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