July - Ramadan, Wadis, and Desert Castles

So sorry for the massive delay in my posting - life has been stuck on fastforward and I'm just now making the time to sit down and think about everything I've seen in the last couple weeks! I'm going to do my best to write about it all but I'll use pictures to guide my memory. 

Wadi Dana

Last weekend Savannah and I traveled down to Wadi Dana with Wild Jordan - an offshoot of the Royal Society for Nature Conservancy (RSCN). They host all-inclusive trips to their various nature reserves around the country - places like Wadi Mujib, Ajloun Forest, and Wadi Dana. The campsite was incredible - located on a cliff overlooking the entire reserve. We arrived just as the sun was setting and got into the back of an open air jeep/van that drove us down to the campsite. We settled into our tents and sat down for a huge dinner of Jordanian mezze dishes (the equivalent of Spanish tapas) and rice with chicken. I spent the evening staring up at the stars...truly spectacular out there. The next morning we set out for a hike. Me being me, I assumed that the advertised four hour hike would be challenging, something that would really stretch my legs. I was so wrong. Jordanian hiking  and camping seem to be lacking in the strenuous, nature-y, and adventurous categories. It was more like a nature stroll with a little rock climbing at the end. Sure, it took four hours...but only because we had several young children with us and a couple who had to stop for cigarette breaks along the way. I'm going to need some good long hikes up Cold Spring Trail when I get home...I can't really complain about the slow pace because it afforded me a lot of time to take in the soaring views down through the canyons. 

View from the highway

View down to the campsite

Campsite

Family!

Mom and Garrett are here! I took a taxi out at midnight to pick them up from the airport and had a hilarious English/Arabic lesson with my taxi driver. We spent the 45-minute ride pointing to things and saying the words in our respective languages, and repeating for pronunciation. There really isn't an Arabic equivalent to the English "p" sound, so any word with a "p" just turns to a "b" - case in point: bibsee = pepsi. Teaching Mohammed how to say airport and airplane was quite a challenge...the closest he got was saying something that sounded like "arbor." Oh well.  So, after hugs we hopped in a taxi and were back in Amman by 3am. The last week has been a beautiful experience of reliving my initial excitement and awe of this city. Sitting at Old View Cafe and looking over the city lights, winding through the crowds in the balad, flying through the streets with a crazy cab driver. Am I already feeling nostalgic about this place? 

Ramadan!

In other news...Ramadan Kareem! Ramadan began Thursday, July 19th and the difference in daily life is incredible. Walking down Rainbow street at 9:00am is like walking through a ghost town. Here's a link to one ex-pats take on the whole thing...a bit cynical, a lot funny: http://davidmarshallfox.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/calling-a-spade-a-spade-ramadan-is-the-worst-month-in-jordan/ I'm actually really enjoying the peaceful and quiet days and find that I can notice a lot more of my surroundings when there isn't quite so much noise. But...we're only a week in :)

Desert Castles!

Saturday morning we rented a car and I SUCCESSFULLY drove us through Amman and on to the Desert Castles. This is no small feat and I am extremely proud of myself -- don't worry, we signed up for insurance just in case. The castles were incredible, all very different and unique from one another. 

Qasr Mushatta

Dust Devil!!

Mom playing chess with a Bedouin man. Incredible. 

Qasr Harraneh

Ancient Arabic graffiti 

Qasr Amra

Qasr Amra

Right turn: Iraq, Left turn: Saudi

Qasr Azraq - famous post of Lawrence of Arabia

Rocks on rocks - no cement here!

Still have more to catch up on - another trip to Jerusalem with an incredible tour of Hebron, an insane 6-hour border crossing complete with individual questioning, the Amman Citadel, and now on to Petra and Wadi Rum. For now, I'll leave you with a saliva-inducing photo of my favorite dish at the  Yemeni restaurant near the University. I'm craving it more than ever now because I can't eat there for my lunch break anymore...oh Ramadan!