Last days in Jordan

Okay, let’s finish off Amman.

The day after our car drama, the girls and the couple decided to do some exploring while I spent the morning on the darn computer searching for work and being chatted up by the “owner” of the hotel. I’ve come to believe VERY little of some of the stories, but they’re entertaining, and sometimes fruitful, nonetheless. More on that later.

Went for lunch at a famous falafel place, adding to the already excessive amount of falafel and hummus gained weight on this glorious trip, then they did a bit more shopping / sightseeing before it was time for the couple to leave. We had arranged to drop the couple to the airport then go in search of a someplace called “Mecca Mall”. All the indulgences of home in Jordan. A bit of a scuffle as the couple was leaving the hotel, apparently a driver had been arranged to take them to the airport, they said they didn’t order one as they had a ride with us, I waited outside. Got escorted to the airport by some weird, random guy in a souped up piece of junk car. We shouted out a window to him at a stop light to make sure we were going the right way, he drove along in front of or beside us the entire way to make sure we got there. Again, random acts of kindness that just blow me away.

Bid farewell to our Amman companions then were oh so pleasantly surprised by a very modern, just like at home mall with many of the same shops and restaurants. Guess where dinner was? Yep, McDonalds. Gross, generic, SO YUMMY IN MY TUMMY McDonalds. Thanks girls, for allowing me to indulge in my disgusting habit. Then we hit the movies. Only two English ones to choose from so Pirates of the Caribbean 4 it was. 4?! When did they make 3?! It was in 3D even! Anyway, just like at home but far, far away. You need those days every once in a while.

The plan was for me to drive the girls to the Israeli land border in the morning but when I was asking for directions, the owner insisted on coming with us. Said it would be too confusing if he just gave us directions. I distinctly remembered seeing signs for the border crossing on the way to the Dead Sea and the airport but no, no, it is very confusing. So he joins us for the ride and it’s soon apparent that he really has no idea where he’s going other than to point out the obvious signs that I remember seeing earlier. He came along for the chat and company. Nice enough. But a bit strange.

Got the girls to as far as I was allowed to go at the border then said a sad goodbye. Such fun company, such amazing girls, my whole memory of Jordan will be linked with them. Liz and Laura, so proud of you two! Can’t wait to hear all about the rest of your journeys. Will miss you so much.

The drive back to the hotel of course, ended up getting a bit awkward now that it was just the two of us. The owner had already offered to let me stay at an empty apartment of his that was paid for until the end of the month but he had already moved back to his family’s place as I could no longer afford to stay at his hotel on my own. I was very grateful for the offer which soon expanded to offers of staying longer, finding me a job, showing me around the city, etc., etc., etc. I reminded him of my plans to try to get to Syria and if not, move on as soon as possible. I also wove a wonderful tale of my glorious husband and our adventurous life together. A quick stop at the Syrian embassy and a lovely lady told me in no uncertain terms that I would have to go all the way back to Canada to get a visa into Syria and even if I did this I wouldn’t get in at this point. If I tried at the border, I would be turned back. Sigh. Okay, Israel it is.

Got back to the hotel where owner had to do a few things and I had to pick up my bags. Booked a flight to Turkey to get around Syria but the most affordable ticket would only leave me a few days in Israel. A few is better than none so on with it, I say! On with it!

While I was there, I met up with a guy we had met the day before and we decided that I would keep the car an extra day and he and I would drive east the next day, towards the desert, to explore some of the castles out that way. Owner wasn’t too pleased with this plan, said there were no places to stay overnight, despite several listing of places online and in my new friend’s guidebook. But I’ll show you around the city, city tour for free, just come with me around the city instead. Oh, okay, but William and I are still going to go to the desert, but hey William? Want to come on a city tour with us the next day? Yeah, owner didn’t seem to like that a third had been invited so all talk quickly ended. Clever, clever, clever girl I am.

William and I had arranged for me to pick him up at the hotel the next morning and owner decided it was time to take me to his apartment. I followed him, my first real go at driving standard completely on my own, no cheerleaders in the car to encourage me, and I’ve decided that if ever I own a car again, it WILL be a standard! Learned to love those tricky little pedals. At the apartment, owner began to be a little too much. He started making plans of tea at the apartment, then out for coffee, then going to get dinner and bringing it back to the apartment, then more coffee. Woah, woah, woah. Thank you but STOP! It was almost 6pm by this point and I reminded him that I had to try to get my phone fixed, do laundry, and get up early for the desert trip. He kept going; no place to get the phone fixed around his place, there are some shops if I need food buy they’re hard to find, and I needed to come with him or I would never be able to find my way back to the hotel the next morning. And on and on and on.

