Married to A Bedouin

With the Writer

When I had an opportunity to visit Amman, Kingdom of Jordan, I was so lucky that there was a book signing of “Married to a Bedouin”, written by Marguerite van Geldermalsen based on her own true story.

I have read “Married to a Bedouin” and I find it inspiring. And why? Because I never thought that traveling could change one’s life so dramatically. Marguerite, a New Zealander from Dutch parents, traveled to Petra in 1978. She then fell in love with her tour  guide –Mohammad, converted to Islam, married him, and gave birth to three children.

She lived in a cave with him, fetched water by donkey, and lived like a Bedouin. She experienced many things: cultural shock, spiritual journey, finding the key of real happiness, and so forth. It is a very intriguing story that can make you think deeply and laugh out loud as well 😀

I admire Marguerite’s braveness. Her decision was not mainstream. She proved happiness can be obtained by doing nontraditional and unconventional ways. She has her own way and she made her own history.

Now, Marguerite is not alone. When I visited the Little Petra, I also met a Danish girl who is also married to a Bedouin, lives in a cave, and integrates quite well with the native Bedouins.

You can never imagine what traveling could offer you!

Jordan : Tips and Where to Go

Map of Jordan (source : Lonely Planet)

I love travelling and I would love to go around the world. But previously,  Jordan seemed to be an impossible destination to me. Middle East is always interesting, but somehow I found it a bit difficult, in terms of security and mobility.

Then, my friend, Yana, moved with her family to Amman, after surviving a war zone in Syria. This family is quite interesting. Yana is married to a Turk, whom she met when they studied together in Christchurch University in New Zealand (their story was published in an anthology book in Indonesia ^_^).  Yana has invited me several times to visit her, but because of my study, I had to postpone it.

Long story short, finally I arrived at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman in October 2012. It was almost midnight, so I barely saw anything on the street. As soon as we arrived at her home, I quickly fell asleep.