Yazeed and I started planning for things to do together 6 weeks before I went to Jordan. He lived in Irbid, which was located in the northern part of the country. He suggested we visit places around his area like Umm Qais, Ajloun Forest, and Jerash.
He found me on Couchsurfing and we texted each other every other day before the trip. I could just tell that he and I would get along great because he was very friendly, and a little flirtatious.
Meeting Yazeed
The day finally came. He drove down to Amman to pick me up in a red old BMW that he borrowed from his dad. He looked exactly like he was in picture – bearded, cheerful, and charming. He smelled great too when he hugged me and I could feel his muscles under his shirt. I was already pleased.
We got a couple of Kaek sandwiches and something to drink from the stores, then hit the road around 10:30 in the morning.
He knew I was in Petra before and wanted to hear about it. I told him it was not something worth mentioning. The Siq and Al Khazneh were no doubt magnificent, but for the amount of time I spent in southern Jordan, I could have done a lot more. I didn’t get to see Petra by Night, or Dead Sea, or Wadi Rum desert, or the tiny little old Volkswagen Beetle hotel in Shoubak. The whole experience in the southwest was beyond disappointing, all because I chose to hang out with the wrong people.
Yazeed said he was sorry about what happened and promised to make me a happy girl in our next few days together.
Where were we going?
The conversation with Yazeed flew very easily. There seemed to be endless things that we had to talk about. After we drove for a few hours and started feeling a little hungry, we took out the sandwiches to eat for lunch. They were already cold but still tasted delicious.
“Are we going to Jerash? Didn’t know it was this far,” I thought to myself as I was eating the sandwich.
I had lost track of all the places and things Yazeed said we would see and do for we talked about too many of them. He was in charge of our ultimate itinerary for he knew his country better than I did.
A few more hours went by.
As the air outside started to get dusty, Yazeed asked me if I knew where we were.
“Where are we?” I thought we were going to Jerash but I really wasn’t sure.
“We are entering Wadi Rum,” he said with a sly smile.
“WHAAAAT????”
“How can you come to Jordan without seeing Wadi Rum? This is your birthday present Bettina.”
O.M.G.! This guy drove more than 7 hours down south from Irbid just so I got to visit the desert! I didn’t know what to say. I was utterly excited and appreciative because that was definitely one of the best birthday presents ever (my birthday was a couple of weeks before the trip).
Later I checked the map and learned that Jerash was only 45 minutes away from Amman.
Dah!
The Valley Of The Moon
Wadi Rum was a UNESCO World Heritage site in Jordan. The red desert was referred to as the Valley of the Moon for its space-like landscape. It became well-known after it was used as a filming location of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
The views of the rock formations were already breathtaking before we even got to the protected area. We were stopped by a few tour guides who wanted to get hired, and Yazeed picked the last one that approached us named Ahmad.
We followed Ahmad and seated ourselves in the back of his four-wheel drive. The desert was a wide open space and very windy. The land was so bumpy that we had to hold on tight in order not to fall off the vehicle.
Ahmad stopped the vehicle at a few spots for Yazeed and I to walk around, take pictures, and drink tea in a Bedouin camp.
As we got to a giant sand dune, Yazeed said to me, “let’s go to the top and slide down!”
“No, you go up. I’ll take pictures from down here,” I almost flunked PhyEd in school and wasn’t confident that I could climb up that thing now.
“Bettina, I have been here many times. But you probably won’t ever come back again. This is for you. If you are not going, I am not going.”
I just loved him for being such a positive influence. He was right. What’s the worst that could happen? If I couldn’t get to the top, so what?
We took off our shoes and started hiking up. It was actually easier than I thought. Although I couldn’t make it to the very top, I already felt like I sort of accomplished something I didn’t think possible.
It was about 5pm and the sun was setting. The views from a high point of the sand dune were stunningly beautiful. I felt very grateful for Yazeed really delivered. He said he would make me a happy girl, and I was a very happy girl.
We briefly discussed whether to spend the night in the desert. Since we were not married and wouldn’t be allowed to share a room in the Islamic country, he decided we better head home.
After another 7 hours on the road, we arrived in Irbid around midnight. Quite a few restaurants were still open. We grabbed something to eat then called it a day.
A goodbye with no hug
The plan was to go to Dead Sea the next day, but it started raining non-stop in the morning. We drove around Irbid, hopped between restaurants and cafés just to eat, chat, and laugh. We didn’t do much, but it was simple enjoyment for spending time with this young man was just so effortless.
The trip ended when Yazeed found out that his dad had been admitted to the hospital because of a chronic disease. He wanted to first drive me back to Amman, but I told him to just drop me off at the bus terminal so he could visit his dad sooner.
He asked me to wait in the car as he went in to check the bus schedule. He came back with a ticket and insisted it was on him.
This guy wouldn’t let me pay for anything. When we were at restaurants, he would tell the staff in Arabic not to take my money and make me look like an idiot waiting for the checks at cashiers with my wallet.
But I wasn’t completely stupid. When he left me in the car to go in to the bus terminal, I secretly put some cash in the glove compartment to pay him back for food and drinks and stuff. He was already very generous with his time and I couldn’t possibly let him also spend money on me.
People in Irbid were much more conservative than those in Amman. In order not to offend the locals by hugging in public, we could only look each other in the eye when we said our goodbyes.
Habibi ♥
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