CONTINUED FROM HERE: Wadi Rum
Backpacking Jordan: Day 011, 012 & 013 (25,26,27-April-2024)
Chill Maadi! (Relax a bit!)
I woke up late. Late for me is 6:30AM. At around 7:30AM, I went to the the dining room to have my breakfast. One of the brothers who owns this place got me some tasty pita breads made of whole wheat, hummus, falafel and tomatoes. He had smeared some Sumac spice on top of the bread that enhanced the taste.
Jose, Michael, Dawsar and Alondra joined me at the breakfast table. Jose had to leave as soon as he had finished his breakfast. I bid him farewell and thanked him for being so accommodating. He was extremely flexible on this trip and easy travel with.
Dawsar and I had a good conversation in French. He and I have had a similar experience in life. He worked in Dubai for several years as an Engineer and then quit his job, moved to France, did his higher studies there. He enjoys traveling. It was interesting to see how we both have exact same views about the Corporate life, personal life and the French language. Dawsar invited me to stay at his place when I return back to Amman.
When others joined, the conversation slowly shifted towards Climate change, Veganism and politics. There was a young German girl who was very passionate about these topics. She felt too strongly about what she believed in and when Dawsar contradicted it with some arguments stating that her efforts to save animals or planet were futile, she felt a bit anxious and the reaction was hyper.
Her behaviour reminded me of the conversation I had had with a teacher at school once. She had told me that young people of today are dealing with something called a “Climate anxiety” - frustration they feel when they see how the climate is changing and how their efforts may be overpowered by the men in power. The trees being cut, the ignorance by the adults is causing anxiety in some adolescents. They feel that their intentions and efforts are not valued thus leading to depression and anxiety. I saw some signs of this in the young German girl.
I am at an age where I understand my limitations. I want to bring as much change as possible in my life thus making myself an example that people can be influenced from. I am not aiming at changing the world but the effort I make to change my lifestyle will motivate people around me and thus the idea spreads. Though I answered Dawsar, it was intended for the girl. I hope it helped her feel that the no effort is useless but sometimes we assign unrealistic goals to it and thus feel under pressure to attain it. Our effort is a part of the final goal and we can only play our part and it will surely bear results.
When we were done discussing serious topics, we decided to play UNO and lighten the mood. Alondra, Michael and I played a few games. This was a lazy morning. I did not want to get up from that dining table. Previous week had been hectic with lots of traveling and experiences. I needed to relax and this was a perfect day. There was good food, good ambience and great company.
For lunch Michael and I went out. While walking along the main street, close to the beach, we found a good restaurant that served local and continental cuisine. I had Ful medames - This ancient dish that originated in Egypt, is traditionally made by mashing fava beans cooked with cumin and then served with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and chopped fresh parsley. It was delicious. I also tried some mango lassi. The mangoes are imported from Egypt.
At the restaurant, I met a server from Punjab. There is a good population of Indian workers in Jordan. Back at the hostel, Michael, Alondra and Dawsar went to the South beach to try some diving and snorkelling. I was very tired and wanted to catchup on some sleep.
After they returned, all four of us went for a walk. Dawsar wanted to eat local fish. There is a street in the central area filled with local restaurants that display fishes from the Red Sea. Dawsar picked a shark. It was chopped and cooked for him right then and there. Here, I met a Bangladeshi server. There is a good population of Bangladeshi people working here as well.
After that, we walked to the open market, by the Arab revolt Plaza. Here the locals setup stalls and sell home-cooked food every evening. I walked to a store run by an old man and his grandson and bought some Dolma - Stuffed grape leaf.
When I told Alondra that I had had mango lassi that afternoon, she wanted to try the same. So, we walked to the same restaurant and ordered a lassi for her. On our way back we also tried some ice cream. The lotus biscuit flavour is very popular in Jordan. They make ice creams and smoothies with it.
As I had slept well in the afternoon, I did not feel sleepy. So, I sat in the study and finished my travel journal. Calado gave me company.
I also spoke to one of the brothers who run the Hakia Community Hostel. They are basically from Amman and have a house in both cities. Their parents live there and do visit them here often. The hostel space is rented as it is very expensive to buy property at the city centre. I am impressed by the amount of work they do all day and they are extremely nice to the people who stay there. Thanks to their hospitality, the hostel feels like a home stay.
I also met the girl from Colombia that Jose and I had met in Petra. We tried to converse in my bad Spanish and her bad English. But we managed.
Next morning, I woke up a bit early. I had breakfast and left to explore the town. I had to get my SIM card recharged. Since it was a Friday, Orange store was closed. Most shops open late here and many remain closed on Fridays. After searching for a SIM recharge in a few shops, I finally found one and got a recharge for 10JD.
I then headed to the Arab Revolt Plaza. There is an informative museum here where I learnt a bit about the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire.
Just behind the plaza is the Aqaba fort. The place though in ruins and appearing a misfit between the modern structures around it, is maintained very well and brings back the memories of the Battle of Aqaba.
Friday is a beach day for the locals. Families had gathered by the beach, they had spread mats on the sand, played music on speaker and enjoyed food and drinks. It was a festive mood out there.
