Ngentwasahlobo yami yekugcina e-Petra (Petra), umfana we-Bedouin (Bedouin) wanginika inkomishi yetiya — watsi umkhulu wakhe wambona u-Lawrence (Lawrence)

Ngentwasahlobo yami yekugcina e-Petra (Petra), umfana we-Bedouin (Bedouin) wanginika inkomishi yetiya — watsi umkhulu wakhe wambona u-Lawrence (Lawrence)

Umtsetfo wokugcina we-Siq (Siq). Indlela ledvonsekile yemadvwala, ngemuva kwekuhamba 1.2 km, yavuleka ngesikhatsi lesitsite — i-Al-Khazneh (Al-Khazneh). Hhayi etithombeni, hhayi emakhabetheni e-National Geographic, hhayi emafilimini a-Indiana Jones — bekukhona lapho, yahlukaniswa kabili ngumkhanya wekuseni lowavela emkhatsini wemadvwala, ingxenye yinye iba ngumbala we-rose gold, lenye iseceleni. Umuntfu longemuva kwami watsi nge-Arabhu (Arabic) ngephansi: 'Alhamdulillah'. Ngema lapho, ngangabaza emkhatsini wekuphefumula kanye nekugcina umoya.

Ngemuva kwaloko ngabuyela emuva ekubukeni i-Siq (Siq) — lendlela yemadvwala lengiyihambile, lehambiswe yimihambo yemahhashi kanye netinkhomo eminyakeni engemakhulu lamabili — ngacala kukhumbula kutsi konkhe kwacala njani.

Emavikini lamatsatfu ngaphambi kwaloko, ngihleli esihlalweni e-Beijing (Beijing) ngibuka umdlalo wekuhlungela iNdebe yeMhlaba. Litimbe lase-Jordan (Jordan) lalidlala nelinye litimbe lengingakhumbuli ligama lalo. Emkhatsini wekukhanya kwesikrini kwavela umugqa — 'The Chivalrous' (i-Chivalrous) — kanye nefulegi lengingalati. Bengingati lapho i-Jordan (Jordan) ikhona, bengingati lulwimi lolukhulunywa lapho, bengingati kutsi kungani lelitimbe litibita ngekutsi 'i-Chivalrous'. Emhlanganweni bekukhona umuntfu lacula umculo wesive longahambisani, ikhamera yatsatsa buso bemlandzeli we-Jordan (Jordan) — buso bakhe bebupendwe ngefulegi lelibomvu, mhlophe kanye nemnyama, emehlo akhe abe nekutsite lokungenteka ngemuva kwekutsi kuncunyiwe umdlalo. Angikhumbuli umphumela wemdlalo. Kepha ngiyakhumbula kutsi ngavula i-browser, ngafaka 'jordan travel'.

I-Amman (Amman) lidolobha elakhiwe etintsabeni letisikhombisa. Itekisi yatsatsa indlela yekuhamba ngekuhamba esikhumulweni semoyeni, umshayeli wafaka i-radio esiteshini sase-Lebanon (Lebanon) lesidlala tingoma letindzala ta-Fairuz (Fairuz), watsi kimi nge-software yekuhumusha: 'Tindlela tase-Amman (Amman) kanye nekubekezela kwema-Jordan (Jordan) kuyinto yinye — kuhamba ngekuhamba, kodwa kufika lapho kufanele khona.' Wangishiya emnyango we-restaurant lebitwa ngekutsi yi-Hashem (Hashem) — lendzawo lesebente iminyaka lengemashumi lasitfupha, ayivalwa, i-menu yayo inetintfo letintsatfu kuphela: i-hummus, i-falafel, i-bread. Insebenti yatsatsa siphalana se-bread, yasiphosa etafuleni lelimbozwe nge-plastic, yatsi nge-Arabhu (Arabic) ngekushesha intfo lengiyikhulumile. Angizwanga, kodwa umuntfu lowadla eceleni kwami wahleka watsi: 'Utsi — dlala kuqala, bese ukhuluma.'

Ngemuva kwaloko, ngekuseni nge-6, ngema emnyango we-Petra (Petra). Uma ungahlala usuku lunye e-Jordan (Jordan), kufanele unike sonkhe sikhatsi se-Petra (Petra). Likhulu lemiti leliligciwane le-Siq (Siq) linemimoya lehlukene — ekungeneni kukhona umsindvo wevakashi, uma ujula, utiva kuphela umoya kanye netinyathelo takho. Emadvwaleni, ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, kubonakala ema-shrine lakudala kanye nemisebenti yemigwaqo yemanti, emadvwala abunjwe ngumoya nemanti abe sikhumba semisipha. Emkhatsini we-800 m, umfana we-Bedouin (Bedouin) logibele umkhuba wadlula eceleni kwami, watsi: 'Kusondele.'

