* Pictures noted are bottom to top - We woke up at 5.45 am to a clear, still, autumn morning in Sirince. With the help of the hotel manager, Arzu, we had coffee and a breakfast bag waiting for us in the community kitchen.
With breakfast in hand and the car loaded we started our 50 minute drive to the Izmar Airport. After we stopped to top off the car at the last gas station before the airport turn off, we started to get a little confused as to where the Hertz rental car drop was located. Then a gift from the 'travel gods' - at one of the traffic lights a guy from the car in front of us opened his window and waved a Hertz hang card indicating we should follow him. Within minutes after a few funky turns without 'easy to understand' (not just because it was in Turkish) signage we were at the Hertz return area. As it turned out this guy worked for Hertz, saw us leave the gas station and knew how complicated the route to the return area could be, and wanted to help us. We just couldn't believe our luck and knew it would be a good omen for the rest of our trip to Amman.
And it was - we had a quick, easy flight from Izmar to Istanbul, then using our One World business class tickets for our short (1 hr) flight from Istanbul to Amman we had a wonderful flight attendant who provided us with some inside advise about getting around Jordan and information about Jordan wines. As a matter of fact, she was so terrific, she let us taste a few, then gave us a whole (unopened) bottle of delicious Argentine Malbec and Merlot wine as an unofficial 'gift'.
Needless to say, with a few 'tastes' of a number of Jordanian wines on the plane we were feeling very relaxed when we landed. Going through passport control, purchasing visas, and taking a taxi to our hotel was all easy. After putting our luggage through an airport-like scanner and walking through a check point at the hotel front door, our good luck continued at check in when the staff at the desk cheerfully welcomed us and then offered a free upgrade to a junior suite.
Once in our room, we relaxed, caught up on emails (after we got a working signal) and enjoyed a quiet night's sleep.
The next morning after breakfast, our luck from the day before continued with the meeting of our 'new best friend', Eyad . He was the owner of a travel/transportation company stationed in the hotel (his company was also the exclusive service provider for Expedia). After a talk about where we wanted to go in Jordan, where he thought we should go, and how we should get everywhere he told us he would 'take care of everything' (itinerary, transportation with private driver and car, accommodations for prices better than we could get, etc) and would confirm all of this with us by early evening.
While Eyad used the day to pull together details of our trip proposal he arranged for one of his drivers to drop us off downtown in the old city so we could visit the Citadel, a hill with ruins of the Temple of Hercules (picture 1), Ummayyad Palace, a Byzantine Church, and then the 6,000 seat Roman Theater (picture 2) below that is still used for public concerts and events.
After walking through this historic site (not as much to see as those in Turkey) in the hot afternoon sun, we decided to check out old town, find a place to eat lunch, and get out of the heat for a while. After walking a few blocks filled with retail shops and bazaar street vendors we stopped at a pharmacy to get a refill for some vitamins, which they didn't have, but instead they offered a suggestion for a very popular local eatery, the Jerusalem Restaurant, located close by.
Per their directions we continued down the bustling street, past more retail vendors and 'the gold center' (shop after shop of retail gold jewelry) until we came upon the busy, brightly lit, cafeteria-styled restaurant (2 floors) filled with locals and maybe 2 other tourists. Knowing we didn't speak the language (so we couldn't read the menu) or knew anything about Jordanian food, they seemed to 'adopt' us. We were spoiled with kindness and wonderful service by waiters in white shirts and small black bow ties with genuine smiles and constant 'welcome' greetings from all. Within minutes we were served two very generous plates of Jordanian mezza specialties - lamb with rice and hot yogurt sauce; and chicken, vegetables and rice, then somehow Richard found room to sample a platter of various baklava's (the house specialty) which even he couldn't finish (not a bad thing). Everything was delicious as we left feeling full and very content.
After lunch we wandered a little more, then finally found a taxi to take us back to the hotel where we relaxed until we met with Eyad in the early evening to review his proposal for our stay in Jordan (1 more day in Amman, then 8 more after 5 days on our own in Israel). As promised his itinerary offered a wonderful, fulfilling visit of Jordan and the associated costs were very reasonable thus sealing the deal and starting a wonderful friendship with our new Jordanian 'guardian angel' as he watched over us to ensure our constant comforts, safety, and good experiences in his country.
The next day per Eyad's suggestion, his driver took us to the ancient city of Jerash (about 1 hour from Amman) where there has been an unbroken chain of occupation dating back more than 6,500 years. An incredibly preserved Roman provincial town (was hidden in sand before being excavated over past 70 years) that easily rivaling the Ephesus site in Turkey in terms of scope, size, and preservation - all gratefully with 80% less people (pictures 3, 4, 5).
Before we walked the large, spread-out site we first enjoyed a 45 minute 'Gladiator Show' in the well-preserved stadium. From the stands we were provided interesting facts and demonstrations regarding the Roman Legion Gladiator's life (25 year enlistment), army tactics (picture 6), public fights for 'entertainment', and the chariot races (picture 7).
After a few hours we left the site and our driver, Waheed, took us to one of his favorite restaurants in Jerash. As we walked past the busy hot open ovens cooking breads and grilling vegetables, the interior was decorated with a grass roof, community tables, ceiling fans, and fountains which created a cool and soothing environment even with a large dining crowd (local and tourist groups). We again were treated like royalty and with Waheed's guidance lunch was ordered. Within minutes we were served two fabulous, cool drinks of fresh lemon and mint on ice (our new favorite thing - very similar to a mojito). Soon after we were given a big basket of fresh, hot flat breads just out of the oven, then plates of hummus, pureed eggplant, yogurt with mint, tomato-cucumber salad, tabbouleh, mixed grill and chicken kabob plates with grilled vegetables (picture 8). Everything was so delicious and just so much! While dessert was out of the question, we finished with a very strong cup of Turkish coffee instead so not to 'insult' our friend, Waheed, since meals are traditionally concluded with coffee or tea.
Finally we 'waddled' ourselves to the car and returned back to the hotel. When we arrived to our room and were preparing to shower, we discovered a travel bag with some liquids and toiletry supplies (like wonderful soaps from Umbria, Turkey and expensive lotions) we hadn't unpacked, but unfortunately stored on the bathroom floor, had mistakenly been thrown out by the housekeeping staff when they cleaned our room. We made an official report and since the hotel couldn't locate it they promised to give us a free night on our return to Amman before leaving for Egypt. Regardless, we were terribly disappointed.
For the rest of the evening we did some computer work, read, and went to sleep early in preparation for the early morning trip to the Jordan-Israel border and our travel to Jerusalem, Israel.
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