I had some tasty falafel wrap for lunch at a local place. I also tried their corn juice. I returned back to the hostel and requested one of the brothers to book me a Jett bus to Amman for the following day. But he accidently booked it for the same afternoon. When I informed him, he immediately called the help desk and fixed it. But I wanted to make sure that the change was made. So, I decided to walk to the office which was around 1.5KM away.
While I was walking to the Jett bus office, I met Michael. He joined me. Once I had verified that the changes had been made, we headed to the beach. Michael knew a place where we could buy some drink and sit by the beach. We stayed there for a while. Michael and I had a lot of interesting topics to discuss. I also enjoyed watching the locals. On the other side of the Red sea is Egpyt. The town on the other side appeared over populated, with its crowded buildings.
I wanted to go back to the open market near the plaza. We went there and I found the same old man selling some desserts. I had a tasty Kraiza (Semolina pudding), a Harissa and a semolina and coconut ball. They were delicious.
We then headed to the other end of the beach, near the Arab Revolt Plaza. This place is quiet and less crowded. The boats that had been taking people for a trip in the Red Sea were returning back to the dock one by one as it got dark.
We headed back to the hostel and relaxed for a bit. Michael and I also went up to the terrace of the hostel building that had excellent view of the beach. Both of us had seen a Hookah place just around the corner and wanted to go there. So, we headed there at around half past 9.
This small coffee shop had a backyard with tables and chairs arranged for the customers. A television was set on the outside wall of the building. Locals had gathered there to watch a football match. We sat down and ordered a Hookah. This was the first time I was trying one. Michael knew what flavour of Shisha to order. The server helped us set the thing up and we enjoyed the flavourful smoke. Shisha is added to the cup on the top. The cup is then covered with an aluminium foil and a few perforations are made on it (if not already present). Three small pieces of charcoal are placed over it. The smoke from the heated tobacco enters a water basin that cools it before entering our lungs. The cool mint flavoured smoke thus feels refreshing.
It is interesting to note that Hookah was first invented in India during the Mughal period. It was designed by Abul-Fath Gilani, a Persian physician of Akbar.
The ambience at this place was amazing. Locals were watching a football match and cheering for their favourite team. Occasionally, they would scream Yallah. Yallah is the most common word you shall hear in Jordan. As I understand it has a lot of meanings. It can mean “Okay”, “Move on”, “Let’s go” or “Hurry up”.
The Shisha was surely refreshing and the ambience was great but the best part of this evening was my conversation with Michael. We discussed philosophy, religion, God and life. Michael is only 25 years old but his understanding of life so far is impressive. I cannot recollect having such profound discussion with anyone else I have met during my travels. I would really like to stay in touch with him and continue these interesting conversations as our respective quest to understand life continues.
We stayed there till almost 1PM, until they closed. When I rendered the exact change to the server, he was very happy. He laughed and patted me on my shoulder. Even though we had not spoken a word with each other, there was a connection established between us. I must tell that all the excitement of visiting tourist attractions in a country is on one side and the experience of interacting with the locals and blending in with their day-to-day life is another. Though the former is an integral part of my travels, I eagerly seek the latter.
At 1AM, we decided to go look for a good place to eat dinner. Some restaurants were closing but a few were still open. Families – men and women were still out. In that regard, I find traveling in Jordan very safe - Safer than India too.
We found one place where we ordered a pizza for Michael and a pasta for me. The server recommended that we try the fresh mango juice and we did. We ended this happy meal by splitting a Banana split ice cream.
By the time we reached hostel I think it was past 2AM. This can be considered as one of the best days in Jordan as I felt like a local and stayed in the moment.
Next morning, I woke up and got ready to leave. I packed my bag, had my breakfast, bid farewell to the owners and left. Michael was asleep but we would meet soon in Amman in a few days. I walked to the Jett bus station. I passed by the Hookah place which was obviously closed that early.
I reached the bus station very early. So, I walked into a store next door and got some date cakes and mammoul for the journey.
The bus was on time. It was a 4-hour long journey. I played music and observed the landscape change as we moved northwards. The bus stopped for lunch at a small dhaba like place on the highway. The locals grabbed some fresh sandwiches and Shawarma to eat. A very enthusiastic middle-aged man was impressed by the two motor bikes parked outside the place. He wanted me to take his pictures as he wore his shades, sat on it and posed. When the owners arrived, he spoke to them about the bike with great interest.
During my conversation with him, he was happy to know that I was from India. He mentioned Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Charaborty (popular Bollywood movie stars). He even took my WhatsApp number for no reason. But he was a happy man and I liked his enthusiasm and friendliness. Despite others smiling over his act, he continued to live his life and speak the way he wished. I think one should have such a positive outlook towards life.
In Amman, I got off the bus and walked 2.5km to Hostel. I took a road that had gradual climb. I felt like I know the city so well now. I had a falafel wrap at my favourite store behind the hostel. It was good to see Abed again too. Rest of the evening, I relaxed in my favourite spot at the hostel with Paulie by my side. I did not want to do anything. Being back at Carob hostel felt like I was back home.
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