I'm in Amman, and there are no words. It's beyond poetry, it's amazing. The plane from Chicago was like a market, filled with children and people speaking Arabic. I was seated away from he rest of the group. The people around me were older, Palestinian and they were so curious about me! In the first few minutes I was offered sticks, and sticks of gum (Their way of breaking the ice.) It was rude to say no so I was chewing 5 sticks of gum at the height. Then the food came and they told me what to order, had it themselves and then gave me their extra bites, even though I was full. The woman next to me pointed out Jerusalem and Tel Aviv as we flew over. Israel used to be her home, she hasn't been there in 26 years. Her longing, as she gazed out the window was tangible.
Our hotel is like a hostel, and we arrived by van on Friday night - after mosque time. There were only men on the streets (The women stay at home after mosque). We settled in and wandered around until we found a little street vendor...or so it seemed. As we walked toward it we realized it was a restaurant that filled the entire alley. It was all outdoor, and we had the most amazing food for such a small price. I made the mistake of tipping more than the meal was worth...they laughed at me and I felt so ridiculous. People are so friendly, they love meeting new people and are so interested in us all. I've seen Bedouin, Palestinian...I don't even know all of the kinds of people, but it's very diverse. More than I thought it would be.
We ended the evening on the hotel rooftop, the lights of the city lit things just enough. The hotel provides Shisha that tastes like apple and molasses - we all had some, getting to know one another and finally getting so cold that it was time to go to bed. At 4:30 am the most amazing thing woke me. It began as a hummmmm, the most glorious chord. It's impossible to describe. It kept growing, and becoming richer, all of these voices in an endless cannon, and finally it reached our neighborhood...It was impossibly loud, and I would be glad to have it wake me for the next three weeks. It was the call to prayer. There were two waves of it, and the chorus lasted for a half hour. I slept a little more after that, then woke around 7:30 for breakfast. A hard boiled egg, fresh baked pita, soft cheese, crepes and jam topped off with black tea. They drink tea like the British, but it's better. It's pronounced "Shai." There are sprigs of mint to put in it, and fresh fruit...hmmmm.
The food is fresh, the people are amazing, and I feel so safe and taken care of. A couple of the ladies ran into a man that we met in Chicago, and he had tea and hummus with them. They were invited to come to his mothers house (Who he is visiting), sadly there's not enough time.
This place is truly amazing. Every detail, every smile is a treasure.
