Amman In and Out..!!

There is a nice calm vibe in the Air. No one is in hurry, nobody honks in traffic (people have patience) even if the road is blocked for hours. Ok, I exaggerated a little! Steep hilly roads makes every ride a small thrill ride filled with joy. 40% of Jordan’s populations resides in Amman. Islam and Christianity are two major religions followed here. Few of the things that shouldn’t be missed in Amman are:

Rainbow Street: A Lively street full of Restaurants and pubs on both side of the street. Some restaurants which are at the edge of the hillock offer breathtaking views of downtown with awesome food. The small cafes have pretty sit-outs to enjoy the weather and food. Often these are occupied by some talented music artists which do not shy away to practice. This street reminded me of the lively (full of art) streets of Rome.

Sheesha: Smoke is oxygen for Jordan and Sheesha is pretty much the respiration system to inhale it. (I know it is one of the worst metaphor I might have used, but couldn’t think of anything else). Every restaurant / Café offers Sheesha with lot of flavor options. Cafes in are petty lively on the weekend evenings (i.e. Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings). One can also find huge exclusive tobacco shops selling off beautiful sheesha vessels along with some unique flavors of tobacco.

Boulevard: I am not sure how it is round the year but when I went there, it was beautifully decorated with flowers and plants all around to celebrate Spring and there was Arabic rock band giving live performance and the crowd was going crazy while hearing the songs. Though I don’t know Arabic but I also loved the performance and thoroughly enjoyed it. Followed by some nice Italian food at the open restaurant near the Amphi theatre. Definitely a different picture of Amman.

Spring Festival @ Boulevard

Turkish Hamman: My bet to pamper myself after the Wadi Mujib Trail, Well I tried Alf Layla Wa Layla to relax and believe me it is a must try if you are in Amman. The complete 2-2.5 hrs process relaxes not only your body but your mind as well. Very Clean and nice place with friendly staff and awesome services. Though I have not been to

he tiredness I had post
Turkey, but what I heard from people that it was one of the best Turkish Hamman better than Turkey also!!

Shopping at Down Town: The souk here is modernized to a large extend it doesn’t look/feels anywhere near to the Souks of Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Still roaming around the streets of Down Town is an experience in itself. You can find few small establishments at the basements having some reminders of the Souks. One can head to JAFRA for some delicious food and a round of sheesha and there are live Oud performances after 9.00 PM at JAFRA.

This wasn't our ride 

Taxi Ride: Must hire a taxi to experience the thrill of drive through the steep roads of Amman, to enjoy the soothing Arabic music that the radio station plays, to hear some lovely welcoming words from the taxi driver despite of them not knowing English they will definitely say “Welcome to Jordan” and also for the passive smoking through your taxi drivers (:-P).

Falafel at Hashim’s: Me being a vegetarian it’s was the only fall back place I had. Small shops in the open serves awesome falafel (unlimited @ 3 Jordanian Dinar). And it is so famous that you just need to tell Hashim to Taxi Drivers they will themselves take you to the restaurant. BTW did I mention, that this is one of King Abdullah’s favorite places. 

Hummus & Falafel @ Hashim

Visit the Malls: Amman has some large malls full of all international brands. I am not a mall person but, if one is interested one can visit Taj Mall, Mecca Mall or Galaria Mall for some shopping and food.

Citadel + Amphi Theatre: The Amman Citadel is a historical site at the center of downtown Amman, Jordan situated at the Hilltop. It offers the top view of Roman Amphi theatre,  major attractions at the site are the Temple of Hercules, a Byzantine church, and the Umayyad Palace.

Amman Top view @ Citadel

The Blue dome Mosque @ Citadel

The best time to visit Citadel is the early evening (it closes by 5.30 Pm) so that the view of crimson sun setting behind the tall modern building can be enjoyed from the Hillock. 

Sunset @ Citadel

Roman Amphi Theatre, King Abdullah Mosque are the other main attractions of the city.

Souvenirs: One can buy beautiful Mosaic from Bazar shops on the way to Dead Sea or from Madaba. Or small common mosaics (like tree of life) can be bought from down town as well.  Phosporus based Knife paintings (I found few beautiful ones near Jerash) these are also available in Down Town. Evil Eye hangings, available on any souvenir shop. One can also purchase Sheesha flavors from a huge variety of options available (from exclusive Tobacco Shops). There is one really nice one in Gallaria mall right at the entrance.

Souvenir

Solo Travelling Tales: Part 2 - Places to Visit in Jordan

Panoramic view of Southern Theater

Unlike my usual self I didn’t google/ researched anything about Jordan before going there. So the second surprise I got as soon as the hotel taxi picked me up. The taxi driver took me through all the places (with hopes of getting some business) that I could visit during my stay in Jordan.

