June 17, 1976 Letter: Part Four Petra

The morning view from the rest house toward the museum and.... Looking down at the grand entrance on the main road into the center of Petra

(Lots of these pictures will enlarge if you click on them)

We got up really early the next day. Jim & Oscar had already gone off, so Carol, Murry & I headed over to the Palace Tombs. On the way a little Bedouin girl came running up the hill to us. Pointed to her tent and said, “Come, Chai” chai is tea. So we followed her down to the tent. Carol & Murray stopped to watch a woman making yarn on her spindle. So I alone followed the girl to the next tent. I was shown to some blankets on the floor and the mother sat down next to me and started breast feeding her baby. Then the kids gathered around and she put the baby down, put a radio next to its ear and went to make chai on the camp fire. We visited for a good hour and a half. Fatima the girl taught me the tune to the song Basim had taught me. So I’ll be able to entertain PEO with a Bedouin long song now, “Ridahah”

Inevitably the mother brought out a dress she wanted me to buy and an old tattoed woman came in with Nabatean pottery sherds and jewelry for me to buy”Shucran la! Ono thank you)” I kept saying. “I have no money.” The little girl had been to school in wadi Musa and so spoke English a little. She gave me several good sherds. Put them in my pocket so I knew them to be presents!

Goat hair tents just like the days of Abraham! And a mixture of old and new ways to carry water!

Check out the beautiful Gold Knife (almost a sword!) that the father has! Possibly handed down for generations. This is the outside of the "Palace Tombs" that we were originally headed for.After that Murray carol & I did visit the tombs but the Bedouin visit was best. We left Petra that afternoon after stopping at the rock where they say Moses struck it to get water. Sorry no pic! So here I am, happy and with many friends and making more. I got into an interesting discussion with a couple who was pretty concerned that I wasn’t concerned about being saved before I went to sleep in case I died. Apparently if I’m not afraid of death then the devil’s in me. I asked them not to pray over me when they went back to their tent but I’m sure they did anyway. They’re still nice people. A lot of good people to get into interesting discussion with.

Well, I hope this gets to you! Lots of love Nancy

PS I got your letter today, Dad. I think I have another in Amman. They tell me at the American center Not at ACOR. So I have to get it myself. The mail gets mixed up occasionally I guess.

This is a picture inside one of the "palace tombs". Note the little girl...we were soon to learn that there are children EVERYWHERE in Jordan!

Also please note that I have just added the promised pictures to Part 1 of this June 17th letter. So go back and look!