When I left my home in California in August, I told myself I would be disappointed if I didn’t somehow change in four months.
jordan
Ports of Air
Airports seem to reflect their location. You can get a good bottle of wine for $10 in Jordan’s airport or the same wine for $50 in Hong Kong’s airport.
Madaba, Jordan
Since leaving Petra on Monday, I have been in Madaba, about 20 miles south of Amman. I was going to spend this time just north of Petra at a small BandB with horses. When I arrived at the property, I learned that there was no food service and nothing of interest for miles around.
Half Way Highlights
SPOILER ALERT: This is a long post and kind of a grown up version of “What I Did This Summer.” So skip over the boring parts and I hope Laura or Bill or Meredith do not grade it.
Traveler or Tourist #2 — “You Are Welcome”
All day long Jordanians say “you are welcome” when I haven’t said thank you. At first, I felt kind of bad about not saying thank you quickly enough until I realized that when Jordanians say “you are welcome” they mean you are welcome — welcome to be here and to whatever I am sharing with you.
Petra — Jordan’s Drama Queen
Petra is amazing! Imagine a smaller Grand Canyon with incredible buildings, tombs and caves that were carved into the cliffs 2300 years ago.
C-Amman-a My House
First, I apologize for the title, which is actually relevant to my posting — because I am in Amman — and refers to one of my Mom’s favorite Rosemary Clooney songs. And then I was empowered when I remembered Gabe’s geographically inspired phrase, “yer babuena.”
Come for the Rock, Stay for the People
For the next ten days, I am in Jordan, a nation of peace and refuge wedged in between a lot of Middle East belligerence and violence. At the end of my first day, I am relaxing with a fantastic Jordanian merlot, hoping to forget how stiff and sore I am from walking all day.
Camino Milagro 