Visiting the neighbours in the East

---

Destination 1: Amman

On the 7th of June early in the morning I travelled to Nazareth with my friend Catalina (classmate from Germany), we had booked a bus from Nazareth to Amman, Jordan. It takes about 4-5 hours to Amman, this is including the hour you spend at the border. It was not that cheap actually crossing the border, when you leave Israel you need to pay at the border and in Jordan you need to pay when you enter the country. The way there is therefore expensive, while going back to Israel again costs nothing😊

A funny fact: At the border the bus changed its numberplates from israeli to jordanian.

So we reached Amman, with no map and no clue (always an exciting feeling). we asked a cabdriver to get us to the Rainbow street which is supposed to be quite known for the young people and the tourists. While sitting at a cafe in this street chatting with some local students we found out that the reason for this street to be such a hotspot for the young people is because downtown Amman is crazy crowded. Rainbow street is the best place to relax and hang out at cafes and pubs.

After having been downtown I finally understood what these students were talking about. Downtown was smelly, polluted, filled with garbage, cars and many busy people. Out of the three grand mosques in Amman one of them is supposed to be female-friendly, this one is located in the middle of downtown. Oh, and Amman is a realy hilly city, so downtown is really far down. We wanted to see this mosque and decided therefore to continue our journey in the polluted and stinky downtown. WE arrived to the mosque took some pictures put our scarves around the head and shoulders and were on our way in. However a guy there stopped us and said we were not allowed to go in, then another guy said, u can go in but only in this room for women (2x3 meters). We decided to go in, but then men from the inside shouted and told us to go out, so we went out and the guys outside told us to go in and then the ones inside again told us to go out etc. So eventually we just left, feeling very annoyed and uncomfortable. After about an hour downtown, looking at the market, the mosque and the people, we decided to go up the mountain again for some fresh air. Our throats were hurting and we felt we couldn't breath the air down there anymore.

We had found ourselves a couchsurfing host who luckily lived on a hill top (ergo fresh air), we met in the evening, went for drinks at a pub in rainbow street and made dinner afterwards. It was really nice. Our plan was to stay for two days and two nights in Amman, but we really did not picture ourselves walking around in the city anymore and we were looking forward to continuing our trip to the south, towards Petra. In the morning we got up really early went downtown for breakfast at "the best" hummus place (read: not so good and expensive). I needed to use the bathroom while I was there, but the hummus place didn't have a bathroom so they sent me to the hotel across the street. I had read about this hotel (Cliff hotel) in the travelguide and it had told that if you are a traveller without money and you dont mind a filthy place surrounded by noise, this would be a good spot. So I used the bathroom there and here's my tip, don't ever stay there, you have to be a really greedy person to stay in a hotel like that. Spend some extra money so that at least you will leave Amman with good memories. After breakfast we went to look at the old amfi-theater located in the center and from there we took a taxi to the main busstation in hope to find one that would take us to a better place, with silence and breathable air.

Another funny fact: Located in Amman is the highest free standing flagpole in the world!! The second highest is in Aqaba (also Jordan, at the red sea). This flag is the one you can spot if you hang out in Eilat. There are two other flagpoles in the world that are taller, but they are secured with wires (which doesn't count as free standing, offcourse) These two poles are in North Korea and South Korea😊

An observation: While driving in the bus to Amman I was shocked to see how people drive in Jordan with children in the cars. They have no childrens seats. I passed cars where children at the age of 4-5 were standing in the frontseat laughing, jumping or looking at the cars behind them (without belts). This was on the highway, if there would be an accident these children would fly several meters out the front window. Also babies were held on the lap while driving. These things shock me and make me feel like im abroad, cause we have rules against this in my homecountry.

---

Photos

Amman
The highest flagpole in the world (view from Rainbow street)

Amman
On our way down

Amman
Nice decorations through a really ugly alley

Amman
The mosque

Amman
A glimpse from the inside of the mosque

Amman
Catalina

Amman
The Blue Mosque on top of the mountain (not a female-friendly mosque)

Amman
A school

Amman
View of the city

Amman
Amfi-theater

Amman
Amfi-theater

Amman
a vegetable market

Comments

[ron]

flagpole in Amman
How high was it?