Ngemuva kwesikhatsi lesikhulu se-Siq (Siq), ngahlala esitebhisini lesiphambene ne-Al-Khazneh (Al-Khazneh). Bavakashi bebamatima kutsatsa tithombe, kufaka ku-Instagram, kuhlola emakhasi emhlahlandlela. Bekukhona umuntfu munye longakatsatsi sentfo — umfana we-Bedouin (Bedouin) loneminyaka le-13 noma le-14, ugcoke sidvwaba lesinemigca lebomvu namhlophe, uncike ensikeni. Wangibuka, watsi watsatsa inkomishi yetiya levutsa esitsheni sakhe se-thermos, wanginika. 'Mint tea,' watsi, 'uhambile sikhatsi lesidze, emanti akho aphelile.' Tiya bekumnandzi, kunoshukela lomnyenti. Ngambuta kutsi uhlale sikhatsi lesingakanani e-Petra (Petra). Watsi: 'Ngihlale lapha njalo. Umkhulu wami naye ulapha. Watsi wambona u-Lawrence (Lawrence).' Wabeka inkomishi, wakhomba phansi — ema-step angu-800 aya e-Monastery (Monastery) — 'Uma ufuna kuya lapho, hamba nyalo. Ntambama kushisa kakhulu.'

Umkhumbi we-Wadi Rum (Wadi Rum) awudingi kubukeka ngekubukeka. Umhlahlandlela we-Bedouin (Bedouin) wadwetsa indlela ye-jeep yekusasa esihlabatsini, watsi wangitsela umlandvo: Umndeni wakhe uhlale lapha tizukulwane letingu-7, sonkhe situkulwane sinike ihlane ligama lelisha. 'Ihlane alitsintseki,' watsi, 'kepha bantfu lababuka ihlane bayatshintsha. Ngalokungako, emagama nawo kufanele atshintshe.' Wakhanyisa lithala le-kerosene, walilengisa ngaphandle kwelikamu — umthombo wekukhanya lowenziwe ngumuntfu kuphela emkhatsini wemakhilomitha langu-50 — watsi wakhomba emkhatsini we-Milky Way: 'Uyabona lowo mkhumbi wetinkhanyeti? Siwubita ngekutsi 'imikhwaja yekamela'. Ngabuka sikhatsi lesidze, ngacabanga kutsi leligama linembe kakhulu kunekutsi 'Milky Way'.

Lwandle lwa-Dead (Dead Sea) alunamagagasi. Uyangena, emanti akusundvuta uye etulu, kodwa uma uzama kusukuma, utiva unzima kunekujwayelekile — wonkhe umtimba womhlaba ugcwele ema-ankle. Ngatsatsa imizuzu le-15 ngintanta emantini, ngibuka i-Israel (Israel) ngaphesheya, ngibuka umgwaco wehlane wase-Jordan (Jordan) ngemuva, ngizama kuhlanganisa tonkhe ticucu talomuhambo. I-Jordan (Jordan) lilive lelingenawo emafutsa, kodwa livule iminyango yalo kubabaleki labangaphezu kwesigidzi lesitsatfu. Likhad lakhe yi-Petra (Petra), kodwa umtimba walo kubekezela. Loko kubekezela lokwenta emadvwala abe yi-temple, ihlane libe likhaya, kanye nekutsi umhambi abe yindvumulo.

Ngelilanga lekuhamba, ngabuyela e-coffee shop e-Amman (Amman). Umnikazi wangibona, wanginika inkomishi yekhofi ye-Arabhu (Arabic) — engenashukela, inesihloko sekhofi lesijulile. Watsi watsintsa emanti ekhofi lawachichima emaphethelweni enkomishi, wadwetsa umjikelelo lomncane etafuleni, watsi: 'Lena yi-Petra (Petra). Uyabuyela.' Ngambuta kutsi kungani. Wakhomba emhlanganweni we-Jordan (Jordan) lowawunamatshelela odongeni. 'Ngobe ngesikhatsi i-Jordan (Jordan) idlala, utawubuka.'