I recently visited Amman, Jordan. I flew from California, where I have lived all my life, to attend a TedXDeadSea conference. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. I do not speak Arabic, although I understand about 80% of what is being said.
There were a few things I did not enjoy, but I'll get to that later... Here is a list of the many great things I experienced:
1. The Jordanian people were very friendly (almost all spoke English) and helpful. (Except for the guys who check your passport at the airport. They don't crack a smile.)
2. The food was exceptional. I had the best sherwerma, hummus, falafel, and Mansef (chunks of lamb over rice, covered with a yogurt sauce and pine nuts), which is their national dish. The Arabic coffee in those little cups with the cookies filled with dates were delectable.
3. I loved going to the downtown, which was one of my favorite things to do. It has an amazing array of things to buy and do, i.e., clothes, sugarcane juice, restaurants, the gold market, etc. I love just watching the people there, especially those wearing the traditional head dress.
4. The whole Dead Sea experience was amazing. The hotel was exceptional, offering great views, food, and service. The conference was inspiring and educational, and I met a lot of really nice people there.
5. I loved the fact that while driving in Amman you would randomly see a Shepard with their goats or lambs grazing on a patch of grass right in the middle of the city.
6. I attended a local Tweet Up (a meeting where you meet fellow Twitter users) in Amman where I met a lot of exciting, young vibrant Jordanians who all want to make their country better and are passionate about their causes.
7. I was fortunate enough to go to the city of Salt and attended a party where the food and dancing never stopped flowing. And I won't forget the singer, music, and belly dancing that everyone did. Of course, I had to participate in that also.
8. The mall, City Mall, is beautiful, modern, and nicer than the mall in my hometown.
9. I visited the place of Jesus' baptism at the Jordan River, where a lovely Jordanian gave us a tour and explained each historic site as we walked to the river. It was truly amazing that as I stood on the bank of the Jordan River, I could see Israel right in front of me. In fact, there was an Israeli soldier there and we were so close we could have yelled back and forth and carried on a conversation. Amazing! And while I was there, saw these three people come and get baptized in the Jordan River.
Now for the things I didn't like (there aren't many):
1. The smoking! Everyone smokes, or a least it seems that way. I was told it was against the law to smoke in public places, however, no one obeys the law and no one enforces it. "No Smoking" signs are posted and I would see someone smoking right next to it.
2. The garbage on the sides of the road where people were picnicking. People would leave all their trash after they finished eating. They left plates, napkins, cups, containers, cans, bottles, etc., right where they sat.
3. The driving! You have to see it to believe it is all I can say. If you are driving on a two-lane street, the Jordanians will find a way, if there's room, to make it into a three lanes! Merging traffic, cutting each other off, it's like a video game. I'm so glad I didn't have to drive there. I just shut my eyes and prayed for my life!
4. The stray cats I saw everywhere. I am an animal lover, so I was quite upset that there are so many homeless cats. They seem well fed and they walk around everywhere from the hotel to the residential district. I wanted to adopt them all.
Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to do all the things I wanted to, or visit all the historic sites I wanted to! Yet, overall, my trip to Jordan was awesome and I highly recommend that everyone go there for vacation. The Jordanian people are very friendly, helpful, and generous. I should know, I'm married to one.