I started to gather up my stuff. Look owner guy, I’m really sorry, there’s obviously been a misunderstanding. I really appreciate you letting me stay here but I only have a couple of short hours to get a whole lot of stuff done before I collapse into much needed sleep. Maybe this was a mistake to come here? Maybe I should head back to find a hotel. ***sulk, sulk, sulk*** Fine. Fine. You won’t find a place to fix your phone and you’re going to get lost tomorrow but stay here, it’s fine. I’ll have my tea then go to the gym. Okay owner guy, then I’m gonna go try to find a phone shop before it gets dark. ***sulk, sulk, sulk*** Fine. Fine. I’ll see you at the hotel after the desert. No owner guy, I might stay overnight in the desert. What? Overnight? I told you no place to stay! I know, I know, thank you, but we’ll see how it goes tomorrow. Fine. Fine. Whatever.

I left him moping over his tea and headed out as fast as I could. I probably should have gone to find a hotel, I had visions of either him still sitting there when I got back or of all of my stuff completely gone, but out I went as choices were limited and I had to get things done. I found a phone shop less than a 10 min walk away straight down the road from his place in the middle of an ENORMOUS main street filled with shops and food places. Cheeky boy. He was gone by the time I got back and I made it to the hotel the next morning without one single wrong turn. William was waiting and we were off to the desert. Owner was nowhere to be found. No way to thank him for his hospitality and I did feel badly for that. *sigh* The messes I create.

I approached the guy at reception, who checked us in and chatted us up the first night the girls and I arrived, to make sure I had the right directions to the desert. Was caught completely off guard as he cocked his head, looked at me funny, then promptly started shouting at me and telling me off. He said I was stealing his business and trying to mess with his hotel. Shaking, speechless, and completely mortified as the two other couples in the lobby / dining area and William were witness to my berating, reception guy listed off me driving the couple to Jerash, the airport, and now William to the desert were as things his hotel was to do and I was interfering. He ranted for a little while and with much soothing and hushing, I eventually got him to calm down enough to talk to me. I explained to him that the couple asked to join us on the Jerash trip so of course I would say yes, the couple said that they did NOT arrange for a taxi to the airport so of course I would drive them, and William had no intention of taking a hotel trip to the desert so it was either he goes with me or leaves Amman for his next destination. This went back and forth for some time but I restated my case, said the miscommunication between his hotel and the couple was between them, I had no part in it, and the day planned with William had nothing to do with the hotel. He eventually calmed down and offered apologies. By this time, between the owner and this guy, I had had enough. Time to take leave of these strange, strange men.

William and I cruised out to a very boring desert to see some very boring brick foundations that may or may not at one time have been castles. As we were about to enter yet another area, neither of us too excited at the prospects of our next little sight-seeing choice, William spotted a caravan of about 30 camels that had stopped to water and rest across the road. A few questions asked and we opted out of dry, dusty bricks for an up close encounter of the desert creature kind.

The caravan crew welcomed us warmly and we wove our way through camels lounging about. Pictures were taken, bits of conversation were exchanged, and we smiled and sweated our way through one of the nicest most genuine interactions I’ve had in a while. MUCH better option than dried up old buildings. Nice call, William, nice call indeed.

As it was a fairly short drive, William and I decided to head back to Amman instead of spend the night in the town near the desert. We did, of course, find another place to stay other than where I got yelled at earlier. Found a lovely little hostel that took very good care of me. Returned the car (after getting hopelessly lost and driving around for more than an hour to find the damn rental place!) and spent the next day tying up some loose ends and trying to make a bit of a travel plan. To avoid the trouble of my passport being stamped to look like I had entered Israel, I decided to bus it all the way back down to Aqaba, near the Egypt border, to cross over there. An Israeli stamp means no entry to Syria (if ever I was able to get in), can cause trouble getting into Iraq, Lebanon, and possibly Indonesia. Only one border crossing near Amman so an exit stamp out of Jordan there would show that of course I entered into Israel but if the exit stamp was near Aqaba, it’s possible I entered into Egypt, not Israel as the three countries of Egypt, Israel, and Jordan all border the same spot. I was told that immigration in Israel will stamp a paper instead of your passport so plan made, I was heading to Israel and so looking forward to a country I had wanted to see for a very long time.

Will miss Jordan and its BEAUTIFUL, chivalrous men. I must come back here someday.