Jordan - Amman

I am now in Amman, Jordan.
I came over in a taxi from Damascus and bartered hard, actually - I didn't have to. I was approached outside the bus station by the taxi drivers and I refused. I then went into the bus station and I was approached again by a taxi driver who wanted to add to his taxi. He wanted 700, I said no, I was offered 500 outside the bus station. He agreed quickly. He showed me the passports of the people who were in the car. I knew that this taxi was leaving soon, and that suited me, but I wanted to make sure that the car was a suitable size for the number of people and I also wanted to make sure that there was a woman in the car, because she would look out for me. I couldn't be sure that a car full of men would. Fawta was in the car, so I agreed. I ensured that I was going to be taken to Abdalli Station in Amman, by the driver.
He said yes. I gave him my passport. They want to check your passport at the bus station. I got into the sweltering car and tried to talk to Fawta. Her English was suprisingly well. She was a teacher for 15 years and had just married her husband of 60 a year ago. He was a widower and needed a wife. She is 34.

Before we get to the Jordanian border the driver switches with his father. Or so he says. I ask if the father can speak English, because Fawta was leaving shortly after the border so I wanted to make sure that the instructions I gave to the other driver were going to be carried out. I haven't made my payment yet. Fawta asks and I find out that he doesn't understand. However she makes sure that he knows that I'm to be dropped at Abdalli station.

The border crossing from Damascus to Amman including the driving was 4 hours - the borders are frustrating. Fawta said that there was a problem with drugs coming over the border but yet no dogs or mirrors. Just get out of the car. Hand over your passport. Okay. Then back in. Get out and grab your bags out. Open your bags. Okay, get back in. This goes on back and forth for at least 6 times. First the one side, then on the other.

The driver then drops off Fawta and her husband. Shortly after he asks for money but he does it in very bad English and I say Abdalli station. I think we both understad each other perfectly. He drops his next passenger off. He is trying to get me to go with a taxi driver. I refuse. I need to get downtown to an exchange to exchange some money. Long story short he drops me at Abdalli bus station and I walk downtown, after being propositioned by a young man. Now that was fast! LOL. I guess they don't waste anytime in Jordan. You want a strong man to help you? I say no thank you!


I arrived at Jan and Bruce's place in Amman. Lovely couple from New Zealand who are here in Jordan, on missionary work. Or kind of missionaries. Jan teaches kids here at a private school. They are volunteers. Bruce has done some construction work in New Zealand that allowed him to have a few income properties and so they go to countries where she works as a teacher and they go all over the world to teach and stay. They have been to many countries.

Amman is still in state of renovation. There really isn't all that much to see here as everything seems to be under construction. The ampitheatre is under construction, the museum is under construction and so on. So not much to enjoy here. The weather is cold and raining...and Jordan needs the rain, but I was soaked to the skin yesterday. I had hoped to to to Petra today, but because Friday is the Saturday, and the official day of rest not likely to happen. I still might move onward. I am getting very itchy to get to Petra and hopefully warmer weather.

Very,very hospitable people here. I was invited into a place bakery where the young men who were Palestinian were making naan bread in a tandoori oven. I was instructed in the art of putting the dough on the pillow and spread out to the right consistency and then taking the pillow and smashing it up on the top of the clay oven to bake. After the requisite amount of time to take a pair of long tongs and take it off. The guys then had me eat the warm naan with some hummus and baba ghanoush. That went on for a while until an Egyptian guy started to sound off and I was no longer comfortable and the guys running the place were also uncomfortable. I left.

I have been offered by a man, his cell phone, to make a phone call to Jan, when I arrived. I have been welcomed to my second home, Jordan. Very, very nice people wherever you go.

Amman has just named their streets last year, so walking around with the new tourist maps are nothing but confusing to the people here and really no better for you... So if you go by the old arabic name you are sure to get to your destination sooner. That is if you can pronounce Arabic at all. Very difficult to speak it correctly. I don't have an ear for it yet, but then each country pronounces things just a little differently too!

I hope to move on to Petra tomorrow morning at the latest and spend at least two days and one night there and then move onward to Aquaba.

I will be in Egypt by the 14th or 15th and head down to Aswan and Luxor and then move back to Cairo for my flight on the 21st.

I am pushed for time to update my blog, and when I get to Egypt this might be sporatic at best.

I am looking for warmer weather. I have brought rain to Jordan, and for that they are grateful...what can I say?