Paris-Jordan-Amsterdam - November 2019

I wanted to do something really special for my 60th birthday (9 Nov 1959). Toward Labor Day 2019 I started surveying my girlfriends to see if they wanted to join me on an adventure. For those who know me well I have issues "herding cats,"  no matter how much I love them. Just after Labor Day I decided we could do my birthday weekend at the Brew Dog Brewery Hotel in Columbus, Ohio. My bday was on a Saturday and Columbus a short drive. I attempted to make reservations to find it booked almost every day to Thanksgiving!! Now what?

Scanning my travel websites, looking for a "deal," I happened upon a $578 ticket on KLM from Detroit to Amman, Jordan - Wow, the land of Petra! I actually waited several days to buy it, which is dangerous if you really want these deals, they typically go in a matter of hours and are usually from originations like NYC, Houston and Los Angeles. I hesitated only because Jordan is in the Mideast and I was doing this solo. Would I be safe, would I live to see my 70th, 80th, spoil my future grandbabies!!!

                            

I checked into making tour arrangements and bus tours, then I noticed an advertisement for a private tour and it really wasn't that much more or the same as the bus tours! Was this really too good to be true?  It turned out it was not! I sent three private tour operators my desires for a seven night/eight day Jordan stay, which basically amounted to Petra (two days) and floating in the Dead Sea. Each responded with much of the same kinds of activities, but the presentation of the Trip 500 Tours was nicely detailed and offered 3 different price levels (Budget, Standard, and Luxury). I asked them to arrange a two day Petra stay and picked the Standard option that included 4-star hotels, all breakfasts, four dinners, private driver and a 4x4 Tour for $1799. While I still also love to camp, this was going to be my bday splurge trip. I PayPaled them the 20% deposit and the trip was purposely arranged the flight over to maximize the longest possible layovers in cool European cities. I was only able to get a 10 hour layover in Paris on my way over to Jordan. Having never been there but knew most European airports had mass transport from them. I grabbed a train at the airport and headed to the Eiffel Tower. A young woman I met online through the Girls Love Travel group, met me at the Eiffel Tower train station and we got in line as soon as they opened. I wished I would have pre-purchased the tickets to go to the top the day before, it would have saved our 2.5 hour wait time in line. Online tickets had sold out but we could still go to the top if we waited in line. It was a long  wait, but we had a great time chatting and the overcast morning turned into a beautiful sunny afternoon. The views of the city were absolutely stunning.

I wanted to visit a microbrewery and my lovely escort thought I needed a real French meal so we scurried over to Paname Brewing Company for a flight of excellent beers with a outstanding view down a canal and then headed over to a great little bistro for a fabulous lunch of salmon and ratatouille.  I needed to head back to the airport and Ibtissam (smile in Arabic) marshaled me thought the train station to my last transfer that took me directly back to the airport. Good thing because I forgot to factor time for going back through security on the return to the airport.

I arrived in Amman after midnight, purchased my visa and found my driver waiting for me neat the exit. Jalal would be me driver for the duration of the trip. His car offered a mobile hotspot and we were off to my first hotel where I would stay for the first two nights and the last night before heading home. The Amman International Hotel room was very comfortable and breakfast each morning was bountiful. I overslept the first morning and barely got my coffee, but it was my 60th birthday and I was ready to have an adventurous day!

With only a few short hours of sleep I started my first day bright and early. Jalal my driver picked me up and we headed to the Roman Citadel Ruins in the middle of Amman. Jalal would prove to be extremely valuable over the next week and I am so grateful to have chosen him as my private driver over a mass tour. Our first stop was for a much needed cup of coffee, Jalal knew it was my birthday and pulled over to a roadside vendor who made me a Turkish coffee and I fell in love with it and the ritual of making it. The Roman ruins sat on one of the highest points of Amman and afforded beautiful views of the city. I was completely intrigued with the intricate construction of the walls and the remains of Hercules' Temple with huge fist laying on the ground next to the path. 

