The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

AMMAN -- My arrival in Jordan was less than impressive. I waited for over 2 hours for a shuttle to pick me up from the airport. After 4 phone calls, some guy picked me up and took me to the wrong hotel. Many tears later, I arrived where I was supposed to be and received an upgraded room and fruit platter. Jordan did not get off to a great start, but after a decent nights sleep in my upgraded King size bed, I felt refreshed in the morning.
Overall first impressions of Jordan are as follows: a bit run down but not as bad as Egypt – housing cluttered and kind of shabby – a little dreary – definitely not Abu Dhabi.

Today was my first full day in the capital city of Amman. I hired a driver (Mahmoud) who took me around town. He was jovial enough, although very light on the English. Did I mention he had brown teeth – I tried not to look too closely at them for fear of tossing my lunch. Mahmoud was very amenable and did all he could to make my day enjoyable just short of brushing, flossing and perhaps a set of porcelain veneers.

We started at the Roman Amphitheatre – those Romans were everywhere!! From there we went to the Amman Citadel. Both these locations were good for photo ops, but not places to mull about for too long. Love the camel crossing signs, the sheep and their herders and the donkeys.

Next stop was Madaba (city of mosaics). They are known here for their mosaic works. I visited St. George’s Orthodox Church and just wandered around the markets in the streets. Onward from there to Mt. Nebo – burial place of Moses (I think a Charlton Heston bust would have been appropriate). More photos and then on our way to Petra. It would be a 3-hour drive to reach my final destination for the night (actually 2 nights). With my Sony headset and Itouch, I was soothed by Elton John the whole journey. At times singing at the top of my lungs, which my taxi driver seemed to be amused with.

They have moved me to the Petra Marriott (5 star) instead of the Golden Tulip (4 star). I have a room with a view of the impressive landscape of Petra. My exploration will begin tomorrow.


PETRA -- spectacular!! I spent about 8 hours here on my 2nd day in Jordan. It is hard for me to explain the magnificence of this world wonder. At first you walk down an ancient roadway (the Siq) that is dwarfed by massive rock structures on either side. The rock walls are imposing and a reminder of the grandeur of nature. At the end of this long road you come upon an opening that brings you into another world. Huge temples carved out of mountain facades. Caves that were the homes of the community of people who lived here. I met Lebanese travelers Hasan and Zeina who became my travel companions for the day. Pictures cannot describe what lay before my eyes -- even more impressive than Egypt. We decided to hike up to The Monastery which was a mere 900 steps!! They weren't actually proper steps per say, but rock elevations that were often shared with donkeys carrying weary hikers. I nearly died near the top and had to collapse for fear of being sick. I hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was now late afternoon. Combined with the heat and exhaustion, I was on the verge of passing out!! That wave of nausea overtook me and luckily some Arabic girls gave me a cup of OJ and it jump started my plummeting glucose meter. I poured cold bottled water on my face and was good as new and ready to complete my ascent. At the top was The Monastery carved out of the side of a massive rock. Here we took rest and relaxation before our descent which was rapid compared to the climb up. You really had to watch your footing however -- no guard rails or any safety features, just your strong legs to guide you in both directions.

THE DEAD SEA -- Although I had been to the dead sea on the Israeli side, I wanted to experience the Jordanian side of things. I had a reservation at a dead sea resort and Hasan and Zeina decided to head that way and offered me a ride. We made our way to the lowest place on the earth and settled in for a day of relaxation. We did the usual dead sea floating and covered our bodies in mud -- letting it dry to a crisp before rinsing off in the salty sea. The pool was a nice reprise from all the salt and the swim up bar was a welcome invitation. The service was far from 5 star, but what can one expect in this part of the world. We ate a late lunch and they were on their way back to Lebanon while I settled in for the night. After trying to make arrangements to head to Jerusalem, I decided to fly back early to Abu Dhabi because it was so cost prohibitive to make the trip to Israel. I packed up and was on my way to the airport and back to the UAE. 5 nights and 4 days were plenty for me in Jordan. The highlight being Petra which I am thrilled to have experienced.

I found traveling a little difficult this time around -- mostly due to transportation issues. I will definitely do a tour when I travel to Turkey for this exact reason.

Being back in Abu Dhabi has been great -- beach, pool, hanging out and sleeping -- all good. I start school again tomorrow for my final 2 months before my next trip -- CANADA!!!