Monday, August 20, 2007

Amman..... Jordan



So far my Jordanian experience has been very mixed.

It started off well with a cheap bus ride to the city, albeit an hour wait, and a friendly chat to a Jordanian who gave me some helpful advice. "If you want to go somewhere ask a policeman, everyone else will try and scam you."

I arrived at the bus station to try and organise a bus to Petra. But they don't go from there. But I'm told about another bus station across town.

So I start looking for a cab to the hotel. There's a guy aggressively trying to secure my fare. He introduces himself as Mahmood. I get in and I say, "Beirut International Hotel please." "Oh you don't want to go there", he says. "It's too expensive." Here we go again I thought. "I've already booked and paid, please take me straight there," I retorted angrily. He did as he was told and I paid him $1.1 Jordanian Dinar (JD) (around $1.50 USD) no tip.

I had been scrutinised entering Delhi airport, my bags had been scanned twice and once again in Jordan. Now entering the Beirut International Hotel a security guy asks to see in my bag. I look at him incredulously. He said something in Arabic.

I said, "What?"
He said, "Do you speak Arabic?"
"No", I replied. "I'm Australian."
"Oh go ahead", he said. As he let me through.

I think he was a bit racist. For all he knew I could have been carrying a flight manual and a Quran. Sure signs of terrorism in anyone's book.

So I get into my room and it's then I realise I've lost my mobile phone.

"Fuck", I think to myself.
"Fuck", I utter out loud.

I realise it's fallen out of my travel pants in the cab. Now already considering Mahmood was a bit shifty I immediately gave up on the phone and started thinking about how I can cancel the account.

So in a strange country tired, hot, hungry and still a bit pooey from the Chili Chicken I reach out to the locals for help. I asked at reception if they knew where I could use the internet.

"I don't know, down the street on the right", he suggests.

I go down the street on the right and there's nothing. A shop keeper informs me there's none in this area. So I decided to book a trip to Petra since the booking office was nearby.

I get very short service but I decide to ask if they know where I can use the internet. The young lady behind the counter looks at me as if to say, "You're not in Werrimull now, this is Amman Jordan, of course not". But with her mouth she says, "I don't know. Down town?"

Then a guy chimes in and says "No. There's one around the corner on the left, very close." The young lady laughs. Sure enough around the corner on the left there's nothing.

So I'm starting to feel a bit intimidated by Amman, Jordan. But eventually I found an overpriced internet at a fancy hotel, and I found the trendy part of town. It had Mc Donalds AND Pizza Hut.

To top off my turn of fortunes I asked at reception about my phone. Mahmood had been 3 times to try and find me. He came back with the phone. I was so happy I almost kissed him. Instead I gave him $20 JD (about $28 USD)

Now I'm in Petra. It's an amazing and worthy of Wonder of the World status. My Delhi Belly is persisting. But I managed to hold out the 6 hours of trekking through Petra. I had a close call when at a point I decided I couldn't hold out. I hid in a cave and dropped my pants. I was just about to drop something else when I heard some voices. I quickly zipped up. I gave them a nonchalant nod as they walked past. The feeling passed and I got home OK.

Today I'm heading to Wadi Rum to camp out in the desert.

2 comments:

NNG said...

Trav, have you left the etiquette back in Australia?

Pissweak said...

Watch out Trappa.... I reckon Mahmood lent your phone's SIM card to Dr Haneef's cousin. (.)(.) Pissweak