Sunny, hazy, 100
Day 1: Amman
We arrived in Amman late morning and the first step outside of the airport was nothing short of incredible. It was cool! Grass is greener and all that (when we were in cold and rainy Morocco, I was more than ready for the desert temps!), but when I felt that air...oh, man.
Good thing the weather was nice because then we could roll down the windows and enjoy it for the next four hours it took us to navigate (or not) Amman to find the place (or not) we were supposed to be staying.
The
Lonely Planet has been our guide through these travels. I think it's the best out there for honest and mainstream as well as off-the-path information, it has maps, generally up-to-date information and witty, readable advic
e (we're starting a collection!). Because our trip was a little spur-of-the-moment we didn't have a chance to pick on up for Jordan before we left (oh, yeah, and because books about Jordan are banned here-ha). Point of that being, we missed the warning about Amman (don't drive yourself) until the next day when we (finally) found a mall (which didn't have a bookstore) and then (accidentally) found one on the opposite side of a busy, divided highway, which we of course crossed, desperately, frogger-style to find our Lonely Planet!
Lonely Planet has been our guide through these travels. I think it's the best out there for honest and mainstream as well as off-the-path information, it has maps, generally up-to-date information and witty, readable advic
e (we're starting a collection!). Because our trip was a little spur-of-the-moment we didn't have a chance to pick on up for Jordan before we left (oh, yeah, and because books about Jordan are banned here-ha). Point of that being, we missed the warning about Amman (don't drive yourself) until the next day when we (finally) found a mall (which didn't have a bookstore) and then (accidentally) found one on the opposite side of a busy, divided highway, which we of course crossed, desperately, frogger-style to find our Lonely Planet! Back in the car, we worked our way around and through the maze of one way, divided roads (unnamed or multi-named) with no turnabouts (better be sure about your direction!), two lane traffic jams that become one, three or four lanes depending on the mood of the drivers around you, roundabouts that, when they exist, are unnamed and have no rules and the constant stop-and-go of cars, cabs and busses that stop to chat with others or pick up/drop off passengers on a whim!
Day two: Follow the Yellow Pope Road
Finally making it out of town, though not on the road that was optimum for our trajectory, we embarked on a journey of spiritual guidance. Yes, the sites were stunning (Jordan is the proud guardian of many
Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites), but that was once we got there. The roads, some unmarked on maps, intersections nonexistent or detoured, etc., were imminently more easy to follow when we noticed the welcome banners and yellow-and-white flags of the Vatican, which had been placed in welcome for the Pope, who had preceded us on the pilgrimage road. We stopped following the map and started following the flag. It worked! (The Pontiff, in fact, had stopped by Mt. Nebo the day before)
Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites), but that was once we got there. The roads, some unmarked on maps, intersections nonexistent or detoured, etc., were imminently more easy to follow when we noticed the welcome banners and yellow-and-white flags of the Vatican, which had been placed in welcome for the Pope, who had preceded us on the pilgrimage road. We stopped following the map and started following the flag. It worked! (The Pontiff, in fact, had stopped by Mt. Nebo the day before) We were actually trying to get to Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan, where Jesus was baptized, but stumbling across Mt. Nebo was a fortuitous event...
Very crazy, but very fun. I think if I would have seen Mt. Nebo I would have cried, as we just finished the Life of Moses.
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