakhe uhlale lapha izizukulwane eziyisikhombisa, isizukulwane ngasinye sinikeze ugwadule igama elisha. 'Ugwadule alushintshi,' esho, 'kodwa abantu abalubukayo bayashintsha. Ngakho amagama nawo kufanele ashintshe.' Wakhanyisa isibani sikaphalafini wasilenga ngaphandle kwetende—ukukhanya okwenziwe umuntu okuwukuphela kwako phakathi kwamakhilomitha angamashumi amahlanu—wase ekhomba emgqeni we-Milky Way: 'Uyayibona leyo mzila wezinkanyezi, siyibiza ngokuthi 'imivimbo yekamela.' Ngayibuka isikhathi eside, ngacabanga ukuthi leli gama linembile kune-'Milky Way.'

U-Lwandle Olufile (Dead Sea) alunamagagasi. Uyangena, amanzi akusunduza ukuthi untante, kodwa uma uzama ukuvuka uzwa kusinda kunokujwayelekile—wonke umxhwele womhlaba ugxile emaqakaleni akho. Ngantanta emanzini imizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu, ngibuka i-Israel (Israel) ngaphesheya, ngibuka umgwaqo wasogwadule wase-Jordan (Jordan) ngemuva, ngizama ukuhlanganisa zonke izingcezu zohambo lwami. I-Jordan (Jordan) izwe elingenawo uphethilomu kodwa livulele izimboni ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezintathu zababaleki. Ikhadi layo lokuhlonishwa yi-Petra (Petra), kodwa ithambo layo ukubekezela. Lokho kubekezela okwenza amatshe abe ithempeli, ugwadule lube ikhaya, nomfokazi abe yinhlonipho.

Ngosuku lokuhamba, ngabuyela endaweni yekhofi e-Amman (Amman). Umnikazi wangihlonza, wangipha ikhofi lesi-Arabhu—elingenashukela, linomhlabathi omningi phansi. Wacwilisa umunwe wakhe ekhofini elichichimayo emlonyeni wenkomishi, wadweba umbuthano omncane etafuleni, wathi: 'Lena yi-Petra (Petra). Uzobuya.' Ngambuza ukuthi kungani. Wakhomba isheduli yemidlalo yeqembu lase-Jordan (Jordan) ebiposwe odongeni. 'Ngoba ngesikhathi i-Jordan (Jordan) idlala umdlalo olandelayo, uzobuka.'