Boy did I have a crazy weekend. Thursday afternoon three friends and I caught a Taxi to Madeba which cost us 12 JD. There we met up with 6 other friends and decided to spend the day touring historical sites. Madeba is well known for its mosaics and for good reason. The taxi driver dropped us off next to the Church of Apostles where we snapped photos of a huge mosaic depicting animals, designs, and the 12 apostles. Afterwards we took a walking tour suggested by Lonely Planet around Madeba to other historical sites. Mostly we visited different churches such as St. George’s Church and snapped photos of beautiful artwork and architecture. The city of Madeba has a population of 70,000 one-third of which is Christian, so it is known as a very religiously open community. I found this to be true when we stopped at a liquor store across from our hotel later in the evening. We met aChristian man working the front desk who had grown up in Madeba. We purchased some Lebanese Arak (essentially the Everclear of the Middle East) and brought it back up to the hotel room to sample. Imagine a Jager-like licorice taste coupled with mint and about as alcoholic as legally possible and that’s Arak for you.
The next day we slept in and got up at 9:30am for a free breakfast and to check out of the hotel. The hotel rooms had four beds in them and we managed to only spend 12.50 JD each for the night. The eight of us who stayed at the hotel grabbed two taxis and headed off to Ma’in. Along the way our Saeg (Taxi driver) stopped to allow us to take pictures of the Dead Sea which we could see from a distance. I was amazed to see just how Mediteranean the landscap was as we left Madeba. We passed vineyards and goats, and sheep; however, half-way there (out of no where) the landscape turned into dry gravely hills. Looking over these hills from the winding road off to the West was the Dead Sea, looking quite frankly very dead.
After this 30 Kilometer ride we arrived at Ma’in an area famous for its hot springs and gorgeous resort. Two of our friends had stayed the night in a very expensive hotel room at the resort so we were allowed on the property of the resort to smoke Argila and relax. Admission to the hot springs cost us only 10 JD and the taxi ride there and back was 30 JD split between 4 people. At the hot springs our lady travelers attracted many tsk’s from mothers and lascivious gazes from young men. We found that the pools were segregated into the “ladies pool” “family pool” (where single men are not advised to go) and a “public pool” which was mostly men and women fully clothed or wearing wet suite like swim wear. Sitting in one of the pools we met a man named Mike who had live in the states for 11 years and spoke great English. Mike and his brother (who only spoke Arabic) could not take their eyes off of our lady travelers and continually commented on how beautiful they were and asked whether they were engaged or married. I felt bad for the girls, but you can really only laugh to yourself about comments like this. If anything, it’s a good confidence booster!
Arriving back in Madeba we caught a bus back to Amman which cost us only 1 JD a piece. I arrived back tired but relaxed. Joe, who hadn’t been able to come on the trip was ready to go out to Club G with Fawzi and Fadhi but most of the people who had planned on going bailed. That day Mubarak had finally stepped down and our program providers asked us not to go out. After talking with our host family at length about why on earth we couldn’t go, we were convinced that it would be perfectly safe. So, Joe and I took off the 7th circle to meet our only two friends willing to go out and hit up Jordan’s night life.
I discovered that nightlife in Amman is very exclusive. Beforehand, Fawzi had put our names on the list for the club, but had he not; we never would have gotten inside. Inside, we found a very sleek and modern looking night club. We had arrived early so we grabbed seats at the bar and watched as scantily clad women, and well dressed men walked in. The dresses were what you would expect to see at clubs in America, low-cut backs, and skinny straps, very scandalous. Drinks at the bar were a minimum of 7 JD and a bottle was at the cheapest 82 JD so I was on a very tight budget. The DJ was spinning very progressive techno, and dance music which sounded great. At one point, I talked my way into the VIP lounge and even got a lesson in lighting from the man running the light system. Over-all the night was not what I expected to experience in Amman. Although I enjoyed myself I’m not sure I want to continue going to clubs in Amman. For one, navigating yourself home a little tipsy or drunk is extremely challenging and for two I didn’t experience any cultural interactions: almost every person there seemed quite wealthy and aloof, not at all interested in the young American boy.
Today is Sunday and I just had my first class in my new Arabic level. I got bumped down to Beginners II, inshallah this is right for me. My professor is gorgeous though, so I am happy to have been moved for this reason alone ;). Today I hope to get some studying done for my first exam in Amia tomorrow.
Love,
Wylie of Arabia
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