Jordan - Arriving in Amman

My friend and I decided to go on holiday (yeah I went on holiday while traveling) to a warmer climate. Turns out, Jordan can be down right chilly in March.

We landed at Queen Alia International Airport, near Amman, and were met by our driver, Richard. Passport control at the airport was simple enough, at least for UK and US travelers. Present your passport and 25 JOD (Jordanian Dinar) to the man at the desk, he stamps it, passes it to the guy next to him, he puts stickers on it, gives it back to you, and off you go. You must pay the fee in JOD. I saw an ATM before we got to passport control, but you should probably make sure you have 25 JOD on you before leaving your home country.

That's me, my friend, and Richard at Al Mujib Dam. 

(A bit on driving in Jordan-
We could have rented a car, but there's no way I would have been able to cope with driving there, and my friend doesn't drive. While there seem to be few rules of the road, there are plenty of speed bumps that sometimes appear out of nowhere. Sometimes two-way streets become one-way because there are a lot of cars going one direction and they just decide to drive in the oncoming lanes. Most lanes aren't really marked, and even when they are they sometimes disappear suddenly. Parking is a nightmare. People manage to squeeze their cars into spots that seemed to defy the laws of space and time. Everyone speeds, everywhere, even on winding mountain roads. There are few traffic lights. The traffic jams during rush hours (morning, lunch, evening) are crazy. You don't get a turn, you take it or you'll be sitting in one spot for a few hours. If you have nerves of steel and can be very aggressive while driving, give it a chance, you'll see way more of the country that way. If you don't, get a driver, we recommend Richard.)

Richard took us to the Amman Pasha Hotel for 25 JOD ($35) which is the standard fare. It takes roughly an hour during light traffic. The hotel was excellent. I highly recommend it, although some of their rooms are significantly better than others.

Our first room 33 JOD ($46.60) a night.
It was quite a large room, and the bed was comfy.

Lovely spacious bathroom in first room.

For some reason I didn't take a picture of our second room. 

It was also 33 JOD ($46.60) a night, but it was just big enough to fit a queen bed in and shuffle around. 

Bathroom in second room. No tub this time.

I took this standing in the shower. 

It was a bit of an awkward bathroom to be honest.

Vortex of Scottish Charm

The whole thing is fantastic, but the bit at 3:25? Totally spot-on. They really are that charming. 

 

(I have no idea why this doesn't play on the mobile version of my blog.)

Direct Link

Song of the Day: Jane S. Piddy

I first heard Sixto Rodriguez in the lounge of Oban Backpackers. After several days of hearing his songs, but being too shy to ask about the artist (because everyone knows way more about music than me, and generally thinks I listen to crap) I was lucky enough to overhear a conversation about him. Rodriguez's story is fascinating. He was a massive star in South Africa, but didn't know it! There was even a documentary about him, Searching for Sugar Man. 

This evening I kicked the dogs out of the kitchen and played this album while I cooked, sang, and danced. 

Amazingly, the dogs only protested during the first song and then quieted down. I think they liked it, and I hope you do too. 

Halloween

Oban Backpackers put on a great party for Halloween. I was so thrilled to hang out with this group on my favorite day of the year. We even went en masse to a pub down the street (running when it started to hail). Here are just a few shots, taken by a very talented French traveler (his cooking is even better than his photography).

My hostel family!

Slovakian Schnapps

Just say no when a group of Scots and Australians offer you alcohol. 

Unless you are trying to forget your terrible day at Loch Ness. 

Then don't let them pour. 

Manly Scottish Battle Cry

A fellow American traveler and I decided to walk to Dunstaffnage Castle today. It was supposed to be an hour walk there. It took us five hours round trip.

On the way there we stopped at the beautiful beach just a ways outside Oban and climbed a hill. 

We also encountered some ferocious young Highlanders practicing their battle cries.

Then we walked to Dunstaffnage Castle while discussing David Tennant's beauty and Scottish men's general sexiness. 

Be Excellent to Each Other

Every Friday night people gather near the square with hateful hypo-Christian signs. One guy even has a loud speaker so everyone gets a nice dose of hate as they walk along. Recently a group of awesome young people have joined them, but with signs of happiness and love. They tell passersby how awesome they are and offer free hugs. This guy was walking to join them when I spotted him. He enthusiastically allowed me to take his photo.