Blogs from Amman, North, Jordan, Middle East - page 10

Over the last few months i’ve begun to realise that I don’t want to continue backpacking, on my own, with my trusty (but rather old and smelly) rucksack, in the cheapest way possible! With that in mind I changed the trip i’d arranged for Jordan, Dubai, SrI Lanka and then onwards to Thailand and Indonesia; to a simple two and a half week holiday to Jordan and Dubai. I also took a suitcase. A major step for me! An actual suitcase; One that could be wheeled around, rather than worn on my back. I also booked – in advance – the hotel where I was going to spend my first night... this was, indeed, a big change. And here I am; In Jordan; In the capital city of Amman. And whilst I am on my own ... read more

It is quite hard to write this post. Tomorrow Tad and I will depart for Egypt, and this is the end of my time in Jordan on this trip. It has been quite a time, and I have enjoyed it immensely. If Tad comes back to Jordan in the future I will be sure to pay him a visit. Tad and I have done quite a lot, from climbing waterfalls in Wadi Weida, to an ex-pat party in Amman, to spending time swatting flies and killing ants in al-Mazra. There have been many quiet periods, which has been nice, and many adventures as well. Most of all it has been great to spend time with Tad. Watching him teach English in Arabic and being so patient with his students is a great inspiration to me. We ... read more

Amman citadel Temple of Hercules. Dedicated to the hero god as 161-166 AD when the city was called Philadelphia. The hand and elbow of a 35m high Collossal stature was found and Hercules was found on many coins from the area at that time. Hercules was the son of Zeus and a mortal woman. Umayyad palace and town with baths and collonsfed street Fortified Walls Bagpipes- traditional instrument Head of Tyche wearing turreted crown Museum All the way from stone age 40,000-10,000 years ago, Neolithic ages etc. all the way up to the Roman Age. Tgere are many prehistoric remains in the museum as Jordan is rich in remains from prehistoric periods as the south Levant was the only corridor through which wary humanoids migrated from Africa to the rest of the world. Much Nabatean sculpture ... read more

Hi Everybody! I have always been intriqued by the Middle East, but my common sense convinced me to use caution when visiting this part of the world. Jordan is an amazing country, full of contrasts. The people here depend on tourism and are genuinely friendly. We started our adventure in Amman, the capital of the Kingdom of Jordan and home of 80% of its citizens. It is a city of many hills, white stone homes, modern skyscrapers, ancient Roman ruins, and many markets. It is scorching hot in the summer but very pleasant in January. Amman has been inhabited for 9000 years making it one of the world’s oldest cities. Muslims make up 96% of the population and Christians 4%. The people of Jordan have religious freedom and seem to live peacefully together. King Abdallah II ... read more

We spent a total of 4 nights in Amman, using the comfort of the city as our home base for visiting the north of Jordan. Amman is a city of hills. First impression, in most areas, this is not really a great place to walk around. Pavements are solid high, and sometimes, they simply disappear. This can certainly be understood due the the scorching heat in the summer, who want to walk here? But we are in the middle of the winter, and we are enjoying a nice 18 degrees by day, the perfect temperature for a nice walk. The city being really hilly too, you have to choose wisely your walking itinery to avoid these serious up and down. Our base is in Shmeisani, one of the modern area of the city. Here it's all ... read more