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Published: December 10th 2010
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An early flight out from Beirut. I arranged a pick up taxi from the hostel, we got to the airport fairly early, gazillion counters for Middle East Airlines, I queued up on the wrong counters twice! I always catch the Arabic ticker not the Roman letters and thought I'd wing it maybe they will check me in anyway but no, found the right check in counters. I went through immigration fairly quickly, this expressionless immigration woman asked me which hostel I stayed in Beirut as I did not fill it in on the exit form, why the hell do they need it when I already am leaving the country! I am very hungry and have to spend my last dibdobs and I found a cafeteria on the 2nd floor of the departure gates,$10 for a club sandwich! I paid it just to get rid of the local currency.
Flight was uneventful, lots of kids, I don't know why. Arriving at Queen something airport, I have to purchase a visa, 10 JOD damn it no ATMs! I was forced to use my $100 bill to change to local currency, long queue and also at the visa section, very slow officers, 4
Jordan river
Israeil occupied Palestine on the other side of the river, soldiers patrolling people there but only 2 are working the 2 others were just staring at us while chit chatting, then when the queue got longer they decided to work, Immigration guy asked me a few questions then let me go.
I asked the info booth in the arrivals hall where the express bus to town is, just outside yellow bus he told me with a smile. Very nice and accommodating people, a guy found me sitting on the bench near the bus stop, the ticket guy sold me a ticket for 3 JODs, It runs every hour so I have half hour to wait. Bus came on time and we are on our way to town, I fell asleep, last destination is the new station called the North Station, 4 years old according to the taxi driver whom I took to get to the hotel, he asked for 5 JODs I told him 3 and he agreed with a smile. We passed the citadel and the ampitheater, Farah hotel is in the downtown area, very convenient location, tucked in on the street lined with jewellery shops. Nice people at reception very friendly, and the rooms are clean.
I was
on the 6 bed dorm, an old man was cleaning the room when I got in, he asked if I was Japanese, I told him no he smiled when I said I am an American, Obama, he exclaims, of course always a good conversation starter. He was surprisingly very adept in English and even recommended a place for some good but cheap eats. Just outside the hotel next to a barber shop is a decent sandwich joint, the owner made me chose which filling I want, sheep's kidney, liver, heart, tongue, brain or spleen?!
Uhm, wanting to be daring myself and to impress him I chose the sheep tongue sandwich, wow it was good! I ordered another one, a fish sandwich to be safe, very friendly owner, told me the Japanese tourists tries the brain sandwich with enthusiasm, his father taught him the recipe of the brain sandwich, passed on from generations, but as much as it sweetens the pot, I declined.
Then back at the hostel for a nap. 4pmish I went for a walk, why did I buy that $3 map from reception, its so easy to find things here, I asked locals and they gladly point
to the right direction even walk me halfway there, I found the really cool ampitheater, but entrance was 10 JODs! not worth just to see ancient concert venues, I peeked from one of the gates and took photos from there, and maybe from the citadel. Then I walked towards the Hussein mosque, not so grand as other mosques I have seen before, but not so bad either, there is a veggie and fruit market next to it and so of course I delved into it, some group tours were already there, I noticed 4 or 5 buses around the city full of tour groups, hardly any backpackers, maybe they are all in Petra now! I kept walking, the streets are lined with all sorts of stores, shisha stores, souvenirs, etc. And I found a photo shop to have passport photos taken for visa apps, very kind old man he was just about to close.
Went back to the sandwich shop for dinner, this time I tried the heart and liver sandwich, yummy as well, as gross they may sound the locals somehow make them appetizing, very delicious indeed. Some young dudes tired to strike a conversation with me but
I tried to ignore them other than a polite hello, I was watching the movie on the screen while eating my dinner, then finally in his last attempt as I walk out of the eatery, where are you he exclaims, I am here! I told him and walked off, he meant how are you, I should be more friendly but it's been a long day, next time...
After 3 days in Petra went back to Amman and Reza a Pinoy/Canadian and I decided on my last full day in Amman to sign up at one of the day trips run by the hostel. To the Dead Sea, so the next day we woke up early and after breakfast we left, there's 6 of us guys, the weather is gloomy and in some areas rain like our 1st stop, Madaba to visit some church with mosaics , boring! We paid 1 dinar entrance fee. Then up next to Mount Nebo for a view of the Jordan valley and visit the Moses Memorial museum, they have mosaics here as well, ok they are quite nice but not really my cup of tea and it's chilly, not in the mood to queue
up whilst waiting for hordes of package tours go by, we paid another dinar here.
Then we slowly descended down to the valley and the weather changed it got hot and flies are all over us, we stopped at the Baptism site, supposedly John the Baptist baptized Jesus in this area, but its all legend I believe but its one of the approved Pilgrimage sites by the Vatican, we paid 7 dinars each to get in and we have to be on a tour as no individual is allowed to walk on their own, this is a military zone, sensitive area bordering Palestine, it's hot and we got horded to the river, it's brown and not pretty, we saw some churches where Jesus was baptized, and then a few more churches here there and everywhere, not having fun so far, the most exciting thing for us is when we stopped at a viewpoint in the creek like Jordan river, across is the Israeli occupied Palestine territory, there's a buildings there with a couple of Israeli soldiers manning the area, they waved at us and we took their photos. Yup that's as exciting it got for us.
Off to
the Dead sea from there, it's a f.....g tourist trap, the driver dropped us off at a resort in Amman beach, called Amman tourist beach, we have to pay 15 dinars, Reza and I wanted to see the Dead sea but not to pay this amount we wished we just go to a public beach but since we are in a group the driver persuaded us to buy the tickets, ok it's nice with a pool and access to the Dead sea but you cant bring food as they have restaurants, no snacks even nuts! I did not swim as I did not bring any swimmers, we just hang around watching tourists make a fool of themselves floating, bobbing in the super salty water, and applying black mud on themselves, 2 hours we stayed here then time to get back to Amman and we got caught in traffic. This is the worst day trip I have done in my years of travel, and may be the last, glad to see the Biblical sites but they are too hyped up, I think this is for pilgrim tourists only, if you are not a religious person you will get bored and ask
yourself, that's it? wtf am I doing here...
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Maisondubonheur
Pierre-Alexandre
Hi...not far away!
Hi, would you be in Aqaba from 20th to 23rd of December? Would be fun to meet....we'll be there for some diving! Peter