Richard And Jo Demeester's photos with the keyword: hospitality

o continue the story, that farmer I mentioned in the last picture, he lived in that house behind the sheep. His gestures indicated that he wanted us to join him for tea. And he did say one of those few words that we understood, çay. The family all came in, and the tea flowed, with the usual array of sweets, followed by home-made bread, home-churned butter, home-made cheese, and eggs (I assume from their own chickens). We tried to communicate about a number of things, both ways, some of it being understood, and other things ending in laughter at the realisation that the story was lost. They taught us a few words of their language, as Azeri is not what they speak in this area. We tried, but none of it stuck. Well, it wouldn't be useful anywhere else, in any case. After an hour and a bit, we continued on our way, and they came out, kissed us, and waved goodbye.

A farmer waved us over as we walked down the road, close to the village of Çek. While we talked with him (well, gestured and pointed, as we had very few words common between us), his sheep just stood behind him, waiting for his next move.

So, on our way back from our ride, my chain broke. Three kilometres from town, and the nearest qualified place to make such a repair, I was not looking forward to walking back. At a little village, these guys noticed my predicament and quickly retrieved some pliers and a hammer. Jo was offered a chair to sit on while she waited, and a coffee was offered (or tea, I'm sure, if she had preferred). Ten minutes later, we had a makeshift repair, two less links, and we were on our way. No expectations. This was a great example of Bangla warmth and hospitality.

Deema, Michaela, and Jo were posing for a photo on the swing chair. Osama thought the photo would be enhanced with his presence. Happy photo!

Yes, Jordanian hospitality extended again, as we ate pizza at the home of Osama and Janet, uncle and aunt of Khalil from the Queen Ayola Hotel.

Invited by a Bedouin to stop for tea by the road.

Khalil owns the Queen Ayola Hotel in Madaba, where we stayed. He invited to his home, and he cooked a Jordanian dish, roughly translated as “Upside Down”. This is a great example of the Jordanian hospitality that we encountered continually.