Blogs from Jordan, Middle East - page 85

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Middle East » Jordan » North » Amman September 10th 2008

Ok, so it's been two weeks since I last updated, but not too much has happened. I got sick a couple days after my last post, and it took me close to a week to recover. Ramadan started 10 days ago, and so far it hasn't been too bad. The calls to prayer are much more frequent, and much louder, and people tend to walk around banging pots and pans at four in the morning to wake people up for prayer and breakfast before the sunrise. School starts for us at the same time, and we're allowed to eat and drink in school so long as we don't in public, out of respect for those fasting. Breaking the fast in public also happens to be illegal, as I recently found out, and you can go to ... read more
cafe de silva with emily and christina
iftar - empty streets

Middle East » Jordan » South » Aqaba September 9th 2008

Den heutigen Tag haben wir in einem Meer voller Korallen verbracht. Das war toll, sonnig und schön, aber hier nicht weiter erwähnenswert, weil ja doch ohne Action :-D Dennis hat allerdings gut (um nicht zu sagen astronomisch viel) Geld in eine Unterwasser-Einwegkamera gesteckt, sodass ihr vielleicht zuhause den ein odern anderen Eindruck davon bekommen könnt. Dafür hat unser 4. Mitglied im Bunde heute auch Probleme mit der Verdauung: Irgendwo in Syrien müssen wir etwas unverträgliches getankt haben (die Parallelen vom Syrischen Essen zum Syrischen Sprit möge jeder selbst ziehen…sorgt beides für Probleme :D), jedenfalls stottert unser Motor urplötzlich. Nach einem erfolglosem Tausch des Kraftstofffilters und Kommunikation mit unserern deutschen Autopapis und -opis, stotter ich den Berg hoch zur Tanke und mach voll. Jetzt läuft es wieder problemlos. Und der Auspuff macht auch keine böse... read more

Middle East » Jordan » North » Amman September 9th 2008

We have arrived in Amman after leaving Petra and an exciting time there. Take a lot to top that day! On our way we went to a Crusader castle Shoback (http://www.atlastours.net/jordan/shobak.html) which they are restoring but a lot is still very original including the catapault stones which they used to fight the enemy. Sitting on top of a hill they had 360deg all round. From there we headed to Madaba and visited St George Church which has the mosaic map of the Holy land which dates back to 6th century ; http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/mad/index.html The mosaic in this town is beautiful. Would have bought a table but the pricing was too much. & Free shipping!! We went to a disability factory where they explained the mosaic process. Very patient people that just sit there and work in this ... read more

Middle East » Jordan » South » Aqaba September 8th 2008

Halbzeit! Wir haben die Tuerken gefunden! Nun ist es so weit: Die Haelfte unserer Reise ist beendet, Zeit ein kleines Resuemee zu schreiben. Was habe ich erwartet von einer Reise in das arabische Land? Sicherlich nicht das, was ich im Endeffekt erlebt habe. Mit meiner Fernsehbildung durch saemtliche Indjana Jones Filme, diverse Horrorszenarien mit Mumien und Jagden nach unterschiedlichsten Diamanten in allen Spektralfarben und noch mehr Fluessen, konnte ich ja nur denken, wir wuerden hier nur Nazis, Russen, oder Ausserirdische finden und alle Einheimischen haetten einen an der Waffel und tragen kichernd und tollpatschig unsere Koffer, oder prügeln sich in Bars. Die Straßen sind nicht geteert, sondern abenteuerliche Sandpisten, sodass wir ueber jede Duene rueberbrettern muessen. Keiner versteht ein Wort - weder wir, was die Einheimischen sagen, noch die Einheimischen, was wir sagen -... read more

