These photos capture the brief stay with Susan and Loryl in Amman, and our tour of Petra, in the fall of 2007.
When I was in Amman, it seemed like a fairly sad place. We stayed in the central city, which was bustling and lively, but poor and largely unrelieved by anything clean or new. The restaurants were like something from a bad movie, the museums were charmingly out of date (a security guard ignoring the guests and smoking among the centuries-old artifacts), the rainy streets were poorly kept and muddy. But then I flew to the rich and distinctly uncharming cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and looking over these photos again, I feel charmed by Amman's impoverished graciousness. The people were lovely, but it was pretty noisy. Amman used to be called Philadelphia. Who knew?
More than half the photos, though, are of the ancient city of Petra, which is stunning. Both the ancient city carved into the rocks, and the seemingly unnatural and vibrant colours of the wind-eroded stones, were a sight to behold. I began claiming that the Nabateans had subsequently moved up north and populated Poland, so did I want to be related in some distant way to these folks.
I'm indebted to Sue, again, for her great photos, which I have intermingled with my own.
Photo List (Total 426 Photos)
Click bolded headers below to view, or click "just the best" for quick tour
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Sightseeing in Amman (92 photos) - Amman has only a few "sights" as such, which we were able to tour adequately in something less than a day. This included the ancient Roman Theatre and two small museums that are attached to it, the nearby Hashimiyyeh Square, and the Citadel that lords over the city and offers great views. At the Citadel, we also went into the Jordan Archaelogical Museum. After Loryl and Susan left for their harrowing trip back to Tel Aviv, I went to a relaxing arts complex called the Darat al Funun, which would have been much more fun had they been with me.
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Central Amman (65 photos) - These photos show general views of the city, including our trip into the city, my trip out of the city, and while in the city: markets, streetscapes, mosques and stores.
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Amman Panoramas (3 photos) - Three big photos of Amman, one from our hotel balcony, and two with different views from the Citadel.
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Southern Jordan and modern Petra (36 photos) - We crossed the border to Jordan in the late afternoon, and embarked on a whirlywind tour in which we were passed off between no fewer than three cab drivers. We managed to get to Wadi Rum and its beautiful rock formations at the very last hour possible, then went on to Petra in the dark. It was the night before an election in Jordan, and we were very amused by the many noisy caravans that passed by our restaurant cheering for one candidate or another.
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Ancient Petra (230 photos) - Ancient Petra was settled by the Nabateans. This desert city of carved facades in imposing cliffs is entered through a walk over a kilometre long through a crevice in rocks. Inside, there are hundreds of temples, caves, and columns that blend western and eastern influences in a way that is particularly Nabatean. The rock itself is patterned in stunning ways. Lots of photos here, but worth a look.
