Shukran Jordan

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Backpacking Jordan: Day 016 & 17 (30-April-2024 & 01-May-2024)

 

Shukran Jordan!

On my last full day in Jordan (30-April), I set out to find a post office to buy stamps and send my postcards. Apparently, the Postal service in Jordan is pathetic. I read several reviews of how the staff takes the postcards telling they would stick the stamp and then the postcards never arrive. 

I walked to a post office near the fine arts museum. The lady there had huge stamps and wanted me to buy three of them for a single postcard. They would cover the whole postcard. She asked me to buy them and then leave it with her so that she could stick it and send it for me. Having read the review, I declined the offer and left.

I then went to a post office in Abdali. This one had somewhat descent reviews. Here, I was attended by a young girl who was initial busy speaking to someone over phone. They had small sized stamps for 1JD. Initially she told I needed a stamp of 3JD and when I corrected her, she agreed that 1JD was fine. She offered to stick it for me but I lied to her that I had not written the message over it and will do it myself. I collected the stamps and left. Outside the post office, I stuck the stamps on to the cards and went back in. She placed them on a rack assured me that it would soon leave. I am not sure how long this will take. They tell me that it can take several months. As I write this post, it has been 2.5 months and not a single one of them has reached its destination. I wonder how long should I wait until they are considered lost. I wish they understand the importance of postcards. Even if they do not get the sentiment attached with it, they can at least understand that this will retain their jobs. Though India is not as bad, some of my postcards have been lost here too. 

Once that was done, I went back to all my favourite stores to have one last bite of the delicious dishes. I walked to the falafel wrap place and had one more of their delicious wraps. I told them that I was heading back. When you frequent specific shops, you build a relationship with the people there that is beyond an ordinary transaction. It is such bonding that I often search. It was therefore important to go back to this store and say a proper goodbye to the boys who serve there and have helped me decide my food from my first day at Jordan. 

At the sweet store, I bought some sweets. The vendor was kind enough to give me my selection of desserts all in a plate for 1JD. I tried their Halawet El Jibn. These rolls of soft, sweet cheese doughs that are stuffed with clotted cream and crowned with pistachios are delicious. 

I took my steel box and packed a lot of Maamouls. Maamoul is a date filled cookie that is low on sugar but robust in flavour. This place makes the best Maamouls in Jordan. 

Oh! I forgot to mention that I rescheduled my flight from May 6th to May 1st. I could have stayed longer and found something to do but I thought it would be better to go back and rest as I had already travelled in most part of the country. I did want to go to the less popular east but many discouraged me from doing that as there wasn’t much to see or do there. Michael arrived that afternoon. He was very sick due to food poisoning. 

Around same time Kavi checked in at the hostel. Kavi is from Delhi but lives in Switzerland. She is a vagabond. A bit older than me, she has been traveling since her teens. She had just arrived from Egypt and told me, like others before her that people cheat tourists a lot there. I briefed her about all the things she could do in Jordan and introduced her to the Couchsurfing website. Michael and I were planning on walking to the Roman theatre and the Downtown so, I asked her if she wanted to join us. She readily agreed. 

Along the way, we tried a sweet called Qatayef at the market near Downtown. 

I bought some more things I wanted to carry back – Dead Sea clay face pack, magnets, shawls, sweets. 

We then walked to the Roman theatre and sat there along with the locals. We discussed Indian politics and shared our travel experiences. On our way back, Kavi, who was recovering from a leg injury decided to take a taxi back to hostel. It was a great evening with a lot of good conversation. Unfortunately, Michael was terribly sick and so, he remained mostly silent. 

Next morning - my last day in Jordan, I got up early and was ready by 7AM. I had packed my bag the previous day. I walked to the falafel wrap place to have my last wrap. My heart felt heavy to leave Amman which I had begun to like so much. But as a seasoned traveller, I understand the ephemeral nature of such feelings. The excitement of going back home and panning a new destination would soon replace this momentary sadness. 

I came back to the hostel and decided to leave. Michael was supposed to leave the same day but he felt very sick. So, he cancelled his trip to Italy and decided to fly back to the US after a few days of rest at the Carob Hostel. 

I took a taxi to the North station. Here, I boarded an airport shuttle bus. While checking in my bags, the lady at the Qatar Airways counter, looking at my huge backpack,  asked me – “You have only one bag?”. I nodded and she replied with a smirk – “Indians always travel with several bags”. I smiled at this subtle racism and generalisation. I don’t blame them though. They are yet to get used to the educated and financially comfortable Indians. Most Indians who travel here are for work. When I did not reply to her and just smiled back, she got the message and did not speak another word. Silence does not always mean agreement. It can suggest indifference or a rejection too. 

I headed to the gate and waited for my flight. My flight to Doha was uneventful. At Doha, I had 2 hours of layoff. I had a quick meal and headed towards my gate. The connecting flight from Doha was run by Indigo and missed all the luxury I had experienced on the Qatar airways during my previous flight. However, the flight was uneventful and I landed in Bangalore just as the sun set. Thus, another solo backpacking trip came to an end.  I retuned back with several memories and souvenirs. 

Jordan seems to be a blend of the east and the west. While the infrastructure resembles the west, the culture is very similar to that of India. It is the same joie de vivre and hospitality I see here, that is found back home. Yet there are little differences. 

Most Jordanians are super kind, very helpful and extremely well behaved in Public. The first thing that comes to mind is their hospitality. Most of them here rely on tourism and I am told that bothering tourists would invite severe punishments. They politely ask you if you would like to avail their service. 

However, like in any country, they do sometimes overcharge the tourists. So, you need to improve your negotiation skills or shop in small towns or rural areas where people are more authentic and honest. 

Some men may tag along with you in the pretext of explaining history of a place and expect a tip. But I am traveling in a time where there are very less tourists. Most of them were just happy to have me visit their shops. 

I would certainly like to learn Arabic. Of course, I learnt a few important words that would help me find food that I want. 

Kudraavath - only vegetables 

Nabati - Vegetarian

Biddun lahem – Without meat

Zacky - Delicious

Shukran – Thanks

Aflan – Mention not. 

Everyone told me that this was a wrong time to go to Jordan due to the tension across the border. But on the contrary, this was the best time to be in Jordan. There were very less tourists in almost every location I went to and that made all my experiences special. Even the Jordanians badly wanted business to resume. 

What media creates is a hyperreality. We tend to generalise the views and occasional incidents as constant and therefore often neglect the fact that despite all the tensions that exist in every nation, normal life persists - The ordinary, day-to-day life never stops. For a few days, I thus experienced the life in Jordan. Jordan - My introduction to the Middle east and what a perfect one!

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