This really is the first time I have spent a lot of time in an Arabic culture. Its been a good experience for me and everyone has made me feel so welcome.
On the bus from Aqaba back to Amman we all had to do a security check. Everyone had to get out of the bus with their bags to be searched. The guy looked at me and said "no problem, welcome!" And then he started to check everybody else and their bags.
Riding in the bus I also saw the most amazing sunset ever. It was such a clear day, the sun was just a big red ball setting in this desert landscape- it was wild.
The hotel/hostel that I stayed at in Amman was really great the woman that owns it was the sweetest person ever. She went out of her way to help me and always had tea ready for everyone. Walking the streest of Amman is really a new experience. I get so many looks and stares but still no one has done anything disrespectful, all anyone has said to me is "welcome, welcome" - which really has made me feel welcomed.
There is more to explore in Jordan than what I did and I thought I was going to take a day trip on friday but I decided to stay in, do laundry walk around the fri markets and get ready for my egypt trip.
I was sitting in the common room of the hotel reading, next to me where two older men who looked about 80 but probably only about 60. One man was wearing a long white robe and the other was in pants and a tshirt. The one in the robe offered me a cigarette, I tried telling him that I didn't smoke but he didn't understand so I just took the cigarette. The other man motioned at the backgammon board to see if I wanted to play. I told him I didn't know how to play but he just kept pointing to the board. So I sat down and he knew the english numbers so I was able to learn. Somehow I ended up winning my first game, the man in the robe thought it was so funny and kept laughing at his friend. So I sat with these two men for awhile, smoking, drinking tea and playing backgammon. The man in the white robe had just bought two parrots from the market, someone translated for me saying that he was excited to teach them how to talk when he got home. I asked where they were from and my translator told me Iraq. Its crazy to think that I have friends as soldiers in iraq doing god know what but here I am playing backgammon with these two iraqi men. They were so nice to me (and really good at backgammon), the one in the white robe ended up giving me a pack of cigarettes with "that great american taste" written on the box.
Its another world over here homosexuality is illegal but the men hold hands out of respect, you can't drink the tap water or throw the toilet paper in the toilet, people stop five times a day to pray, the men have their own section in the restaurants. I have heard some amazing stories about the middle east from backpackers and the people who live here. I would love to come back one day and really explore more countries over here. I was so surprised how nice everyone was and how welcomed I felt, there were many times I felt uncomfortable being a woman but never felt in danger. It has been good that I've come here I've felt a little lost at times and really missed israel but I was able to have quite an experience here in Jordan. I'm leaving the country with only 35JDcents and I am so excited to go to Egypt.
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