So excited for Jordan!

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Amman Citadel

Well, I wasn't at all prepared for the border crossing to Jordan!

When I went to Israel I knew they were going to question me about my Iran stamp and I was ready to answer all the questions but I had no idea they were going to do the same in Jordan!

I took a private bus from Nazareth to Amman that was recommended by a friend because she said they wait for you while you cross the border and it's super easy. After a 45 minute ride I arrived at the border crossing and it was super easy to get out of Israel, got a stamp on the loose piece of paper they gave me at the entrance and that was it.

When I arrived at the Jordan side I showed my Jordan pass (a pre paid visa and entrance to all attractions in Jordan), they stamped my passport and went to the next window. The guy looked at my Iran visa and started to write stuff on my passport but then asked me to go to the next window.

Once there I was ask to go get a visa... but I thought I already had one but I went back, they told me I only needed that so I returned to the window. They told me to go back, I told them I didn't understand and that the guy told me to come here. Long story short I got another stamp and got questioned A LOT!

This process was even more grueling than the one in the Israeli border. They asked me my profession, where I lived, how much money I had with me (and had to show them), how long I was going to stay in Jordan, why Jordan, what I was going to do in Jordan, who I was staying with, where was my friend from, what was she doing in Jordan, her profession, how I knew her... questions just kept coming! Then asked me about my travels and I explained everything, the guy took my passport and left.

When he came back he asked if anybody could translate! I knew what was about to come, a long long questioning game! Now with a translator the questions got more detailed, they asked me my whole route for Iran, turkey, and Israel! They asked me for city and the name of all my hostels, they wanted to know why I went to those countries and if I met anybody, if I talked to ANYBODY, and they even asked if I met any terrorists! They made me get everything out of my purse, they wanted to see my camera, and how big the zoom was! It was hard not to laugh! Come on, I am just a traveler, traveling the world!

At one point I saw my bus go by and I got nervous, I started asking if my bus was going to wait for me, they didn't quite understand me so they just said yes yes and ignored me. Then I saw my bus driver come and get an officer so I ran to him and said "you are my bus driver" and he looked confused and said "oh"... he was about to leave without me!

By then it had been at least 45 minutes and I still didn't have my passport and we kept waiting. The bus driver talked to one of the officers and he said "you take taxi to Amman" I looked at him and said absolutely not! That I had paid for the bus and that he had to wait, with a disappointed look on his face he sat down and waited.

An hour and half or so after we arrived I was finally given my passport and was told "Welcome to Jordan!"

Once on the other side of the border you immediately could tell that we were no longer in Israel! It was like crossing the wall to Palestine, the people looked different, the houses were more similar to Palestine, the roads were a mess, the people drove like crazy!

I arrived in Amman and since I had no idea of how things worked I asked an American guy how to get to downtown from where the bus dropped us off and he said "take a taxi, like 15JD!" For every dollar one get 0.7JD so that taxi ride for less than 10km would cost me more than $20! I knew that wasn't possible so I started walking and soon enough I found some locals who got me a taxi to Amman's citadel for 2 JD... so much better!

Amman citadel

In the bus a girl let me use her hotspot so I quickly did a search on what to do in Amman and found out about the citadel. I got dropped off by the taxi and I was amazed to see that such arqueological site could be in the middle of the city. In the entrance I met some guides and politely declined their offer to guide me around but before I left one of them told me where to go and what to see.

The whole citadel was quite impressive, I loved looking down and seeing the view of Amman from the top!

While looking down I spotted a Roman amphitheater and knew I had to go check it out!
The impressive amphiteater is from the 2nd century and can sit up to 6,000 people!

After relaxing in the amphiteater I decided to walk downtown. As I walked I noticed A LOT of people carrying white plates with some food in it and I really wanted to know and try what everybody was eating! If the whole street was eating it, it must be good!
I finally found the source of the food, a long queue outside of a restaurant and since I didn't know what it was I walked over to two girls seating and eating it and asked them what it was and one of them told me she was going to order me one. The dish is called Knafeh and it's a mix of sweet honey like syrup pastry with cheese and some pistachios or something like that... Delicious!

While walking downtown it felt like any regular messy, noisy city full of cars and crazy drivers. This time the way men dressed was different, most of them wore a keffiyeh, a scarf on their head, and they sold them practically everywhere! Jordan being a muslim country had many women wearing hijabs and burkas but it is not mandatory like in Iran.

Downtown you also find many perfume shops, they have many bottles and they can mix and match the essences to make your own perfume or they can recreate a name brand perfume for next to nothing!

Before heading to Jordan I contacted my childhood friend who used to live in Jordan to ask her for tips about Amman and she ended up putting me in contact with her good friends who still live in Amman. Claire and Andrew, a french couple, ended up hosting me the whole time I was in Amman! So, before sunset I walked up to their house and I wasn't expecting the beautiful view before I arrived!

I finally arrived at their house and met their beautiful kids, Aramis and Aria! Aramis is 3 and speaks both english and french so I had to switch my brain from speaking Italian at the monastery to speaking french, or at least try my best at speaking it but I think it is still good enough to practice with a three year old!

I just loved loved loved spending time with the kids! I am so fortunate to really have found my passion in children and doing that for a living! I feel like kids fill me up with happiness and I just loved going back to that piece of my life! I took Aria for a walk on the Bjorn, and read her books, played cars with Aramis, and on the last day I took them for a walk and ice-cream (well, not Aria!)

Taking Aria for a stroll <3

Reading books with Aria

Ice Cream makes us happy!

With Claire and Aria!

The food of Jordan was also incredible!

Delicious fatoush! <3

Babaganoush

I went to lunch with Claire and Andrew to a really hip place, I literally felt like I was in a cafe in downtown L.A and not in Amman!

Lentil salad and Haloumi!

Fatoush salad and eggs

Haloumi wraps with mint

Amman was just great, and all the people I met on the streets were kind and helpful. So many times I get asked "Is it safe to go travel on your own? aren't you afraid of the people in the Middle East?" and the answer is always "Yes, it is safe" and "No, I'm not afraid!" People are kind, places are safe as long as you are cautious and don't do stupid things!

About Post Author

Andrea

Hi! It's me... Andrea! In 2016 I decided to drop everything and take a year to enrich my life and travel around the world. It turns out the world is just too big for 12 months! Still on the road and sharing my experience as a solo female traveler around the globe!