On Monday (6/10) we headed east from Amman to visit the family of the school's director and more ruins.
His family is Bedouin and he spent the first few years of his life living in a tent. So we were told we were going to visit a Bedouin village.
On the way...
Amman is a huge city: built on 19 hills covering some 650 square miles. Apartment buildings cover the area.
The universal color is that of sand, an odd red roof now and then.
The buildings are universally block-shaped...but sometimes not.
Mike told me later he knew it was going to be an unusual meal when the plastic was laid out on the beautiful Persian rug. I thought we were in trouble when I saw only spoons and not plates being laid out.
The chicken was super, as was the yogurt sauce.
Most everyone smoked
Here's me trying to explain to the host that I didn't understand what he was saying. He, of course, didn't understand what I was saying...and so it went.
This sweet little boy decided I was cool and sat with me while chomping on his fingers.
Soon Izzy (the only other woman there) and I were called out of the room and directed to another sitting room. Here were the women. I was wondering why it was the men who had laid out the food and then removed the dishes and the plastic wrap at the end of the meal. The women of the family were having their own party.
We sat and talked with them, but since they barely spoke English, and we barely spoke Arabic, not much information was exchanged.
After lunch Mike was introduced to the "facilities" found in many places in Jordan. He asked the young son for the hammam (toilet) and was directed to a room down the hall. Upon seeing the porcelain hole in the floor and not much else, he turned back to the boy and explained that "no, he wanted the toilet." The boy nodded: this was it!
Mike told us that he wasn't quite sure what to do so he just stayed in the room for an appropriate time, without doing his business, and then came back to the party.
To Qusayr Amra...the remains of a caravanserai (way station), bathhouse and hunting lodge built around AD 711. It's stuck in the middle of the desert, but the site was chosen for its proximity to a lush valley supplied by underground water which was close to the surface in olden times.
The little castle (Qusayr) is famous for the risque (bared breasts) frescoes of wine, parties and women. An Italian crew is working on the restoration project.
This family member posed holding a posy of what looked like a mustard plant.
He then took this picture of yours truly.
Here's a bedouin tent set up on the site. Everyone stops for the obligatory sweet sweet tea. This group of tourists arrived before us. They looked stunned.
According to the guidebook it is located in a vast, treeless plain. Truer words....
The British influence I suppose. Here's where I got a look at a hole in the floor and no toilet paper.
I loved this trash receptacle out in middle of no where.
His family is Bedouin and he spent the first few years of his life living in a tent. So we were told we were going to visit a Bedouin village.On the way...
Amman is a huge city: built on 19 hills covering some 650 square miles. Apartment buildings cover the area.
The universal color is that of sand, an odd red roof now and then.
The buildings are universally block-shaped...but sometimes not.
We finally arrived at the "Bedouin village." I thought we were going to visit a collection of tents and blokes hanging out on camels. Think desert, think village...ergo tents. But no..."village" also means, of course, a small collection of houses, as in a small city. And Bedouins, who often are nomadic and do ride camels, also take up residence in houses and their camels, if they have any, sleep outside.
Here's the family standing on the steps of their house (not tent.) Mike, one of my co-travellers, wears the sunglasses; the British fellow (El) from Egypt is in the cap.
We talked for a while in an ornate sitting room - some talked, others (me) struggled to understand. Soon plastic sheets were placed on the floor and anchored by containers of water.
Mike told me later he knew it was going to be an unusual meal when the plastic was laid out on the beautiful Persian rug. I thought we were in trouble when I saw only spoons and not plates being laid out.
We were both right.
The meal was a traditional Jordanian meal - chicken with rice and a yogurt sauce. The rice was sitting on flat bread and under the bread was a cornbready-thing.
The plan was to eat with one's fingers.The technique is to grab a chunk of rice and chicken and roll it around in your hand until the rice adheres to itself and forms a glutinous amalgam. This concoction is then put in one's mouth- without silverware. As a compromise I used a lettuce leaf as a scoop.
We were also sitting on the floor and feet were remarkably close to the food.
The meal was a traditional Jordanian meal - chicken with rice and a yogurt sauce. The rice was sitting on flat bread and under the bread was a cornbready-thing.
The plan was to eat with one's fingers.The technique is to grab a chunk of rice and chicken and roll it around in your hand until the rice adheres to itself and forms a glutinous amalgam. This concoction is then put in one's mouth- without silverware. As a compromise I used a lettuce leaf as a scoop.
We were also sitting on the floor and feet were remarkably close to the food.
Most everyone smoked
Here's me trying to explain to the host that I didn't understand what he was saying. He, of course, didn't understand what I was saying...and so it went.
This sweet little boy decided I was cool and sat with me while chomping on his fingers.Soon Izzy (the only other woman there) and I were called out of the room and directed to another sitting room. Here were the women. I was wondering why it was the men who had laid out the food and then removed the dishes and the plastic wrap at the end of the meal. The women of the family were having their own party.
We sat and talked with them, but since they barely spoke English, and we barely spoke Arabic, not much information was exchanged.
After lunch Mike was introduced to the "facilities" found in many places in Jordan. He asked the young son for the hammam (toilet) and was directed to a room down the hall. Upon seeing the porcelain hole in the floor and not much else, he turned back to the boy and explained that "no, he wanted the toilet." The boy nodded: this was it!
Mike told us that he wasn't quite sure what to do so he just stayed in the room for an appropriate time, without doing his business, and then came back to the party.
This type of facility is also found in some public restrooms for women. They are not designed for women in jeans. Thankfully most restrooms have toilets. Unfortunately, many of them do not have toilet paper. I told the owner of a restaurant last night that his women's room needed toilet paper. Oops. Now I realize that there is no need for toilet paper in bathrooms where there is a hose. I still haven't figured out how one can hose oneself down after peeing and not have wet spots on one clothes.
But I digress...
It was a great occasion. Everyone in the family treated us like royalty and we were lucky to have the opportunity to join them for a meal.
I am, however, going to stick with the use of a knife and fork.
We got back on the road again...heading into the desert.
It was a great occasion. Everyone in the family treated us like royalty and we were lucky to have the opportunity to join them for a meal.
I am, however, going to stick with the use of a knife and fork.
We got back on the road again...heading into the desert.
The little castle (Qusayr) is famous for the risque (bared breasts) frescoes of wine, parties and women. An Italian crew is working on the restoration project.
This family member posed holding a posy of what looked like a mustard plant.He then took this picture of yours truly.
Then we were off to Qasr Karana.
The purpose of the castle-like structure is not clear. The assumption is that it was not meant to be a fort considering the structure of the towers, it is not located on any of the major ancient trade routes and has no structures meant for water storage. The supposition is that it was a meeting place for the elite from Damascus and the local Bedouin.
Here's the Visitors' Center for Westerners...no one was there. A sign on the wall indicated the presence of a
Next to the "welcome center" was the real welcome center - the Bedouin tent and the tea and trinkets for sale.
A garden of sorts was planted alongside, but this succulent appeared to be the only thriving species.
A garden of sorts was planted alongside, but this succulent appeared to be the only thriving species.
The 'castle' was up the way
I loved this trash receptacle out in middle of no where.
I miss grass!
And back to Amman.
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