Always look on the bright side

Egyptian Curses

I haven't posted recently, because, quite frankly, no one wants to read about the kind of illness that sends you to the bathroom every five minutes.  Don't get me wrong, illness has quite a long and romantic history in art, just look at La Boheme, or La Triviata.  But the illnesses that make it into literature are usually the swooning, back-of-hand-pressed-to-the-forehead kind, not running-with-legs-crossed-to-the-toilet kind.  Arias sung from the bathroom have always been less than appealing (Of course, Madame Bovary's death was rather gruesome, but then again, that was the point, a destruction of romantic ideals).

Mike and I just haven't be able to kick this bug we got in Cairo.  He's been staying about the same, although he has gotten somewhat better since it first came on in Cairo, I've sort of gone up, down, and all around.  First better, than, night before last, much much worse, now better.  Rest assured, we are assuredly resting.  Rana's family have bent over backwards to take care of us, her brother Hani is a doctor, he's having some tests run.  He suspects it might not be normal food poisoning because it's gone on so long, there might be an ameoba or something.  We're doing well though, they all make sure that we get plenty of rest, gentle food, whatever we need, and we're both feeling pretty good this afternoon.

I have to admit though, I don't think it's an ameoba, I think the Egyptians may have cursed us before we left. ;-)  You see, Cairo is a very touristy kind of place, they are very accustomed to tourists from all over the world, and they are accustomed to tourists with plenty of money who are, let's say, more willing to part with it.  In fact, like any place that has a great number of tourists coming to it, they've turned the skill of separating a tourist from his money into a fine art.  However, we had been planning all along to do all our shopping with Nada and Razan, so I only bought one single thing in Cairo: a cookbook.  I resisted all of their calls to buy papayrus, postcards, statues of the pyramids, statues of the sphinx, clothes, necklaces, books, sand art, key chains, hats, t-shirts, and a million other things I can't remember.  Since we were being such bad tourists (wherever you go the job of a tourist is always to spend lots of money, be willing to be fleeced by the locals, and, as a bonus, look like a fool doing it), perhaps it was felt we should have a free 'souvenir' as it were.  However, this little ameoba is one I'd like to return.

We did our shopping with Nada and Razan, although I have to admit, I had little fun doing it, I was in too much pain.  I could write a treatise, however, on the state of public toilets in Amman, but suffice to say I remembered the rule I learned on the Petra trip: Bring Your Own Toilet Paper.  That being said, Nada did all the negotiating for us, and our plan worked perfectly.  I daresay we all felt very sly, with our secret signals and much waggling of the eyebrows behind the backs of the shopkeepers.  When I found something I wanted I would pick it up and look at it, when I decided I wanted to buy it I would pass it to Mike, Nada and Razan kept an eye out for that, since that was the signal.  We walked into each shop separately, and the shopkeepers must have been taken in, since the prices we got were amazing.  Nada was a sight to see.  She haggled over every piastre like it was her last.  The shopkeepers went into it, with a confident, well-fed-eager-for-battle look in their eyes, they came out of it with the haunted look of men who thought they had cornered a rabbit only to find it was a rather nasty wolf.  It was delightful to watch.  I think had she wanted to, she could have made them take the shirts off their backs to close the deal.  It makes me want to go shopping again, just so I can secretly watch the show! ;-)   Modesty prevents me from going into actual numbers, but it didn't prevent me from gleefully gloating over our loot when we got back to the room.  Now that we're feeling a little better we might go downtown again tonight, it's a great place to go, lots to see. 

Trouble is the Spice of Travel

Something we were often reminded of during our travels from Petra to Wadi Ram to Aqaba.  The most important thing I learned on that two day trip: Bring your own toilet paper.  Believe me.  The guide didn't really give a tour at all, it was more he periodically called people together for the bus while he himself was a half hour to an hour late.  And yet, we had a really good time, mostly because Rana's sisters, Nada and Razan, were with us.

