When I woke up, we still had about 2 hours left in our journey. I pulled out a map to review where exactly we were going. To the west, Jordan shares a long border with Israel and the Palestinian Territories. To the southeast is Saudi Arabia; to the northeast is Iraq. To the north is Syria. Looking at the map, I was both excited and nervous. Exploring a new part of the world is a bit like trying a new food: you’re pretty sure it will be good, but until you’ve actually experienced it, the unknown can make you a little anxious.

When we landed in Amman, we had to get tourist visas. The visa is pretty cool - it looks like a special postage stamp glued into my passport. Then, we went through passport control, where an immigration officer stamped my passport. Finally, we got our luggage, headed to the hotel, and went straight to bed. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

From Amman. Despite the jetlag, we headed out to explore Amman. The first stop on our city tour was the Citadel. Located on a hill, it has great views of the entire city. Known locally as Jabal el Qala, the Citadel has been inhabited for thousands of years. Starting here, I began to get a sense of just how far the history of Amman traces back.

Next, we headed down to the Amphitheatre, which is located smack-dab in the middle of busy downtown Amman. Built in the 2nd century CE, during the Roman Era, it’s still used today for sports and cultural events.

Downtown, we explored the main streets and then wandered through a fruit and vegetable market. As we walked, many shopkeepers smiled and greeted us in English, saying “Welcome to Jordan.” The crowded streets were a little overwhelming, but it was nice to be welcomed by so many smiling strangers.

For dinner, we went to Hashem, a well-known downtown restaurant. Apparently, the falafel they serve is so good that the king has been there a few times. But, unlike what you’d expect, the restaurant isn’t fancy at all. We sat in plastic chairs and ate off paper plates. Hashem reminded me a lot of my favorite pizza joint in my home town, because it has no frills but serves the best pizza in the world. I love falafel, so I ate A TON of it. It was served with pita bread, hummus, and french fries. I was in heaven! Our waiter also brought us some mint tea. We learned that tea in Arabic is called “shaay.”

So far, so good. Ready to keep exploring tomorrow,

Head to the Royal Palaces.

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