John and I started off the UAE National Day holiday in style, checking in at the airport lounge in Dubai before our flight to Amman. It was pretty sweet! It was the first time I've ever been in an airport lounge and now I'm officially hooked. There was a buffet, drinks (also alcoholic), magazines, couches, wifi, and a place to take a shower at an extra charge. People pay for this kind of comfort but luckily we got free access using our credit cards!
Our flight to Amman was 2.5 hours and I was so stuffed from the buffet at the lounge that I didn't eat much of my meal on the plane. After arriving in Amman, we were greeted by our driver Omran, who picked us up quite late at night and brought us to our hotel downtown. The air was so cold I could see my breath, first time that I've been able to do that in a few years!
Luckily for us the temperature warmed up a bit by the next morning. After a breakfast of pita bread with zatar, hummus, and olives, we were off to check out the Roman Amphitheatre in Amman. It is around 2000 years old!
From there we headed to the Jordan River to see the place which is believed to be the Baptism Site of Jesus. It was amazing to be in a place where such a huge event took place. Today, the river has meandered away from the original spot so the site is dry, but not too far away you can find the Jordan River. I was surprised by how narrow it was. You could literally wade over to Israel, but of course you can't cross the border that way and I'm sure a guard would catch you and send you back! Near the river there were also a number of churches of various denominations. The whole area was very peaceful and not overcrowded with tourists. It was nice to visit in the off-season, as I imagine it would be busier during the summer months.
After our stop at the Baptism Site we got back in the car with our friendly driver Omran who told us a lot about Jordan as we drove to see a sunset at Dana Biosphere Reserve, and then on to Wadi Musa, several hours away. From the first day we were impressed by the hospitality of Jordanian people and how beautiful the country was.
Our flight to Amman was 2.5 hours and I was so stuffed from the buffet at the lounge that I didn't eat much of my meal on the plane. After arriving in Amman, we were greeted by our driver Omran, who picked us up quite late at night and brought us to our hotel downtown. The air was so cold I could see my breath, first time that I've been able to do that in a few years!
Luckily for us the temperature warmed up a bit by the next morning. After a breakfast of pita bread with zatar, hummus, and olives, we were off to check out the Roman Amphitheatre in Amman. It is around 2000 years old!
From there we headed to the Jordan River to see the place which is believed to be the Baptism Site of Jesus. It was amazing to be in a place where such a huge event took place. Today, the river has meandered away from the original spot so the site is dry, but not too far away you can find the Jordan River. I was surprised by how narrow it was. You could literally wade over to Israel, but of course you can't cross the border that way and I'm sure a guard would catch you and send you back! Near the river there were also a number of churches of various denominations. The whole area was very peaceful and not overcrowded with tourists. It was nice to visit in the off-season, as I imagine it would be busier during the summer months.
After our stop at the Baptism Site we got back in the car with our friendly driver Omran who told us a lot about Jordan as we drove to see a sunset at Dana Biosphere Reserve, and then on to Wadi Musa, several hours away. From the first day we were impressed by the hospitality of Jordanian people and how beautiful the country was.
These experiences are to be treasured.
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