They kept us great company and did their best to smooth out the difficulties.  Petra was mostly about getting down to it, it was a hot half hours' walk through the sun.  I don't mean to be delicate, and I'm certainly no hot house flower, but I was miserable going down and coming back.  Bad stomach pains, lightheaded, asthma from all the dust.  I will admit that kind of dimmed some of the enjoyment when we actually got to Petra.  Mostly at that point I just wanted to sit down.  But I can say it was absolutely impressive.  Here are three pictures to give you some idea of the scale, starting with myself, Nada and Razan close up, then backing off further and further.

I did start to feel better and was able to walk around and see some more.  It’s an amazing place, and I wish I’d enjoyed it more, but I simply felt too ill.  We pushed ourselves hard to make it back to the bus at the assigned time, only to wait an hour for the guide, who hadn’t even given the tour of Petra that was promised.  But sometimes simply being with friends and exploring a place like that can be more satisfying.  From there we went to Wadi Ram.  It was desolate, being just mountains and sand, but it had a harsh kind of beauty and the view of the stars alone would be worth any amount of trouble.   At first there wasn't much to see, the camp was all lit up and the moon was bright, but that was not the case when we woke up at 4:30 am for the bathroom.  Due to the lack of security at the campsite, the buddy system was certainly in order so we both went out.  The moon had set, all the lights in the camp were out, all there was was starlight.  I've never seen so many stars in my life!  The milky way was as clear as the sun is in the day, as plain as my hand in front of me.  We didn't linger, it was cold and not particularly safe, so I don't have any pictures.  I was glad we didn't linger, after we got back in bed I started to hear some wild dogs or wolves howling out in the desert.  There were no houses for miles and I'd already been told there were wild dogs around so I knew what I was hearing.

Aqaba was lovely, it sits like a white pearl on the deep blue Red Sea, but I'm afraid we didn't do much there.  We were all utterly exhausted and it was very hot, so we found a McDonald's with air conditioning and camped out there.  The bright spot was lunch at Ali Baba's (which turned out to be a very famous seafood restaurant there)!  The tour guide was going to take us there, but we would have had to pay him the same price and we wouldn't have even gotten to choose our meals, so Nada just took us over there herself.  I had grilled shrimp, shells still on and head still attached, so tender, flavorful, and well-seasoned I forgot my exhaustion and ate like a woman possessed.  Mike had the best shrimp fried rice in his life (I got to taste it and it's the best I've ever had), light, delicate flavors, so light it seemed almost steamed rather than fried, with onion, bell pepper, carrot, and slices of toasted almonds.  We were all sated and happy, and couldn't be too upset when the special 'shopping trip' the tour had touted turned out to be an hour and a half at a grand version of a dollar store.    Still though, I wouldn't trade that tour for anything.  We got to know Nada and Razan so much better, and I want to know them better still, and there were such highlights of the trip that while at the time it seemed a test of endurance, even just with the space of a day it starts to seem more of an adventure and bonding time with two great women and things like the starry sky at night or the perfect plate of shrimp start to outshine  any heat and exhaustion. As Hani so truly said: "Trouble is the spice of travel."

Next up: Cairo.  We're in the airport, the flight is only an hour and we have things like the pyramids, old Islamic Cairo, and a river cruise on the Nile to look forward to.

100 guys and 1 cup of coffee

I (Mike) had the rare experience of being invited to a ceremony connected with a future marriage.  Rana's family is related to the groom-to-be.  The bride-to-be's family has accepted the groom, and today this was publicly acknowledged by a gathering of about 100 men from Rana's family, representing the future groom.  It took place in a colorful tent set up outside the future bride's house.  Rana's dad and her brother Hani invited me to go with them, an honor since it implied I was considered a symbolic member of the family. 

As we gathered at the tent, the men greeted each other with handshakes, often accompanied by the alternating-cheek kisses that are common in this part of the world when men greet other male friends or relatives, or when women meet other female friends or relatives.  Most of us were dressed "business casual" -- dark slacks and shoes and long-sleeved light-colored shirts, a commonly-seen style seen here in Amman.  Some wore jackets (Hani and his dad, for example), but most did not.  A few men had on more traditional Arab garb.  We sat in rows of chairs facing (I believe) representatives of the future bride. 