Midmorning Jalal whisked me off to Jerash another ancient Roman town north of Amman and the largest Roman site in Jordan. Alongside the roadway farmers sold their produce and I would soon realize I was seeing what I would be eating during my trip. Eggplant, pomegranates and figs were offered in most of the delicious food. I also ate a lot of lamb that I had tried here is the US and didn't care for, but loved there.

Jaresh was overwhelming with structures and the colonnaded road was spectacular. Two gates dated to around 100 AD and there was a hippodrome that once held up to 15,000 spectators. There were numerous churches and temples. I was happy to explore in the earlier part of the day before the hottest part of the day. I wished I had an umbrella to provide a little shade. 

After leaving Jaresh Jalal asked me what I wanted to eat and I told him local cuisine. We stopped at a large open air restaurant, where he ordered for me and left. The waiter immediately brought me minted lemon water. The mint was pulverized and after the long warm day, so refreshing. They brought plates of hummus, baba ghanoush and the best pita bread I have ever had. Next was a plate of barbequed meats. But as delicious the food, the people watching.

I truly enjoyed watching the Jordanians interact with each other. I watched several women with a dozen young girls celebrating a birthday. Several families, most with babies, and several groups of men. A good number of adults, both male and female, smoked Shisha from hookahs, prepared by a young man who ran between tables, bringing the apparatus and prepared the hot ash.  The young girls incessantly took selfies, making the same facial expressions we see in the US. The men especially were very intimate with each other, often talking while having their hand on the others shoulder, inches from each other, fathers where quick to kiss their sons. They were not cold to their daughters, but there was a decidedly different tone to how they interacted with other males. Boys would walk with their arms entwined shoulder to shoulder.

One more night in Amman to celebrate my birthday before heading south. In addition to meeting Ibtissam through Girls Love Travel (GLT) I was fortunate to meet up with Lianna. We planned to meet up at the only brewery in Jordan, but it was a holiday so as an alternate she invited me to meet up with a group of friends including two more visiting GLT ladies! We had a wonderful dinner of tapas and local craft beer. And at the end of the evening we all packed into a car and they took me back to my hotel.

Jalal picked me up early the next morning. Our first stop would be the Mosaic Map at the Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in Madaba. This unique Byzantine era map on the floor is considered the oldest of its kind, circa 543 (when the church was dedicated). 

After a short visit we headed to Mt Nebo where Moses got a glimpse of the Promised Land. The mosaic floors at Mt. Nebo where amazing, we were told that all the stone was the natural color. A plexiglass floor was "floated" over the ancient mosaics so we got the feeling of walking over them. Then onto Salt, the baptism site of Jesus, where we were on the border of Israel and Jordan and witnessed numerous believers being baptized in the Jordan River. 

My accommodations at the Ramada Inn were stellar and located on the Dead Sea. As a splurge I was secured a one hour full body message with a Dead Sea Salt Scrub. A buffet dinner and breakfast was included in my stay, and I was surprised how really good it was. The next day Jalal picked me up late morning giving me time to float in the Dead Sea. In fact it was almost impossible not to be a bobber in the sea. 

It was a beautiful drive up and over the mountains to Petra. Jalal dropped me at the front gate and recommended that I not take any method of transportation in or out of the canyon that involved animals. He told me they were often abused and I did witness young boys beating their donkeys to go faster. And I did not like how they pestered me to take a ride, at least twenty times. Regardless Petra was jaw dropping. You enter a narrow winding canyon catching your first glimpse of the Treasury through the eye of a needle. But beyond that is a huge city built into the rose and orange colored mountain walls. How did they build this 2,000 years ago?!?!

This was an exhausting day, I walked deep into the canyon and the last half mile back was up and out of the narrow canyon. By the time I got to the top to call Jalal it was dark. 

Tonight my hotel was built stair stepping down a cliff and provided a nice firm bed and great views. I woke to see the sunrise sitting on the ledge of my windowsill.

