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

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

Umgomo wokugcina we-Siq (Siq). Umhubhe omncane wamadwala ngemuva kuka-1.2 km uphelele ngokuzuma—i-Treasury (Al-Khazneh). Hhayi ezithombeni, hhayi emakhazini e-National Geographic, hhayi kumamuvi ka-Indiana Jones—ikhona ngempela, ihlukaniswe ubude obungena emkhiqizweni welanga ovela emkhiqizweni wamadwala, ingxenye ingumbala we-rose gold, enye icashile emthunzini. Othile ngemuva kwami washo ngesi-Arabhu kancane, 'Alhamdulillah'. Ngama ngingashintshi, ngangabaza phakathi kokuphefumula nokubamba umoya imizuzwana embalwa.

Ngemuva kwalokho ngabheka emuva e-Siq (Siq)—umhubhe wamadwala engangisanda kuwuhamba, ogqitshwe yizinsimbi zamahhashi nezinkamela eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezimbili—ngaqala ukukhumbula ukuthi konke kwaqala kanjani.

Emasontweni amathathu edlule, ngangihleli esihlalweni e-Beijing (Beijing) ngibuka umdlalo wokuhlungela iNdebe Yomhlaba. Iqembu lase-Jordan (Jordan) lalibhekene nesitha engingasikhumbuli igama. Isibani sakhanya umugqa—'The Chivalrous' (Iqembu Lamaghawe)—kanye nefulegi engingalazi. Bengingazi ukuthi i-Jordan (Jordan) ikuyiphi, bengingazi ukuthi abantu bakhuluma ulimi luni, bengingazi ukuthi kungani leli qembu lizibiza ngokuthi 'Iqembu Lamaghawe'. Ababukeli babecula iculo lesizwe elingahambisani, ikhamera yashaya ubuso bomlandeli wase-Jordan (Jordan)—wayependiwe ifulegi elibomvu, elimhlophe, nomnyama ebusweni, amehlo akhe ayenokuthile engangicabanga ukuthi kuvela kuphela ngemuva kokuwina umdlalo. Angisakhumbuli umphumela womdlalo. Kodwa ngiyakhumbula ukuthi ngavula isiphequluli, ngafaka 'jordan travel'.

I-Amman (Amman) idolobha elakhiwe ezintabeni eziyisikhombisa. Itekisi lisuka esikhumulweni sezindiza likhuphuka izintaba, umshayeli walishintsha umsakazo esiteshini sase-Lebanon (Lebanon) esidlala izingoma ezindala zika-Fairuz (Fairuz), wase esebenzisa uhlelo lokuhumusha engitshela: 'Imigwaqo yase-Amman (Amman) nokubekezela kwabantu base-Jordan (Jordan) kuyinto efanayo—iyazungeza, kodwa iyafika.' Wangishiya emnyango wendawo yokudlela ebizwa nge-Hashem (Hashem)—lena evule amashumi eminyaka engakaze ivalwe, imenyu inezinto ezintathu kuphela: i-hummus, i-falafel, ne-bread. Umenzi wokudla waphonsa inqwaba yezinkwa etafuleni le-plastic, wase esho into eningi ngesi-Arabhu esheshayo. Angizwanga, kodwa umuntu owayedla eduze wahumusha: 'Uthi—qala udle, bese ukhuluma.'

Ekuseni ngomuso ngehora lesithupha, ngangimi emnyango we-Petra (Petra). Uma ungosuku olulodwa e-Jordan (Jordan), kufanele unikeze sonke isikhathi sakho e-Petra (Petra). Ikhulu ngalinye lamamitha e-Siq (Siq) linesimo sezulu esihlukile—ekungeneni kusenomsindo wezivakashi, uma ujula uzwa umoya kuphela nezinyathelo zakho. Emadwaleni kwesinye isikhathi kuvela izindawo zokukhulekela zasendulo nezinsalela zemisele yamanzi, amatshe abunjwe umoya namanzi abe yimisipha. Cishe kumamitha angu-800, umfana wase-Bedouin (Bedouin) ogibele umnyuzi wadlula eceleni kwami, waphenduka wathi: 'Kusondele.'

