Jordan Part 1

We made it back from Jordan last Saturday night and as expected it has been like a fire drill ever since. Catching up with work has consumed most of our time since then. All that said, it was worth it.

We flew from Muscat, Oman to Amman, Jordan via Bahrain. It was nice to finally see the city of Amman since many people often think we live there - due to the similarities in pronunciation. As a matter of fact, whilst in Jordan I always told people we live in Muscat, because if you say “I live in Oman” they think you live in Amman, and thats just confusing.

All that said, I lied when I said it was nice to finally see Amman. We never actually saw the city - we went from the airport to the car and started making a bee-line for the beach in Aqaba. This is where we ended up:

Can you blame us for skipping Amman?

Relative to our days in Honduras, our digs in Jordan were a significant upgrade. It turns out the middle of July is the low season in Jordan, which opens up all sorts of opportunities for staying in nice places for half the price (literally). When you descend from the fifth ring of Hades (Muscat in summer) to… say the second or third (Jordan in summer), the difference in temperature feels downright pleasant.

Aqaba is located at the tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, a point of convergence for Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, and Jordan.

We could see four countries from our hotel window. The proximity to all these other countries combined with the high number of tourists led to an above average abundance of police, soldiers, and security. It wasn’t overwhelming, but they were always there somewhere. Is it comforting or worrisome when you have to pass through a metal detector when entering buildings? What about when they check the undersides of cars around the hotel with mirrors? The answer for us: you get used to it.

You also get used to what I like to call the “sleazy charm” of the streets of Jordan. Outside of the hotel, the sidewalks and buildings all had a certain greasy, grimy feeling. Nothing was outright gross, but everything looked like it could use a good washing. Buildings everywhere look half-finished (on purpose).

Our driver, George, explained that its part of the culture here: why finish the beams when you might add another floor to your house or level to your store? Better to leave that re-bar sticking up….

In general, people throughout the middle east are all for building something but less in favor of maintenance. Hence that certain sheen to the streets and buildings.

The people of Jordan are somewhat more laid-back than their Arab neighbors to the east. We found the locals to be easy going and willing to chat. Even the people in the tourist trades weren’t overly pushy about selling you something. You can get a beer or a glass of wine at most restaurants, and you don’t even need to have a special license to buy something at a liquor store. A sizable portion of the women would cover up, but not the vast majority in the Gulf and not nearly to the same extent.

We really enjoyed our few days in Aqaba – we did several dives, we swam, and hung out by the pool. One evening we went to the local Turkish Bath House. Bree described the facilities as “like a prison”, while I like to think of them as “an experience”. Either way, we stuck around and were soaped, scrubbed, massaged, served tea, and sent on our way. Despite the bargain price of $15 per person, I’m not sure we’ll be returning.