What a wonderful time we had in Jordan! We did a lot, and I could write pages and pages about it all! - and I plan to for my journal, which currently has brief notes. However, for this forum, I am going to try to limit my comments as best I can...
Part 1: Itineraray
- Friday - Arrived safe and sound and on time. Very, very special to see Sarah's sweet smiling face as we came around a corner at the airport!! Checked into our hotel and then went for supper at an Arabic fast-food restaurant. Yummy!
- Saturday - Amman. Went downtown by taxi. Visited the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, and also went to Wild Jordan to book a hike. Dinner with Sarah's host family in their lovely home. So delicious and so bountiful! [more about this in Part 2] Went to the ER as Sarah had a bad earache. A surprisingly positive experience.
- Sunday - Roy drove and we went to: a) Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan, the site of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. This was especially meaningful given that today was Palm Sunday. b) Mount Nebo, from which God showed Moses the Promised Land before he died. We drove through Madaba on our way to c) Mukawir, where Salome danced for Herod Antipas, and he then granted her wish for the head of John the Baptist. We were basically the only people here, making it a memorable site. Supper in another all-Arabic restaurant - with an all-Arabic menu.
Note: Roy was truly amazing and courageous as he learned to negotiate through Jordanian traffic. - "negotiate" being the operative word here!
- Monday - Amman. We went to the Citadel and the Amphitheater, both dating from Roman times, and toured the University of Jordan. While there, Sarah registered for her fall semester at VCU. (Isn't technology wonderful!) Supper at a third all-Arabic restaurant, with the most wonderful "fruit cocktail"! (-like a fruit smoothie, with lots of fresh fruit pieces in it!)
- Tuesday - a) Up at 5:30 to drive to the Mujib Nature Reserve (the lowerst nature reserve in the world) for an 8 AM hike. Grueling hike, but wonderful views of the Dead Sea and Israel/Palestine beyond. There were ten of us, from Germany, Holland, and Wisconsin, plus our Jordanian Guide. b) The Dead Sea Panorama. Then, c) floating in the Dead Sea. Supper was at the restaurant next door to our hotel... Hardee's! (founded in Rocky Mount, NC) Fun to see the similarities and differences between there and here.
- Wednesday - Roy drove again, this time north through Irbid to Umm Qais. This was called Gadara in Jesus' day, and it was here that He healed the demon-possessed man by casting out the demons into a herd of pigs, which then ran into the Sea of Galilee and drowned. (Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39) We could see the sea (now called Lake Tiberias), and also the Golan Heights. Lots of Jordanian school children on field trips, but not too many tourists. Supper back in Amman with Sarah's host family. - Another amazing meal.
- Thursday - Our last day! Roy drove to Jerash, a city of extensive and impressive ruins that has had an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years. A highlight was the Jordanian bagpiper accompanied by drummers in the amphitheater. - Our Scottish roots found us in Jordan!
Left at midnight, and arrived safely back in Raleigh Friday afternoon. What a wonderful and memorable time we had!!
Part 2: Sarah's Host Family
We had already been feeling blessed that Sarah has such a nice host family. And we now feel even more blessed after having met them! They were so very kind and gracious, and we really do appreciate all that they did for us... Not only did they insist on driving to the airport (which is approximately 20 miles away) for both our arrival and departure, they also invited us into their lovely home for two delicious meals! I had heard that mealtime hospitality is a part of the Jordanian culture, and the Abdelsalam family certainly proved this to be true! Everything they served was very tasty, and so bountiful!! I was amazed by how much I ate, but it was easy to do when everything was so good! I do hope that someday we will be able to return at least some of this gracious hospitality.
Of course, what I appreciate most is the kindness they are showing Sarah. It meant a lot to me to see how much they all like Sarah. - easy to do, I know, but special to see, all the same! And that leads right into...
Part 3: Hats off to Sarah!!
... for finding her way through JFK airport on her way to Jordan, when she had so little time to make her connection. What a monstrosity of an airport! I really don't know how she did it!
... for learning her way around Amman - a very large and very busy city - well enough to direct us through traffic!
... for learning the culture and the language well enough to guide us through our activities and our meals. (I cannot imagine going to Jordan without a guide of some sort. - a tour guide or a Sarah!)
... for studying abroad for a semester in a country where English is not the native language - something no one else in her immediate or extended family has done!
I am so glad that Roy and I made this trip. I now have a frame of reference as I imagine what Sarah is experiencing. And in addition to that, I now have a frame of reference about part of the world that I had previously given very little thought to. As with the students' tour of Europe that I took when I was in college, I again come away with the belief that we are all a lot more alike than different.
Thanks so much for sharing your Spring Break with us, Sarah!!
With love,
Mom
I posted a comment about eight hours ago. It must be floating around up near the moon.
ReplyDeleteI just commented that it is obvious where you get your writing talent - Mom and Dad both did a great job sharing some of their wonderful visit. And I joined them in expressing their appreciation for the generous and loving care your Jordan family are giving you. Keep the blogs coming! And never forget I love you, Gram