Jalal told me he was going to pick me up an hour earlier to go to Wadi Rum my final destination before returning to Amman. We drove out of the mountains and into a dessert of coral colored sand. Jalal told me he arranged for me to take the sunset 4x4 Jeep Tour instead of the early morning one the next morning. He told me that way I could wake up at my leisure and enjoy my Turkish coffee. He really read me and my energy level perfectly.

Wadi Rum turned out to be the true highlight of my trip, especially the Jeep Tour. I was with two other couples and decided to jump in the truck after they wrapped our heads with our scarves. My driver did not speak English, but motioned me if I knew how and wanted to drive!!!!

YES PLEASE!

 

I told everyone to hang on and away we went. I loved it! We stopped to have tea in a oasis tent, view ancient pictographs and watch a beautiful sunset.

That night was a traditional cultural dinner of barbecue that was buried in a sand pit. I sat with several interesting people from all over the world. After dessert we retired to the outdoor seating area to watch traditional dancing and smoke the hookah. Towards midnight they pointed out the constellations in the million star sky. I slept like a baby. 

I woke up a bit later with the sad realization this dream trip was nearing its end. I went over to the cafe and got a cup of Turkish coffee to enjoy the last few hours in my surprise and favorite exploration in Jordan. Tonight I would send the night at the Amman International Hotel were I had started mu first two days before heading home with a 15 hour stop in Amsterdam. It was also my last opportunity to drink in Jordan's only microbrewery. After Jalal dropped me at my hotel  I headed straight to Carakale, located on the very outskirts of town. The half hour Uber ride cost me $7 including tip.

The microbrewery was surprisingly large. The tasting room was located on the upper level with lots of windows overlooking the brewing and canning facilities.  I was the only person in the tasting room, several groups were located outside on the porch overlooking the valley. The bartender asked me what I wanted and I got a sampler of most of them. He asked me if I was an American??? Yep! I'm from Michigan and he disappeared! A few minutes later another man appeared and said. I heard there was an American up here, we don't get many of those! I laughed. It turned out he was the head brewer from Pennsylvania and had only been there about six months. We chatted about beer for a good while and he had to get back to work. He clearly liked his occupation. I stayed to closing and called an Uber to come retrieve me. This was a great way to wrap up the trip. 

Great shopping in the alley!

Tea with Purchase

Tomorrow was a shopping day to finish those last minute gifts. I went to a shop that supported women and made numerous purchases including silk, hand embroidered items and silver. I didn't need to shop any further. After a cup of tea, I returned to the hotel and relaxed with a beer and sandwich before Jalal retrieved me to head for the airport.

Super Cool Modern Gas Station

Amman- Queen Alia International Airport 

Unfortunately after a delay in Amman I arrived overly late in Amsterdam. I got there just as all the bars where closing. There was only the lingering scent of pot in the air. My room in the red light district was minuscule but the bed was super comfy and after a nice hot shower I immediately fell asleep. I woke up and went to breakfast in the tiny cafe downstairs. I love how Europeans eat! 

Bicycles Everywhere!

I secured tickets to The Heineken Experience and while I know that is not craft beer it is an awesome tour! The first part my of the tour goes through the original brewing facility and past the horse stalls (like Clydesdales only better!). There are a couple sampling stops along the way, but my favorite was an interactive touch exhibit where you touched and elevated podium and produced custom music and a light show in a pitch black room. I have a video but I sincerely regret I have not been able to upload one to this blog in over a year.

The Original Brewhouse

Regardless the great Heineken Experience I still needed to find a microbrewery to make it official. And I still want to come back for the Amsterdam Experience and the Van Gogh Museum. I walked along and admired the architecture until I happened upon De Bekeerde Suster (Converted Sister!) this place was screaming my name. 

My last few hours were spent drinking great beer and local food. I grabbed a cab and headed to the airport. Yes my friends, I really do need to return.