But who had ever heard of a honeymoon house made of mud?
-Guests of the Sheikh, Elizabeth Fernea
Why Dubai is a dreamy honeymoon destination. It’s an easy transition from any American city, while still feeling wildly exotic and exciting for those seeking romance. Arabian design is grand, royal, and enticing…high ceilings, arabesque archways and intricate lanterns…dripping in diamonds, 24 karat gold leaf, 30 types of marble and a revolving bed…which starts at almost $9,000 per night…other musts- a journey into the desert which may include a camel or two…with a bottle of bubbly, of course.
-Brides Magazine, April 15, 2017
We were three days past the Ma’toul wells and the desert colors had faded to a dull dun. All day. Nothing to catch the eye. A few hills and low spots in the wadi, but all dun. Suddenly, white. Something white at the top of the rise. It looked square. A tent.
Shahr al-’asl, yaniiq kitiir, said KhairAllah. Al-’ariis ta’baan tul al-yom. Month of Honey, much fucking. The groom is tired all day long, he laughed. So this is what a newlywed Kabbashi couple does in their first month, pitch a tent and never sleep. Who feeds them, I asked. Their people leave them food beside the tent fly. Fucking food. Meat and basbousa, eggs and milk.
At the aseeda bowl later that night, I looked at the leftovers. Gummy hunks of boiled millet flour. Cold smears of cooking oil. A stray fried onion. I wanted my second honeymoon to start that very night. I would even agree to marry Mas’ood abu Dood, he of the crooked rotten teeth and ragged riding shirt. Meat and eggs sounded pretty good when you can’t choke down one more bite of millet paste. A month of honey, and we had thirty days of trail ahead of us. Put the bubbly on ice for later, much later.