One man chosen to represent us sat before a small table, and a member of the future bride's family poured him a cup of coffee.  Before being allowed to drink it, he asked the other family whether they accepted their man for the groom.  They said Yes, at which point he drank the coffee.  Everyone was offered a desert called Kanafa and a soft drink, congratulations were shared, and the gathering disbanded.  The whole ceremony lasted about one-half hour.

The ceremony carried both joy and solemnity, and I felt lucky to have witnessed it.

Experiences as a Cork

Yesterday we went to a place I’ve always wanted to visit: the Dead Sea.  When I was little the name seemed to promise horrors in its waters, but having been there now I can safely say that it’s my favorite beach.  Only about an hour from Amman, the difference in elevation is striking, going from 2550 feet above sea level to the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point on dry land in the whole world at -1378 feet. 

I figured it’d be one of those do-it-yourself sort of beaches, you know, bring towels, water and camp out for awhile.  How naïve I was! 

Our generous hosts, for this day Abu Haytham and Haytham (in many Middle Eastern societies, a polite way to address someone is as Father/Mother of <insert name of oldest son>, hence Abu Haytham means father of Haytham), Rana's father and eldest brother took us to a 5-star resort for the day! You can see them here standing next to a 1,400 year old olive tree, which was quite a sight in and of itself.

I have to say I'm not usually one for the beach.  I don't like sunning myself (I get burned too easily), and the sea moves around a bit too much for me, depending on where you are the waves can be a bit overwhelming.  I loved the dead sea though, it was as calm as a lake. 
Everyone who goes there talks about the salt concentration, but it really is astounding when you see all of these rocks both in the sea and on the shore growing salt crystals.  However, it become less astounding and more horrifying when some of that water (and I use the term loosely) gets in your eyes.  However, this being a five-star resort, if you're near the shore one of their workers comes out with fresh water to pour in your eyes.  Sounds like a luxury but when it's your eyes that are burning it seems like a necessity!  Aside from that danger, swimming in it made me understand how corks would feel, if corks could feel.  It's impossible not to float, seriously.  The most difficult thing I did in there was try to stand with my legs under me! 

After lying under some of these umbrellas and enjoying the magnificent mountains that surround the Dead Sea, we went up to this pool where I found out another truth about the Dead Sea: it spoils you for regular swimming. 

I got in there and felt positively grumpy that I was having to work so hard to stay afloat!  But then I just had to laugh at myself and I had a lot of fun splashing around. It's a little hard to see but the edge of the pool nearest the Dead Sea and the mountains was actually a waterfall down to the next level, with a nice little seat at the top built it, so it was very nice to sit there and look out at it all.

Today was actually a very dull day, mostly because we were resting up and getting ready for a big trip tomorrow.  We just went around to a number of travel agencies, arranging this trip tomorrow and a trip from Sunday to Wednesday to Cairo, then this evening I stayed in and rested while Mike went to a engagement ceremony that he'll write about and I'll have posted while we're gone.  Tomorrow we have to be up at 4:30 am to leave at 5:30 for Petra (a Roman city carved into cliff faces), then to Wadi Ram (an oasis in the desert run by Bedouins where we can sleep under the stars), then to Aqaba (a seaside resort) then back here Sunday night.  I won't be able to write anything new while we're gone, but Mike's post will be put up while we're gone.

Amman From Bottom to Top / Fit For a King

Well, I’ll have to say right now that we didn’t do any shopping as yet.  I wish I could say that’s because we’re still strategizing but to be honest I was just too tired in the afternoon.  We did have an amazing time though, as I think you can tell from the videos. We started in the morning by going to the Roman amphitheater, and an impressive structure it was!  It was incredibly steep, more steep than I remember ones in Greece being, and I found myself being quite nervous when it came time to go back down the stairs.  I used to think it silly when a cat would climb a tree and not be able to get down, I don’t think it so silly anymore, going up can definitely be easier than down!  In the video check out the columns at the very top of the city, try to remember that location.

