Blogs from Jordan, Middle East - page 100

This was on our last day in Jordan, on our way back we explored Shobak and the Little Petra. If only I knew this place was more or less like any other place and worth the miss I wouldn't have made all that effort. It's a very small place and can be finished within 30 mins also there were hardly any tourist so mom was very uncomfortable to hang in here. What I hated most was our driver who was actually going to take us to Wadi Rum and Aqaba got us confused and bought us here instead. If only I would have read Lonely Planet on my last day I would have bargained better. We had an early morning flight at 3 and we still had 24 hours to go. Thanks to Abu Nasir, our ... read more

Marhaba kulukum! I hope that everyone is doing well and that your lives are fulfilling whatever you are doing. Mine is certainly feeling that way of late, a feeling which has definitely grown after I visited Petra this Thursday. Without further ado let me tell you about it. Petra was recently named one of the 7 wonders of the world on a new list that has been put out recently and before I came to Jordan it was the one place that I truly wanted to see. This was probably from my love of the movie "The Last Crusade" where one of the main buildings in Petra is prominently featured as the resting place of the Holy Grail. Because of the fame we wanted to get in as much time as possible there so we left ... read more

Floating In Salt After A Day Of Petrafication After spending a couple of days seeing Roman ruins, Byzantine churches, and Biblical lands you’d think we’d be tired of the old stuff. In most cases I would agree with you. I have a longer shelf life when it comes to ruins than Kel does, but even I have my limits. After a couple of days of solid ruins rumination, it’s usually time for a break for this traveler. But (there it is, the big but you knew was coming) Petra is a place that overcomes tourist fatigue. Petra is a place that inspires dreaming and imagination. There are few sights on the planet that can compare with the mystery and almost fairy-tale quality of the remains of this huge sight located in the southern part of ... read more

There is no mistaking the fact that Jordan is a Kingdom steeped in history and culture. From the moment you arrive, you get a sense of its rich heritage, all around are remnants of ancient civilizations long since past, yet they still remain, stamped into the very fabric of this amazing Kingdom and etched into the soul of the people who live here. Amman, the capital city of Jordan is a sprawling city spread over 19 hills. The only modern city combined with the ancient civilization. Mom and I surely had a relaxing and a memorable holiday. Arabic in Jordan would really be an advantage to make the communication simpler and people ripping you off every where. We arrived early morning and checked in Firas Palace hotel which was far from the city. But we had ... read more

Hey everyone, it has been a little while since I last posted because I thought I would give your eyes a break after writing a book about my Eid trip. Everything has been going well here and I just finished my midterm which only took a measly 3 and 1/2 hours to complete. Classes are going well and I feel like I am really getting a grasp on the language. I was in the French Cultural Center (where I take Amiyya classes) talking to one of my friends in Arabic and a group of Jordanians interrupted us to say that we sounded fluent and spoke just like they did which although probably not true was nice to hear none the less. I felt the need to write another entry because I just got back from a ... read more