EugeTube: Amman for all seasons.

Amman, Jordan

Day 6

Alternative titles:

Amman with a van.

Amman about town.

I'm off to see Amman about a dog.

It's Amman's world.

Amman's best friend.

Amman is not an island.

Amman is not a camel.

Amman cannot live on bread alone.

What Amman, what Amman, what a mighty, mighty good Amman.

Cab drivers are fantastically consistent the world over. The dude who took me from my hotel to the Abu Dhabi airport fit the mould perfectly. At 120km/h he was texting and listening to what I presume was Arabic talk back radio.

My three hour flight to Amman, the capital city of Jordan was pretty uneventful. I was sitting next to an understated dude called Zack, a Palestinian who was returning home from Abu Dhabi for some dental work and a holiday before heading back to his job as an Ambulance dispatcher for a private medical service in the UAE.

He was kind enough to give me some helpful words in Arabic.

As we landed I was furiously reading the lonely planet to get my head around the city and plan my next step.

Amman is cold. The forecast said the top was going to be 10 degrees when I landed, and there had been snow a few days prior. You could still see brown clumps of it on the side of the road as the airport shuttle bus grinded its way into town.

I was soon checked into my little hotel. It’s a modest place; the only real short falling is that the hot water is pretty much non-existent. I couldn’t face immersing self in the shower this morning so I stood in the recess splashing handfuls of icy water over my body. Bracing.

Last night I walked around downtown Amman. It couldn’t be more different from Abu Dhabi. It’s noisy, crowded, there are people actually walking around and I have yet to see a single Porche or even a Ferrari.

It’s great to be in a city that’s got soul. That doesn’t feel like a movie set. Although I do miss the hot water…