You need to remember that location mainly because in this video, taken at night, that’s exactly where we’re standing!  It was such a great view, and Rana’s brother, Hani, pointed out some of the landmarks including the amphitheater we were in that morning. 

We didn’t just walk around all day though, we also stuffed ourselves silly.  Our hosts are so extremely congenial they are always pressing us to eat, and I think anyone knowing Mike and I won’t be surprised we took them up on that.  The sheer amount of food though is starting to get to us, practically every meal is like Thanksgiving, but the problem with eating every meal like it’s Thanksgiving is sooner or later you end up roughly the shape of the turkey!  Still, it’s hard to say no with such kind hosts urging us on, and everything we ate started out as tempting and ended up as delicious.  We sampled some of the best street food in Amman, starting at Café Hashem for breakfast, which was actually written up in this New York Time’s article.  I can state clearly the falfafel was crunchy, tender, delicious, the hummus piquant, the foole (bean dip) earthy with tahini and the chiles hot enough for any man.  Jordan has a young king, King Abdullah, and from what we’ve heard he’s a very popular king, trying to go out among the people, and one of the places he’s been to is Café Hashem, alas, not while we were there.

Nada, Mike, and Myself at Cafe Hashem:

Nada told me at breakfast that she'd seen pictures of us from Rana before we came but that I looked more beautiful in person and Mike looked younger.  Can you tell why I love her already? ;-)  I can certainly return the compliment!

We seemed to be dogging the king’s steps though because that night we had the best kanafa in town near a famous, if small, bookstore.  Back in the 80’s Jordan was not at all democratic and this small bookstore had been the only place to defy the restrictions and sell books that were not approved by the censors, a service for which the new king awarded the bookseller a medal last year.  We also got to see the kanafa being made.  Large thin pans went in with a nut mixture I think on bottom, cheese on top and came out browned, sweet, gooey and delicious.

Rana's brother Hani and sister Razan at the Kanafa place:

From there it was on to the best kabobs in town, lamb so tender you could cut it with a fork, and so heavenly grilled and spiced it melted on the tongue and left you begging for more.  We ended the night with gelato Arabic style, stuffed with pistachios, cardamon and other heady spices.
Did I mention I’m going to look like the Thanksgiving turkey when I get back? ;-)

Arrived Safely

(This first post is actually from yesterday, but since I've got my days and nights mixed up anyway I don't know that it matters much.)

Not to mention ‘At last’!   I always think the plane ride over is the worst part.  Being crammed into a tiny space on a plane for 11 hours, packed like sardines and then trying to get some sleep, well, not exactly fun.  But we’re here, Rana’s sister Nada and her father, Abu-Hytham found us at the airport and have taken us home.  They fed us a marvelous dinner, I don’t remember the name for it, but it was the most delicious savory rice and fall-off-the-bone lamb that had been cooked in a clay pot in a wood-burning stove for hours.   Then we had kaneefa for dessert (which is kind of like cheesecake in that it’s both cheesy and sweet and yet totally unlike it in every other way), tea with marymeeya in it (don’t ask me, it’s an herb and it tasted good, that’s all I know), lots of conversation and, finally, to bed.   I’m so relieved we’re finally here and that everyone in Rana’s family is so nice and welcoming.

I’m already hoping that Rana’s sisters Nada and Razan and I will become fast friends.  Nada and I are already cooking up some plans for tomorrow.  We’re going to go shopping in the old city, the souk, balad, whatever word you want to use.  Of course, whenever a shopkeeper sees a foreigner in their shop they automatically start to multiply the prices by at least ten, but Nada has a plan.  When we go in, we’ll pretend not to know each other at all, not to be interested in anything, meanwhile passing on a signal to Nada if I see something I like, at which point she’ll haggle like the dickens for it.  It all sounds like great fun to me, and even if I didn’t have anything to buy I’d probably just do it for the sake of a little harmless mischief.  We’re also going to go to one of the best cheap eats in the city for lunch, although Nada says once we see it we may not want to eat there, but hey, the King has eaten there, and if it’s good enough for the king, it’s good enough for me. ;-)