Amman: Amman is the capital city of Jordan and most developed of all and itself has quite a few tourist attractions such as citadel, Ampi theatre, King Abdullah mosque, Down town.  For more details of Detailed link coming up shortly
Petra: One of The Seven Wonders of World, is the most visit tourist attraction in Jordan. It is a Nabataean city carved through the Rock Mountains. It is the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. As per our guide before 2013 (before the outbreak in Syria) there used to be 100s of meters long queue for its entrance. Detailed link coming up shortly

Treasury @ Petra

Dead Sea: Beautiful turquoise blue waters forcing your body to float instead of sinking, black mud at it shores has skin healing properties and salted water makes it impossible for any living being or plant to survive in it. Floating in Dead Sea is one of those things that was part of my bucket list. Detailed link coming up shortly

Floating @ Dead Sea

Wadi Mujib: If you love adventure then this is the place to be, there are 4-5 different options (both wet & dry trails).  I would not be writing much about it but suggest to experience trekking in the river having knee height water, climbing on the rocks against the cliff through a rope, sliding from the top the small cliffs feels like a steep water rides in an amusement park but in natures lap.

Wadi Mujib.... PC GoogleSearch as it didn't carry any camera on the trail

Wadi Rum: Wadi means Valley, and it is the largest valley of Jordan. It’s a desert red sand desert with high barren rock formations. The last habitation here is the Rum village, after that it’s all desert. The desert safari, camping and star gazing is one of the highlights here on a clear night (though nothing can be compared to Nubra Valley, Ladakh) are major activities here. Detailed link coming up shortly

The red desert @ Wadi Rum

Aqaba: It is the city on the shores of Mediterranean Sea. It borders Saudi Arabia on one side and Israel on the other. And if you take a boat ride in the sea 10 mins, into that one can easily see Egypt. It is famous for shopping and beaches. Temperature here in general is 5-7 degrees higher than Amman. It city has beautiful corals underneath its water one can enjoy Glass bottom ride, snorkeling, scuba diving etc.

Reef as seen from top of the water @ Mediterranean 

Jerash: Jerash is considered one of the largest and most well-preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside Italy. Within the remaining city walls, archaeologists have found the ruins of settlements dating back to the Neolithic Age, indicating human occupation at this location for more than 6500 years. 

It is known for the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa, also referred to as Antioch on the Golden River. Entrance costs 10 Jordanian Dinar (JD, as of April 2016) for all foreign visitors, which includes the Jerash Archaeological Museum.

Sunset @ Zeus Temply, Jerash

The entrance to the Archeological Park is through the Hadrian's Arch, the southern gate of the city followed by Hippodrome partially restored, roman era stadium. The Visitor's Centre is located at the entrance to the archaeological park (just south of the Hippodrome and the Arch). Various sites such as the forum (the oval plaza), the south theatre, temple of Artemis, Nymphaeum are few well restored historical structures in Jerash.

Hadrian's Arch

Just outside of the archaeological park is a small souq—an outdoor bazaar, of sorts—that provides a well-rounded offering of Jordanian souvenirs and handicrafts. Many of the shop keepers are amiable and are willing to bargain over prices. Local children and teens will try to sell you Roman coins and other small artefacts found on the site though it is not advisable to buy from them as it is illegal.  

Ajloun Castle (also Rabadh Castle), an Islamic fortress, is one and half hour away from Amman. The castle is located on the top of a mountain just outside the small city of Ajloun. The castle is an interesting maze of passages and levels, and offers a wonderful view of the surrounding area, northwestern Jordan, and off into Galilee. I clubbed Ajloun and Jerash together on a single day excursion from Amman.  

Entrance to Ajloun Castle 

Al-Karak also known as just Karak or Kerak, is a city in Jordan known for its Crusader castle, the Kerak Castle. The castle is one of the three largest castles in the region, the other two being in Syria. Al-Karak lies around 150 Km to the south of Amman on the beautiful King's Highway. It is situated on a hilltop and is surrounded on three sides by a valley. The castle is divided in two sections upper court and lower court. The lower court has been converted to a museum. The architecture of the galleries in both the upper and lower court are similar. However as per the information board, the lower court is magnificent, unfortunately it was closed for renovation when I visited.  

Alleys @ Karak Castle

Mount Nebo is an elevated ridge in Jordan, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land. The view from the summit provides a panorama of the Holy Land. The Dead Sea, West Bank of Jerico, Jordan River Valley and Jerusulam is visible on a clear day, and the day I visited was no less than that. Here I met a very friendly and nice Tourist Police Officer who knew good English and guided me to the entire site, gave insights and offered me a help if I ever need for any travelling plans in Jordan though I never utilized it. 

Serpentine Cross Sculpture @ Mount Nebo

Madaba: After visiting the church at Mount Nebo I headed towards the ancient town of Madaba. Madaba is the city know for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics. I chose to visit St George's Church & the floor has a mosaic map of the holy land, been protected in bits and pieces. 

Map of Holy Land @ St, George's Church

Before viewing the map, take a look at the full-size replica in the ticket office, making it easier to spot the details that you want to focus on in the church. There is a beautiful market around the church shops selling souvenirs of all shapes and sizes.