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Friday, April 26, 2013

A Real American Bedouin

Erga Rehns was born in Palestine in 1935.  She was raised in New York, lived in Portugal, and lived among the Bedouins in the desert of Wadi Rum in Jordan.  This post contains two videos from 2007 that were posted by Al Jazeera about her life in the desert.



Feeling the need to return to her roots and a simpler life, Erga had lived for seven years in the Wadi Rum desert when this record of her bedouin lifestyle was first presented.   She outlived two husbands prior to her move to Jordan and in the video shares a story about receiving a marriage offer from a Bedouin man when she was 70 years old. 


9 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed the videos and her story, Susie!

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  2. What a gentle soul Erga is! I want to know more about her and will check out her blog.

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  3. She has a blog? I must have missed that bit. What is her blog name as I've just searched and came up empty.

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    1. I don't think she has a blog. especially if she is still living in the desert. I tried finding out whether she is still living there or what has happened to her since the film was made, but I couldn't find any updated info on her.

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  4. stephanie-377@bigpond.comMay 31, 2013, 11:50:00 AM

    i really enjoyed this, especialy her interaction with the camels,

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  5. I had the chance to meet her in person.
    i met her accidentally at a hostel she usually stays at in Amman in 2012, she was working on a project in Jarash citadel at the time,
    we started to talk and what an interesting history and enlightening stories, we talked about life, politics, and many other topics,
    i wish i can have contact with her again.
    thanks for the article,

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  6. She's alive and well. I met her last year in Amman and she's back in Wadi Rum.

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    1. Thank you for the update, Hanne! That's great to know she is doing well.

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  7. Lovely to see this on Erga. I stayed with her for night in 2006. I hope she is keeping well and strong in Wadi Rum

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