No Boredom in Jordan!!

 

 

 

I knew a little about Jordan prior to boarding the flight to Amman but not nearly as much as I ought to. I suspect countless joints during high school and the socializing that goes along with such activities may have distracted me from my studies. In a moment of vulnerability here - I'll admit to having such a poor grasp of middle east geography as to think Amman (Oh Oman!!!) was a country. Well - that personal failing has now been rectified and my ignorance somewhat tempered by a trip from northern parts to the southern tip of the beautiful kingdom of Jordan. 

The days of joints and little concern about the world around me have been replaced by a deep and inexplicable curiosity. Like an itch finally scratched, hours in the Jordan Museum  -- as fine a museum as any I've seen -- fly by as images and stories of past civilizations come to life. I'll unreservedly recommend Jordan as a great - no - fantastic destination - and let me tell you why.

 

 AMMAN

Smack dab in the middle of town and high about the twisting streets of Amman is the Citadel. With it's Temple of Hercules standing resolutely at one end, the massive Corinthian columns stand as a reminder of distant times and provide the perfect place to watch the sun set over Israel. A beautiful Roman Theater (below) with it's perfectly proportioned galleries stalls and balconies (and the other fancy bits and bobs) lures the even more weary traveler to its seats.

Not far from Amman are a number of ancient "burbs" where the Greek Nabataean and later Roman influences are clear for all to see. The city is well set up for fumbling tourists like myself with people being welcoming and polite. Well most anyway.

 

 

 

 And the Food!!! Ahhh- such a wonderful shift and departure from the normal. The Humus -- Feta Cheese - Yogurt - and almost all local dishes are amazing. Not always of course as a very expensive Chicken Galayo turned out to be a poor choice. I think the chicken was "inferred" and the tomatoes were missing their garlic onion and spice companions.  So just cooked tomatoes actually. 😆

Always a sucker for a lineup - I joined the 30 or so people in the cue pictured here to see what the fuss was about. It was a warm sticky evening with lots of locals meandering about. The intoxicating smells of Apple Shisha and and fresh Falafels filling the air as the trinket sellers compete and jostle one another  for your attention.

Reaching the front of the cue I mustered my confidence and asked for a regular nodding as I did. Like I knew what I was doing. " 2 Dinar" is all he said and I exchanged about $3.50 for slip of paper that I carried inside. The shouting seemed to be directed at me as I stood there wondering what the fuck was happening so proffered my piece of paper and was rewarded  by a plate of something or other.

Outside I joined about 50 of so people contentedly perched here and there and sampled my something or other purchase. Ahhhh  - now this is living. Pretty much diabetes on a plate, Kanafeh is a Palestinian dessert that combines mild cheese (kinda like mozzarella), some sort of pastry crumbs, ground Pistachio and syrup baked together to become a veritable symphony for the taste buds. Yup - went back for seconds that day and the next. Hey!!!! I'm on vacation.

 

PETRA

 

I think few other than the King of Jordan would argue that the jewel in the crown of Jordan is the ancient city of Petra. It's  a great Wiki read -- with the discovery and history of the construction, but I would say that nothing compares to coming out of the narrow passageway (called a siq) of brightly colored sandstone and seeing the Treasury carved right out of the rock and rising up 40 meters directly in front of you. It is massive, phenomenal, and awe inspiring all at once.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The next 5kms of Petra take you from one fabulous site to the next with plenty of signs to explain what you're looking at. All along the way the mountains that surround the site are delicately colored by mother nature in subtle pastels ranging from pink to yellow to purple -- well you get the picture. I've never seen anything quite like it and I scratched the rock more than once trying to uncover this fraudulent activity. Even Banksy wouldn't paint over this stuff!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The trail ends after an 800 step climb up  to the Monastery which boasts amazing views. Thinking the folks at the gate wouldn't mind too much I stayed up to watch the sunset and then ventured down in the half light which turned the the already colorful pastel display up a few more notches. I was a treat to be there by myself and enjoy this deeply spiritual treasure in such a selfish way. That said - I stumbled out in the dark to only a nod and smile from the security guys. All was right with the world!

 

 

 

 WADI RUM

 

 

Moving South you have all kinds of stuff to see and do and I reluctantly admitted to myself that  I should have planned better.  I passed on a visit to the Dead Sea finding the whole "hype" a bit overwhelming and hearing reports that the actual site was a bit underwhelming and very expensive.

However -- I did not pass on the opportunity to visit the Wadi Rum Dessert. Uniquely beautiful  -- it too has an undeniable spiritual component. It's quiet - smells sweetly and a gentle warm breeze is your constant companion. I'm not sure what it is about desserts that intrigues me but suspect it's that quietness -- the stillness -- and the fact that I mix it up with the spelling of Desert. I'm still thinking about that Kanafeh. Mmmm!

 

 

 

 

 AQABA

Ostensibly I came to Aqaba for the snorkeling and while I did do just that  -- would say it was a bit disappointing. I'm sure there are better dive sites along the coast but I'm guessing I was spoiled by the coast of Kenya and a recent trip the the blue hole in Egypt. The corral is dying -- mostly gray -- and the fish are few and far between. Maybe they were all somewhere else -- like at a Sea Shepherds convention or something like that.

Out of the water -- I pondered from the view above the city. I pondered the Middle East conflict and what that must be like for the people who live here. They all look the same -- but obviously hold very different views and intense hatreds that are passed from generation to generation. From this view 5 countries can be seen. Egypt - Palestine - Israel - Jordan (where I'm sitting) and Saudi just to the south. History would tell us that conflict has been the mainstay for the entire duration of the regions' civilization . I sincerely hope that is not also it's future.

 

 

 THE PEOPLE OF JORDAN

 

 

 The people of Jordan are unfailingly pleasant and helpful. Taxi drivers smile broadly and auto mechanics cheerfully point the way as you make your way along. Missing - thankfully -- are the trinket sellers who can be so insistent and irritating. A simple no thank you  - and they shift to the next prospective buyer. I felt safe in Jordan - as there is an honor code that exists within the fabric of the country. It's not ok to rip people off  and the contempt for tourists that so often is the reality appears to be absent or at least kept to a minimum. Tourists are quite genuinely welcome.

In the picture above - I found myself in trouble as the Covid19 testing lab was closed until afternoon - and even then it wasn't clear if it would be open. With a bus leaving the following day - I was panicking just a little.😀 Slipping into the Hilton Hotel I noticed a group (I think the Malaysian women's soccer team) getting Covid19 tests. I asked the doctor if he could do mine as well and he cheerfully said he would. When I offered money - he declined saying he was happy to help out. Wow!!!

 

JUST FOOD AFRICA

Many thanks for the recent and generous (and timely) donations from Laurel Barry and Rod. It was greatly appreciated and as always will ensure the money goes to the kids and not to fund my extravagant vacation.  

 

If you would like to donate to  The Majengo Kids - The Kibera Kids - or Jake's Education:

1) E-interact -- laynemahon@live.com 

2) Paypal -- laynegmahon@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for Reading ...Layno somewhere in the Middle East !!!