mman, Jordan
A common theme amongst this trip has been “surprise”, and this country is no exception.
It’s so fascinating to compare yourself to entering the country, your mind full of thoughts and biases from what you’ve read online to you leaving the country, either confirming or mocking those initial beliefs.
FEAR
Well, it’s without surprise that there was a lot of anxiety and fear into entering Amman, especially with it being so close to the Israel/Gaza conflict. So let me tell you how that anxiety was significantly reduced. On the flight from Cairo to Amman, the plane rather than taking the hypotenuse through Israel went completely around it. In fact, the plane did not fly over Israel for one minute. Next, the amount of security and police checks is quite shocking. On our way to the Dead Sea, there were at least 6 or 7 police stops.
TRAVELING IN AMMAN
Now, we’ve discussed the elephant in the room, let’s get down to the travel piece. According to the news, tourism in Jordan has dropped by about 10% throughout the country ( read Adi’s post as he did a lot more research on this than I did) Honestly, it felt like it dropped so much more than that as we saw very few tourists in Amman. Even in Petra, we were told that there were hundreds in line by the 6 am opening time and we were the only ones there. This worked out very well for Adi and I as we got the entire place pretty much to ourselves, and well the cats and stray dogs that infest the park. However, it’s unfortunate for the many men and women of Jordan who rely on tourism to pay their bills.
Amman is like any other city. Busy as one can be, filled with vendors selling souvenirs that were probably all produced in China. The city felt very safe, and we had no problem walking at night.
The next day we set ourselves up to explore the city of Amman. And let me say..I hereby like to set up a petition with Google Maps to implement elevation gain in the walking option. Why? Amman is hilly. San Francisco hilly. An 18 minute walk is really quite deceiving. So note to all of you who decide to visit Amman, make sure you look at the topography of the map before setting off on an adventure. Beyond that, I can’t say there is anything of Amman that truly stands out. It’s very much a Middle Eastern country, as a majority of women are fully covered up and you get stares if you don’t look like the rest.
The next day, Adi and I headed back to the airport because we realized that Petra and Dead Sea are probably much better seen if we have a rental car. And boy was that a great idea. Ladies and gents, if you go to Jordan rent a car. The highways are not that bad. The city is crazy, but it’s not anything worse than driving in Romania. Really driving in Jordan is easy if you know these rules:
The lanes ( if they are still drawn in) are merely a suggestion. You don’t have to try in between them if you don’t want to, which many don’t.
The horn is your best friend. “Coming on your left”…honk. “You annoy me with your driving”… honk.. “I’m bored”…honk
Food in Amman:
The first day we went to a restaurant called Fakhreldin, which is close to the city center. Claimed as the 7th best restaurant in the Middle East, we were excited to finally have a meal that we weren’t worried would give us food poisoning. So naturally, it made sense that we test the limits by trying raw lamb, one of their main dishes. If you’re a fan of tartare, then I highly recommend this delicacy. This restaurant lived up to its reputation, as it also offered to grill up our raw lamb and offer complimentary fruit free of charge. Adi and I got enough food to feed a family of 4, all with a grand total of $106.
Sufra Restaurant: A Jordanian “classic.” Here we tried mansaf, their national dish. It’s essentially lamb cooked in fermented yogurt on a bed of rice and a pita tortilla. A middle eastern deconstructed burrito is the way I see it. And honestly, it was meh. There are so many better dishes to try.
DEAD SEA
So we got our rental car and made our way to the Dead Sea. Adi and I found a spot where the locals go to swim. We highly recommend you do this , as most hotels will charge upward of 30-40 Jordanian per person ($50/$60) to use their beaches. Since you can only stay 15-20 minutes in the water, this isn’t worth it. Why can you only stay 15-20 minutes? Well the minerals and salt in the water will completely dehydrate you.
The Dead Sea is a very cool experience. You get in the water expecting to sink, and the water will force your feet to the surface. Make sure not to shave or have any cuts, because you will feel everything.
Side note: Adi and I, when we decided on the places to visit, chose locations where we were worried 20 years from now we could not enjoy the way we do now. And a pure example of that is the Dead Sea . There are efforts being put in place to stop the shrinkage of the Dead Sea due to evaporation. However if those efforts aren’t fully successful, the Dead Sea will be gone by 2050.
PETRA
We then headed off to Petra! You must dedicate an entire day to this park if any of you choose to go. The park is HUGE. The walk to the monastery, about a 8 mile round trip is a must! The earlier you get there, the less like the Bedouins(the native nomads) are to have set up shop. I felt like I time traveled back to Egypt, because the haggling began again. Most of the Bedouin shops were run by women, many who spoke English very well. I told Adi they were like sirens. Some sat laid down, similar to how Rose sat for Jack when he painted her. The bedouins would then say “I’ve been waiting for you..” and going as far as touching Adi. I had to remind myself that this was their only source of income before I curb stomped a hoe.
Food in Petra: Meh. Save your money for non-tourist locations.
Overall, I was HIGHLY impressed with Jordan. It’s very evident that this country is more advanced than some of its neighbors. I think similar to how they say Thailand is a good introduction into traveling in Asia, Jordan is a great introduction into the Middle East!
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