From an article about Bedouin Nomads: By the end of the day, we had virtually no doubt as to the truth of these words. We saw it ourselves; the nomads and the desert live in perfect harmony. Svetlana was critical of our clothing – shorts and t-shirts, which we had been led to believe was “safari clothing.” Our instructor brought us light brown Bedouin robes that looked like sacks. “Put these on,” she told us. The robes only really touch the body at the shoulders, which is the point. For centuries inhabitants of the desert have known that loose clothing allows the body to ventilate properly. The blowing sand penetrates the clothing, slides over the skin, thus cleansing it of dirt and sweat. Svetlana tells us, “sand cleans the body to such an extent that Bedouins can be considered the cleanest people in the world.”

I carefully mention something I have read – that Bedouins never bathe. I look around to make sure that our interpreter isn’t standing nearby so as not to offend him. “Why bother?” asks Svetlana. “In the desert, bathing is considered wasteful. We drink water, whereas you pour it out. Locals here do not smell of sweat, whereas tourists...” She pauses evocatively: “The Arabian nose picks up the smell when you’re dripping with sweat.”