Before heading to Yemen, I made time to spend a week in Jordan. I happened to pick two amazing couchsurfers to stay with; they really contributed to making my time here in Jordan something special. Dori and her boyfriend Fawzi live in the city of Amman. Both are incredibly generous, warm, and open minded individuals that were well worth meeting even if Jordan hadn't turned out to be the unique country that it is.
Fawzi and Dori are native Jordanians, though they have both done their fare share of traveling throughout the Middle East and elsewhere. On the first night of my arrival they treated me to a delicious dinner of mansef, a traditional dish composed of seasoned yellow rice with sliced almonds with cooked lamb covered with yogurt sauce. It was so delicious I've been craving it ever since. After dinner and throughout the week they took me to various coffee (qaw-wa) and tea (shai) cafes to help cultivate a rounded perception of the culture in Amman.
I was surprised at how well educated I found most people here to be and impressed at the high prevalence of English fluency. It was interesting to learn and observe that the city of Amman is built on seven different mountains (or jabals) and additionally, that it was built in five different layers. Apparently, each time a catastrophe occurred that forced a wave people to migrate to Amman, a new level was formed. You can see the structure of the city from various places and it gives the area a unique look and feel.
On my second day, Dori and Fawzi took me to the roman ruins of Jerash and Aljoun Castle. Both cites were something to behold; the architecture and technology used are still quite impressive. There is a column (designated by Fawzi as the "wobbly post") that displays how some of the columns actually sway back and forth with the wind. You can observe this phenomenon by watching a spoon placed at the base of the column move up and down with the column itself in the rhythm of wind gusts. I'll try to post a video I took of the "wobbly post."
That night we went out for chicken and beef kebabs, humus, stuffed grape leaves, taboon (a type of flatbread) and a plethora of other side dishes. My tummy was very happy while in Jordan.
Visiting Jordan means you have to go to Petra. Fawzi's sister and brother were nice enough to volunteer to take me there and accompany me on the hike. This ancient civilization was fascinating on so many levels; I couldn't imagine there being any other place quite like it. The natural reds, oranges, and yellows that colored the stone formations were laud and demanding of attention, dancing in various shades and depths and encompassing all walls and nooks. The tombs, homes, colosseum, monastery, and other portions were all carved from the rock that dominates the area. The people that once inhabited here were said to be more technologically advanced than those in Rome and their capabilities can be seen from the intricate waterways and designs throughout. Petra is huge and despite a brisk hiking pace, our crew had to ride donkeys to see the monastery at the end of the journey to ensure we saw everything. I don't believe in doing this sort of thing normally as I don't approve of the treatment of the animals, but under the circumstances (time and my position as a guest) I made an exception. Hidden at the top of a cliff, the view from the monastery was deserving of the donkey ride it took to get there. By the time we got back to Amman it was after midnight and we were starving so we sought out shawarma for dinner; some of the best I've had thus far.
Shawarma, by the way, is a sandwich-like wrap filled with shaved chicken or beef topped with humus or tahini and eaten with tomato and cucumber. The meat is placed on a spit, and grilled. The fat within the meat keeps the shawarma flavorful and juicy. Here's a picture of the meat before its shaved off and put into a pita.
I happened to be in Jordan during the week of Eid, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. People are given the week off and it is a holiday comparable to Christmas in the US. Its tradition for people take time to visit all the members of their family and exchange money and an incredible variety of different sweats. Dori invited me along with her to visit the members of her family so I was fortunate enough to be able to get an authentic look at Eid. She also fed me lots of mamul, a cookie made with dates that's only eaten during Eid.
On my last day my hosts took me to see the and Umayyad Palace Amman Citadel and then they drove me an hour out of their way to the airport. Dori and Fawzi are the kind of people that you wish you lived closer to. My stay in Jordan was brief, but I really felt a connection to those two and hope we can do more traveling together in the future.
You can check out Jordan through my eyes on the Jordan album below.
Fawzi and Dori are native Jordanians, though they have both done their fare share of traveling throughout the Middle East and elsewhere. On the first night of my arrival they treated me to a delicious dinner of mansef, a traditional dish composed of seasoned yellow rice with sliced almonds with cooked lamb covered with yogurt sauce. It was so delicious I've been craving it ever since. After dinner and throughout the week they took me to various coffee (qaw-wa) and tea (shai) cafes to help cultivate a rounded perception of the culture in Amman.
I was surprised at how well educated I found most people here to be and impressed at the high prevalence of English fluency. It was interesting to learn and observe that the city of Amman is built on seven different mountains (or jabals) and additionally, that it was built in five different layers. Apparently, each time a catastrophe occurred that forced a wave people to migrate to Amman, a new level was formed. You can see the structure of the city from various places and it gives the area a unique look and feel.
On my second day, Dori and Fawzi took me to the roman ruins of Jerash and Aljoun Castle. Both cites were something to behold; the architecture and technology used are still quite impressive. There is a column (designated by Fawzi as the "wobbly post") that displays how some of the columns actually sway back and forth with the wind. You can observe this phenomenon by watching a spoon placed at the base of the column move up and down with the column itself in the rhythm of wind gusts. I'll try to post a video I took of the "wobbly post."
That night we went out for chicken and beef kebabs, humus, stuffed grape leaves, taboon (a type of flatbread) and a plethora of other side dishes. My tummy was very happy while in Jordan.
Visiting Jordan means you have to go to Petra. Fawzi's sister and brother were nice enough to volunteer to take me there and accompany me on the hike. This ancient civilization was fascinating on so many levels; I couldn't imagine there being any other place quite like it. The natural reds, oranges, and yellows that colored the stone formations were laud and demanding of attention, dancing in various shades and depths and encompassing all walls and nooks. The tombs, homes, colosseum, monastery, and other portions were all carved from the rock that dominates the area. The people that once inhabited here were said to be more technologically advanced than those in Rome and their capabilities can be seen from the intricate waterways and designs throughout. Petra is huge and despite a brisk hiking pace, our crew had to ride donkeys to see the monastery at the end of the journey to ensure we saw everything. I don't believe in doing this sort of thing normally as I don't approve of the treatment of the animals, but under the circumstances (time and my position as a guest) I made an exception. Hidden at the top of a cliff, the view from the monastery was deserving of the donkey ride it took to get there. By the time we got back to Amman it was after midnight and we were starving so we sought out shawarma for dinner; some of the best I've had thus far.Shawarma, by the way, is a sandwich-like wrap filled with shaved chicken or beef topped with humus or tahini and eaten with tomato and cucumber. The meat is placed on a spit, and grilled. The fat within the meat keeps the shawarma flavorful and juicy. Here's a picture of the meat before its shaved off and put into a pita.
I happened to be in Jordan during the week of Eid, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. People are given the week off and it is a holiday comparable to Christmas in the US. Its tradition for people take time to visit all the members of their family and exchange money and an incredible variety of different sweats. Dori invited me along with her to visit the members of her family so I was fortunate enough to be able to get an authentic look at Eid. She also fed me lots of mamul, a cookie made with dates that's only eaten during Eid.
On my last day my hosts took me to see the and Umayyad Palace Amman Citadel and then they drove me an hour out of their way to the airport. Dori and Fawzi are the kind of people that you wish you lived closer to. My stay in Jordan was brief, but I really felt a connection to those two and hope we can do more traveling together in the future.
You can check out Jordan through my eyes on the Jordan album below.
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