Sir Lawrence

I posted a link to some very flash 'camping' in Wadi Ram this morning and got a reply from the lovely Sue aka Brosie who was my travel companion for most of my explorations in Jordan. The very best travel companion. Well except for the time she didn't bring her passport and we got accosted by armed blokes in the north near some tricky borders. Being kiwis we talked our way out of it, with the able help of our driver. I wrote a little about it in November 2010. Not nearly enough really as it was a very special adventure. 

Sue reminded me of a couple of pics she took of me - a story in itself and one linked to my Dorset trip. She'd been watching a doco on Laurence of Arabia (Thomas Edward Lawrence) at about the same time I was visiting the place he lived, and the spot where he died. The place he lived and worked in the Arab world was very different to the place he returned to and met his death. Much too early. 

A little history, thanks to the info board on site. From 1909 (aged 21) to 1914 Sir Lawrence spent a lot of time in Palestine, Syria and Jordan researching his thesis on Crusader castles and working as an archaeologist. He gaining great knowledge of Arabic language and peoples during this time. In 1916, he was posted to Hejaz, in modern Saudi Arabia, to work with the Hashemite forces. The campaign would secure him lasting fame in British popular legend. His role was to act as a liaison officer between the British Government and the Arab tribes. 

Returning to England in 1918 he lobbied unsuccessfully for Arab independence. He retired to Cloud Hills, Dorset in 1935. We drove past near dusk, stopping to pay homage. The memorial pictured below is quite difficult to read now having weathered over time. It reads:

Near this spot Lawrence of Arabia crashed his motorcycle and was fatally injured. 13th May 1935.

Sue and I visited the places in Wadi Ram where he met the Arab tribesmen, places preserved by the Jordanian people. Our Jordanian guides told us stories of how members of their families met with Sir Lawrence. They shared their thoughts on the historical and political ramifications for the mostly nomadic peoples of the area. 

Brosie is one of my oldest friends. Moving as I did as a child, nomadic ways carried into adulthood, I don't have many very old friends. We discovered our paths had crossed when we were in our mid teens, reminiscing in a tent at another beach many years later. She used to visit the beach I lived at and we'd been at the same summer holiday teenage bonfire. I was the feral local surfer and Sue the city girl. We've had quite a few adventures, working together for years and exploring different places. I hope we can catch up when I'm back in NZ in March. 

The memorial for Laurence of Arabia, Dorset

Sue's picture of me at sunrise, Wadi Ram almost 13 years ago