(.After a long night/day of traveling, we arrived in Amman this afternoon (Jordan time
The flight welcomed us to the culture change as we were served Middle Eastern food on the flight. It was very interesting as we watched a woman perform one of her daily prayers next to us on the plane. The TV screens at our seats actually showed which way the Ka'aba was in reference to the body of the plane so all Muslims could make sure to face Mecca in prayer. Sleep was difficult but the night flight definitely helped in passing by 12 hours.
By the way, I can see that my sentences are starting to scramble. We are sitting here in our hotel lobby (where there is WiFi), and the internet browser continues to change to writing from right to left (students why is this?). Hopefully this turns out readable and if not it should be a fun puzzle to keep you busy for a while.
Upon arrival in the Amman (Queen Alia) Airport, we were picked up by van for a 4 hour journey to Aqaba. I was a little worried about the drive as the sun started to go down , but it turned out to be the most eye-opening experience I have had traveling thus far. We saw most of the country and watched the sun go down over the desert mountains of the country. Our driver stopped to get us traditional coffee which was very different but delicious. Then, at sunset it was incredible to see all of the cars and trucks pull over to the side of the desert highway. They made fires in some areas and had meals together in celebration (why is this?). We also stopped at night and walked a little around the desert to see the amazing sky of stars. No city lights in the desert- and you can see every constellation out there!
Eventually, we arrived to Aqaba which sits right on the Red Sea. The town is busy with camels walking around the roads and many stores/restaurants. We went right to dinner and had an amazing traditional dinner. The national dish is Mansaf which is lamb, rice, and a yogurt-like sauce. We could not finish one and our driver said he usually finishes 4 at a time. We also had Pita with Hummus and Tabouleh. The Hummus (spelled Hommus here) makes any store bought Hummus back home a shameful purchase. While I liked the Mansaf and Hommus, both of us enjoyed the Turkish salad Fattoush the most. The servers were from Syria and Egypt which represent much of the population. It was unfortunate to hear that they were reluctant to tell us where they were from because they "thought we might think they are terrorists". As I told them, we are Westerners who think outside of the media and know that is rediculous thinking. After dinner, they pulled us into the kitchen to show us how to make the traditional coffee. Wow- much more than just flipping on the coffee pot with beans and water! After paying, they invited us to have traditional hot mint tea with them. Delicious with a little sugar. The one server from Egypt was very happy we accepted the tea offering and he took a few photos of us.
We are now ready for bed in our hotel. The Hilton upgraded us to a room with a balcony that overlooks the Red Sea. The downtown is filled with city lights and I am excited to see what the water looks like from our room in the morning. Waking up in just 5 hours or so for an early go at Petra. Will write again tomorrow night but hope all have a great Saturday night back in the U.S. It is about 1 AM on Sunday here! Finally, thinking about my favorite part of our first day- it is honestly seeing the Real Version of a country (not just the tourist parts). The 4 hour drive showed us many things and gave us a view of how ordinary Jordanians live on a daily basis. The traditional meal at a little family cafe wrapped up this experience tonight. Until tomorrow
ZZ
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