Day 2 - More of Amman

---

Jordan - Day 2 - More of Amman

4th October 2009

First thing on my to-do list this morning was to sort out car hire for tomorrow for my drive down to the Dead Sea, but a car hire company I emailed late last night had already replied with a good price so I confirmed. My only job of the day done already, so more time to enjoy the city!

Still needed to get a memory card reader for my camera after not having much luck at the shopping mall I visited yesterday, so I decided to head to Amman's biggest shopping mall - Mecca Mall. Managed to leave the hotel earlier today, I would have left even earlier but shops don't open until 10am, so I waited until then. Got yet another taxi, I'm starting to feel guilty about paying so little for taxis, it cost me £1.50! I wouldn't bother driving if taxis were this cheap at home!

Got to the mall and yet again it was mostly women's clothing and a few computer shops which seemed to sell everything except memory card readers. I had a bit of a look round, grabbed a steak and cheese Subway for breakfast. Found it very strange that I had to sit in a men only area in the food court, men aren't to be trusted sitting near women and families apparently. If the men's seating area is full, no single men allowed. Luckily it was empty and I found a quiet seat, had my breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed smoking a cigarette somewhere where I can't normally! Time to move on...

Outside the mall, I spotted another huge mall - The CityMall, just down a steep, rocky, sandy hill and across a busy road. I somehow managed make it across alive! Just next to the mall in an empty space were several shoddy looking tents put up, presumably people camping out waiting for Fifa 2010 to be released.

Security everywhere seem to hate me having a backpack, but the security guard at CityMall laughed when he grabbed it off me and realised there was nothing in it! This is more of a western-style mall: Debenhams; Next; The Body Shop; Monsoon etc. Massive supermarket here, managed to get my memory card so I can now add photos to my blogs, also grabbed some cheap food and drinks to put in the fridge in my room.

Got another taxi back to the hotel in time to watch Arsenal Vs. Blackburn on Iraqi TV. 6-2, get in! It was starting to get late, so decided to head to the outskirts of Amman to check out the Abu Darwish Mosque situated on top of the steep Jebel al-Ashrafiyeh. The mosque was built in 1961 and has alternating black and white brickwork and looks stunning, especially as the sun was starting to set as I arrived. Got approached by a group of kids who looked (without meaning to sound racist or stereotypical) like the street urchins from Aladdin. I politely declined and headed off in search of food.

I finally worked up the courage to try some local cuisine and found a suitable looking street vendor. They didn't speak English, so I just shrugged and left it up to them to decide for me. They gave me a long roll filled with, small falafel balls smeared over the bread, sweet potato fries, aubergine, diced tomato, spiced cauliflower and something which I couldn't work out what it was. It was quite spicy and very filling. Don't think i'd try it again, it had some seasonings in it which weren't really to my taste.

Now i'm just trying to plan my day tomorrow, hopefully driving won't be too bad. CRAZY drivers over here, there's no such thing as 'give way', it' just a big free-for-all. My car arrives at 9am, so early start for me.

---

Photos

Mecca Mall
One of Amman's biggest shopping malls

Smoking...
Why can't it be like this in England...? I know, cancer, but still!

Abu Darwish Mosque
Mosque built in 1961. Striking alternating black and white brickwork

Jordanian Food
Don't know what it was, but was nice!

The Raghadan Flagpole
The third tallest free-standing flagpole in the world