Middle East » Jordan » North » Amman September 7th 2008

That's right ladies and gentlemen, I have finally begun classes. On a Sunday no less! welcome to the Middle East. 8:50 this morning was my first lesson in colloquial Arabic, and by 9:30 we were working on Modern Standard. Out by 11:10 for lunch. Not bad. Then again, this is the abbreviated Ramadan schedule. it will be noon once the month of Ramadan is over. Before you freak out mom and dad, this is still 2.5 hours of Arabic EVERY DAY. it will be more than three soon enough. For some reason I was placed a level above harry into level three. We'll see how long that lasts. I was doing alright in class today, but I got the impression that this was easy review for some of the people in the class. I had to ... read more

Middle East » Jordan » South » Petra September 6th 2008

Today we went into Petra. Arrived there about 8.30 am, those that wanted to ride horses to the beginning of the siq took off as we walked. Not too sure how my foot would have held up in the stirrups. Walking through the siq was an amazing feeling. Wondering what we were going to discover every time we turned a corner. Changing colours of the rock formations, carvings into the rock where temples had been made, and they had even built a gutter to carry water from the runoff from the high cliffs down and into a dam they had made to have water supply. Niches in the rock where there were lit torches placed to pave the way through. Because there were different civilisations Greek, Romans and Egyptians, there is evidence of their style of ... read more

Middle East » Jordan » North » Amman September 5th 2008

29 Aug - our last day of the trip proves extremely diverse and one of the most memorable... we have a 4 hour drive from Aqaba to the Dead Sea - which is 400m below sea level, the lowest point on earth. En route we stop to see a stone column, which is supposedly where Lot's wife turned to a pillar of salt, according to the Bible story. We are driving only km's away from the Israel border and drive through numerous checkpoints. We stop for a few hours at a custom-made resort. It really is the strangest feeling to float in the Dead Sea. It's also v sore when the salt gets into wounds you didn't realise you had and unnerving to be in such warm water - not like Portobello beach at all!!!! We ... read more

Middle East » Jordan » South » Wadi Rum September 5th 2008

28 Aug - we're in Lawrence of Arabia country, hence the TE Lawrence quote! We drive to Wadi Rum this morning - even more spectacular scenery. I must find some different superlatives to use! Jagged, rugged jebels rise from the desert sands. This is completely unique scenery, in a similar way to Cappadocia - it's not like the Alps, Dolomites, Carpathians, etc and other such amazing mountainous areas. I'm almost sick with the anticipation of our camel trek. These animals are HUGE and I seem to be allocated the biggest beast. However, I get on ok...without falling off (it's a long way down if I did) and manage to survive 3 HOURS trekking across Wadi Rum - no bad for a lass who's never been on the back of a horse or even a donkey before!!!!!! ... read more

Middle East » Jordan » West » Dead Sea September 5th 2008

I went to the dead sea this morning (7:30AM) with a couple other kids from my group. It was a blast! We caught a cab from Amman to the Dead Sea, only 20JD one way. Not to bad considering we just flagged down a cab (the buses don't run during Ramadan). We went to a hotel called the Dead Sea Spa for the day. 15JD to use their pool, changing rooms, and private beach. It was GREAT! the pool had a sweet water slide, and we spent pretty much the entire day going in and out of the pool, considering it was around 120 degrees Fahrenheit! The Sea itself was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. Well, perhaps cool isn't the right word because it was so HOT! it wasn't so bad early ... read more

Middle East » Jordan » South » Aqaba September 5th 2008

Left Aqaba today after a good nights sleep in a nice Hotel for a change. Clean , clean, clean!! Driving along Jordan is so huge adn the statistics are amazing. Apparently 50% of the population is under 18.. Very Modern and from Aqaba, you can see Israel. Amazing how close. Aqaba is a very nice place. http://www.aqaba.jo/english/index.php Went to Wadi Rum which is in the outskirts and occupied by the bedouins. Amazing rock formations and sand colours! http://www.pbase.com/mansour_mouasher/rum&page=all check out this site to see what I mean. Not my pictures but I have similar. Had tea in a bedouin tent and it was so cool from the sun, and so relaxing. Would loved to have stayed out in the night there.. Then had a feast for lunch. Food is so fabulous.. and healthy! Headed off to ... read more




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