Magic Carpet Ride

Yeap, it’s that time again.

A little sharing amongst friends. Some soul-searching. A focus on something other than fashion…in the clothing sense. And a look at things that I find inspiring.

For those of you who come around strictly for the fashion or to sneak a peak at what is in my wardrobe, we’ll get back to that tomorrow. For those of you who are just a curious lot, stick around, I hope to give you something to think about…or at least a distraction for a few minutes!

As you know by now, I grew up in the US, California to be exact, but I live in Australia now (that’s where the dual citizenship thing comes in). It may interest some to know that the place I grew up in is a small gold mining town and the place I live now is also a gold mining town…or at least both of their histories were built on gold. But really that has nothing to do with this story, well, almost nothing. Growing up in a small town, I had always wanted to travel – see the world – experience new things. Which eventually led to my desire to fill as many passports as possible before I end up in a nursing home. Other than a month-long trip around Mexico when I was 19, I was a late travel bloomer. My first passport was obtained when I was in my late 30s.

Once I started getting stamps in that passport, it became an addiction.

To fast-track this story, the Fashion Mister and I have been doing a fair bit of traveling over our 10 years together. Every place we have been has been interesting, amazing and inspiring, but today I would like to talk about Jordan…no, not that page 3 girl who was married to the Australian pop guy Andre…but the country, you know the one…in the middle east…Laurence of Arabia…Wadi Rum…the Dead Sea…Petra!

This photo is my version of Queen of the World! Taken while in Wadi Rum a few years ago.

Petra was really my driving force to going to Jordan. All those amazing pics of walking through the narrow rose-red walls of the Siq, turning a corner and seeing it all open to amazing buildings carved into the stone. And it was truly spectacular. There is something peaceful and relaxing about Jordan. Even in Amman the capital city.

However, my real reason to bring this all up here is to tell you about the most amazing persian/bedouin rug we found at a craft centre near the Dead Sea. This rug was amazing! Made of wool and camel-hair, over two hundred years old, in beautiful condition and gee, we could get it on sale for $4500! I nearly fainted. I loved the rug but there is no freaking way I could spend that much on a rug. Especially knowing that I would likely be the one to spill red wine all over it or that when the Fashion Mister and I are senile and in the aforementioned nursing home (yes, I am kind of obsessed with nursing homes), that someone would think it was an ugly piece of old tat and throw it out!

When I said no to the price, the men in the market thought I was in the mood to haggle and eventually dropped the price down to $2600. Don’t get me wrong, while they were dropping the price I was going over every possible excuse to buy it! I just couldn’t do it.

I felt both sick and sad as we left the rug behind. *sniff*

Once we got back to good old Australia, I was a woman on a mission. The floors had been refinished and I wanted a persian rug. But one that I wouldn’t cry over if I spilt wine or pasta on.

The great thing about it is that I really like it. It pulls together the colours in our lounge room and it makes me think of Jordan and that totally relaxed time we had while on holiday there. It really does take me on a magic carpet ride.

So happy ending all around!

Related articles

• Jordan – Petra and Camels (petersadventures.wordpress.com)
• Petra: a Pareidolia Paradise (gilliansblog.wordpress.com)
• Persian rugs4 (slideshare.net)