Ngemuva komgomo ophezulu ekugcineni kwe-Siq (Siq), ngahlala ezitebhisini eziphambene ne-Treasury (Al-Khazneh). Izivakashi zazimatasa ukuthatha izithombe, zifaka ku-Instagram, zihlola amakhasi emihlahlandlela. Umuntu oyedwa kuphela ongazange anyakaze—umfana wase-Bedouin (Bedouin) oneminyaka eyishumi nantathu noma eyishumi nane, egqoke isikhafu esinamaphethini abomvu namhlophe, encike ensikeni. Wangibuka, wase ethatha inkomishi yetiye eshisayo esitsheni sakhe sokugcina amanzi afudumele wanginika. 'Itiye le-mint,' esho, 'ukhuphuke isikhathi eside, amanzi akuphelile.' Itiye lalinoshukela omningi. Ngambuza ukuthi use-Petra (Petra) isikhathi esingakanani. Wathi: 'Ngihlala lapha njalo. Umkhulu wami naye uhlala lapha. Uthi wambona u-Lawrence (Lawrence).' Wabeka inkomishi phansi wakhomba phansi—izitebhisi ezingama-800 eziya e-Monastery (Ad-Deir)—'Uma ufuna ukuya khona, hamba manje. Ntambama kuyashisa.'

Isibhakabhaka sase-Wadi Rum (Wadi Rum) asidingi ubuciko. Umholi wase-Bedouin (Bedouin) wadweba ngonyawo esihlabathini umzila we-jeep wakusasa ekuseni, wase engitshela indaba: Umndeni wakhe uhlale lapha izizukulwane eziyisikhombisa, isizukulwane ngasinye sinikeze ugwadule igama elisha. 'Ugwadule alushintshi,' esho, 'kodwa abalubukayo bayashintsha. Ngakho amagama nawo kufanele ashintshe.' Wakhanyisa isibani sikaphalafini wasilenga ngaphandle kwetende—ukukhanya okwenziwe umuntu okuwukuphela kwakho emakhilomitha angamashumi amahlanu—wase ekhomba ngase-Milky Way: 'Uyayibona leyo mbande yezinkanyezi? Siwubiza ngokuthi 'imivimbo yekamela'. Ngabuka isikhathi eside, ngacabanga ukuthi leli gama linembile kune-'Milky Way'.

I-Dead Sea (Dead Sea) ayinamagagasi. Ungena, amanzi akusunduza ukuba untante, kodwa uma uzama ukuvuka uzwa kusinda kunokujwayelekile—wonke amandla adonsela phansi emhlabeni agxile emaqakaleni akho. Ngantanta emanzini imizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu, ngibuka u-Israel (Israel) ngaphesheya, ngibuka umgwaqo wasogwadule wase-Jordan (Jordan) ngemuva, ngizama ukuhlanganisa zonke izingcezu zohambo lwami. I-Jordan (Jordan) izwe elingenawo uphethilomu kodwa livulele izigidi ezintathu zababaleki. Ikhadi layo yi-Petra (Petra), kodwa ithambo layo ukubekezela. Lokho kubekezela okwenza amatshe abe yithempeli, ugwadule lube ikhaya, futhi isivakashi sibe yinhlonipho.

Ngosuku lokuhamba, ngabuyela kuleyo coffee shop yase-Amman (Amman). Umnikazi wangibona, wanginika ikhofi lesi-Arabhu—elingenashukela, linamafutha aminyene phansi. Wacwilisa umunwe wakhe ekhofini elichichimayo emaphethelweni enkomishi, wadweba umbuthano omncane etafuleni, wathi: 'Lena yi-Petra (Petra). Uzobuya.' Ngambuza ukuthi kungani. Wakhomba ohleni lwemidlalo yeqembu lase-Jordan (Jordan) elalibhulelwe odongeni. 'Ngoba ngesikhathi somdlalo olandelayo wase-Jordan (Jordan), uzowubuka.'