Amman -Day 14 Sightseeing in the morning

Today we cruised around Jordan. We went to the market downtown, Jabal el Qala an old ruin on the highest hill, and a peek into the old Roman Amplitheatre. All of this was before 1pm. Then we went to the hotel, refreshed and went to Suha's Computer Clubhouse. Here's a few select pictures of the morning:

panoramic shot of Jabal El Qala


the other half...imagine them together


Ancient stonework. Looked like the tree of life to me


Some more ancient stonework. The Jordanians have been restoring sections of all of their historical sites. I believe this is mostly in order to maintain the ruins and keep them from deteriorating, but there are also reconstructed areas that have been done to show the original look of the place. You may see a building with a dome on it in this section of pictures. The dome is a modern structure fitted over the building to a) protect it and b) demonstrate how they believe it looked 2000 years ago. Unfortunately, the modern masonry is inferior to the ancient stonework and in many areas it is quite obvious that it has been retouched.

A zesty panoramic of the ruins


Meredith by a ruined building in Jordan

Meredith and Lynn walking down the mountain toward the Amplitheatre


a shot at the Amplitheatre. We didn't feel like paying to go in as we were already walked out for the morning.


We had lunch in a little restaurant above the street. It was the day they sentenced one of Sadam's main henchmen to death. We did a wee bit of shopping after lunch and I got a few nice trinkets for my lady friends back home (Rrrraaar!)

Travelling to Jordan- Day 13

The trip to Jordan was...well, let's just say it was a day. We flew to Qatar and then to Amman. I'd rather not say much about the flight, we were glad to be in Jordan.

Jordan is pretty much 180 degrees from the UAE. First of all everything has a look of being heavily used, whereas in the UAE everything is practically brand new. Also, there are very few people wearing Khandoras and the other traditional Arab type garb. Pretty much everyone wears western style clothing and the Muslim women get by with a simple Hijaab.

We were in pretty high spirits when we arrived in Amman, and after getting through customs pretty quickly caught a cab and headed to our hotel. The currency exchange rate is the opposite of the UAE as well. Instead of getting more for your buck like in the UAE, you get a Jordanian Dinar for about $.70. It's just enough to be annoying when you are trying to buy stuff, because at first everything seems a little cheaper, but then you realize it's actually more expensive.

We got to the hotel, chilled for a bit and then my friend Suha showed up with her cousin Raith (pardon the transliteration) and a bouquet of flowers. She didn't recognize me as I had a hat on and a beard, but I recognized her right away. We went up to the hotel room, which might have been a weird scenario (unmarried women + unmarried men + hotel room = HARAM!) but since there was a whole gang of us no one felt uncomfortable, I think.

Al Manar hotel in Amman- very nice place. They have a bar too!


Anyway, we chatted it up for a bit, told them about the UAE, showed some pictures, etc. Then we went out and walked around the town. Of course, now that it's a month later (forgiveness I beg!) I can't remember the name of the neighborhood, but it was pretty close to downtown and the main bustop in the north of the city.

We wandered and talked and wandered and went to an outdoor restaurant. We learned about Zingers (chicken sandwiches with spicy mayo or something) and the difference between middle eastern cocktails and western cocktails (alcohol--an arabic word, btw) Then we had some ice cream and called it a night.

Some skaters in the park near the Pun Directory Computer Super Store


Me and Raith after Zingers, chips, and a cocktail...maybe it was before