The Return to Aqaba and my Trip to Salt

Hey folks, I hope some of you are still reading, I haven't been giving my blog enough love recently. Last weekend was a three day weekend for Easter, and I decided to spend it in two of my favorite places: Petra and Aqaba. I saw many of the same things I saw the past two times in Petra, but I did get to see Petra at night for the first time. The Siq (pathway through the gorge to the treasury) and the large area in front of the treasury were dimly lit with candles. The cobblestones were particularly difficult with the lighting, but we all made it through without any twisted ankles (Al-hamdililah!) We were greeted my flute music and a man playing a Rabab (an ancient string instrument still heard often in modern Arabic music). The whole event was breathtakingly beautiful and made me step back and clear my mind for a very enjoyable hour. Aqaba is always relaxing, despite the flood of tourists. We stayed at a hostel called The Bedouin Gardens and it was quite adorable with flowers everywhere and two resident friendly cats. I left with a wonderful tan/ slightly painful burn and a fully relaxed mind.

As soon as I was back in Amman the stress returned when I remembered my two research papers, fortunately I'm currently halfway through one and (in sha-allah) will turn in two somewhat coherent essays on time. I spent the day today procrastinating in the best way possible in the city of Salt. Salt is an old Ottoman town built mostly in the 19th century. Unlike Amman, they've managed to keep and restore most of the old architecture (thanks to a very generous grant) and, as a result, is one of the most beautiful cities in Jordan. Most of the walking involved stairs (a few of which I managed to slide down *oops*) so at the moment I'm a little worn out. Unfortunately, since it the Muslim holy day, most things were closed down. We did manage to find an open Orthodox church, however, that apparently dates back to the 17th century. A lot of the city was built into a hill so the views at the top were astounding and quite unique because of the many beautiful minarets mixed with a half dozen church steeples. We finished of the day with a wonderful meal of hummus, baba ganoush, and lamb kebab at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. I plan to return very soon when more things are open and hopefully explore more of the wonderful buildings!

Petra pics

Petra! and more Petra!

Hey guys, sorry for the long absence, I've been pretty busy lately. Midterms are done and passed (al-hamdalilah!) and there's only 6 weeks left in the semester! Unfortunately, 6 weeks is hardly enough time to see everything there is to see and write two papers at the same time. But on the bright side, I saw so much over the past two weeks. Last Saturday mom and dad came to this great land to visit. We started out with a day trip to Jerash, and ancient Roman town north of Amman. We saw lots of beautiful ruins and some really cheesy sword fights and chariot races. Next on the itinerary was Petra. I had already gone to Petra the previous week with CIEE but I was so excited to go back and be a tour guide for my parents. The place is so expansive that I still didn't see everything in the two trips, and I think it would take at least 4 days to truly explore it completely. Both parents had a great time especially after we reached the high place of sacrifice after a grueling 45 minute walk up steps. The view was breathtaking and something I hope to see again.

We spent the end of the trip in Aqaba to warm up after a chilly Petra. The beach was absolutely beautiful and the hotel was fantastic (I was ecstatic when I found bacon in the executive lounge!). We all got a healthy dose of sun and felt pretty content after our three days there.

I was sad to see my parents leave, but glad I'll be seeing them again soon! I'm glad they made the trip out to see me, and even more glad that they had a good time!