Claire312

Female

Davis, California, USA

About Claire312

Budding Member | Member since 10th Mar 09

Citizenship: USA
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Retired
About Claire312:

I'm recently retired and about to embark on a one year trip with my husband around Europe, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan. The Europe part will be in a campervan. We've rented our house, our cars will be stored by friends and after 5 years of planning, we will finally realize our dream. We want to do this slowly and really try to live in the moment. I think it will be possible to do that since we will be away from home and all the responsibilities that entails. We plan to keep a journal through blogging. It seems so much easier than writing in a journal.

Hobbies:

Reading, watching movies at home, reading travel forums, hiking, travel.

Favourite places:

France (Paris), Greece, Turkey and then the rest of Europe and the UK. I love it all.

Activity : photos (6) forum (6) guide (0) blog (2) diary (0) trips (0)

Latest Blog Entry

Married to a Bedouin

Posted by Claire312 | 14th August 2009

I'm hoping to make it to the ancient city of [[Petra]] in [[Jordan]] on my year long trip through Europe, Turkey and Egypt; so when I came across this book I was anxious to read it. Marguerite van Geldermalsen was just another twenty-something backpacker from [[New Zealand]] traveling with a friend when she came to Petra. She really didn't even know much about Jordan or Petra but was looking for adventure. Mohammad Abdallah Othman was a souvenir-seller who convinced her to stay with him in his cave. He must have been quite the salesman.

They married, had 3 children and lived in that cave, carved out by the Nabataeans 2,000 years before. Her story is fascinating, although somewhat unsettling to me. Clearly, I have my limits. She had no electricity, no running water, no heat and especially, no privacy. Hiking down to the water supply with a donkey and loading up

Continued | The Book Club