REFLECTION

The idea of writing a travel blog was an interesting assignment but I didn't much care for it.  I like traditional writing assignments like writing and critiquing a paper. However,  I enjoyed looking up information about a different and new country I really didn't know about before. Unfortunately I really don't have any interest in going to actually visit Amman. The only thing that sounded particularly interesting to me was the museum with the old statues and the pieces of the Dead Sea scrolls.  The Dead Sea would also be very cool to see in person.  I wish we would have gotten to pick our country and then maybe be assigned a city within the country we chose. I also wish we could have dedicated a couple classes to presenting our places and maybe writing a reflection on someone elses country we think sounds interesting.  Overall I did enjoy this project even though I had to do mine twice! :)

day 6, last night!

After the whole week of trekking all over Amman and neighboring cities I decided to dedicate day 6 to shopping! I didn't want to go to just any mall however I did find a starbucks and had to treat myself. I went to a shop called The Jordan River Designs that is sponsored by Save The Children. They sell tiny green soaps made of pure Jordanian olive oils. The I went in Downtown Amman where there are many spice shops selling a variety of teas, coffee, spices, oils etc. They are not expensive and offers quite a variety.  There are many clothes shops, fresh produce, sweet shops, shops selling handicrafts and souvenirs. The downtown market in Amman is a very colorful market with pretty much everything for sale that you need in daily life in Jordan.  It's not a very touristy market so the people mostly leave you alone to explore the market and try all the different types of fruits and nuts. I loved haggling prices!

I am left with about $800 after all my sight seeing, souveniers, taxis and food.

day 5

I woke up late this morning and decided to walk to a near by popular back alley hummus and falafel restaurant for a late lunch. It is then time to explore extensive Amman Citadel which offers fantastic views of the whole of Amman. There is also the impressive National Archaeological Museum which exhibits the oldest statues known (over 8,500 years old) and a small part of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

day 3 and 4

I woke up early and headed to the Dead Sea catching a local bus most of the way then a local taxi.  It wasn't a very nice day, there was a constant overcast but The Dead Sea is bizarre, I could float so easily because of all the salt. A local woman told me the mud was extreme good for your skin so she and I covered our arms, legs neck and face with it. The 

The next morning I decided to get up ridiculously early to head to see the Desert Castle. These are ancient castles built in the middle of the Arabian desert over 1,000 years ago. There is no direct transport to these castles so I decide to go to the closest one. I get a taxi to the required bus station in Amman.  I then get on the bus to Hallabat. The ancient sandstone bath house is good but not worth the effort to get here.  However it was a beautiful day so the walk around was very enjoyable
 

Temple of Hercules

day 1 and 2

Day 1 and 2 were a blurr. The hotel is nice and close to a lot of site seeing but I didn't realize how cramp and packed Amman was.  It's very hectic and hard to think with people speaking a different language all around you. 

There are several different languages spoken throughout Jordan and Amman. These include Adyghe, several Arabic dialects, English, Domari, and Jordanian Sign Language.

• Keef halak? (How are you?)
• Shu-kran (Thank you)
• Marhaba (Hello)
• Assalam-o-alaikum (Peace be with you)
• Aafwan (You’re welcome)
• Yallah (Let’s go)
• Ma’taam (Restaurant)
• Gway-say (I’m good)
• Fatoor (breakfast)
• Fatoora (receipt/bill)
• Sha’ey (tea)

The transportation wasn't bad. I've noticed just being here this short of a time that taxi is the best way to get around if something is not walking distance.  The bellhop at my hotel told me that western women will often get groped by local men on public transportation like buses. So I will defiantly steer clear of that. The weather has also been fantastic.The climate throughout all of Jordan is Mediterranean, so there really isn’t a bad time to visit. The summer temperatures tend to be very hot and dry by day and cool by night. Even during the winter months, between November and April, temperatures tend to vary between 61 – 72 degrees Fahrenhei which is exactly the weather i've had! I went to see theThe Citadel hill of Amman, known as Jabal al-Qual'a, which is home to the Temple of Hercules which is said to have been constructed under the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelies who reigned from 161 to 180 AD. It has been inhabited for centuries, important as a military and religious site. It dates back to Roman and Byzantine times.

here!!

Arrived in the Queen Alia International Airport and booked a 6 night stay at the Arena Space Hotel. It's only $430.90 (or 301.94 Jordanian Dinar) for 6 nights and is only 12.4 miles from the airport so my cab was very cheap. That was a verrrry long flight but I actually spent alot of it researching some history about Amman. I found out that Amman has been inhabited by several civilizations. The first civilization on record is during the Neolithic period, when archaeological discoveries in 'ain ghazal, located in eastern Amman, showed evidence of not only a settled life but also the growth of artistic work, which means that a well-developed civilization inhabited the city at that time. In the 13th century BC Amman was called Rabbath Ammon by the Ammonites.  Eventually after the Egyptians, Persians, and Assyrians took control of the civilization the Romans took it over, but it was during the Ghassanian ear that the city took the name Amman from the previous title of Philidelphia.  The city was actually destroyed by earthquakes several times.