At the departure lounge of KLIA, I met 5-6 Jordanian post graduate students who were returning home to celebrate Ramadan and EID. I befriended them and they provided me with a great deal of advice on Jordan. What a great start for my trip to Jordan !
I arrived at the Queen Alia International Airport, Amman around 11.30am and after immigration clearance and luggage collection, I took an airport express bus ( 3JOD=Rm16 ) to Downtown , Amman city. The airport bus stopped at Trababour bus terminal. From there, I took a local bus (0.5JOD=Rm2.60) to my hostel (Mansour Hotel - 4JOD=Rm21 for a dorm bed) , located in King Faisal street. The entire bus ride from airport to Trababour and then to Downtown took around 2 hours. Most young Jordanians could understand and speak some basic English, so it was quite easy for me to ask for directions and inquired on public transport to get to the city area.
After the hostel check-in, I began to explore the Downtown & the old Souq area. As it was Ramandan period, I noticed most shops were closed for business in the afternoon. I found my way to the Roman Theatre & Nymphaeum (fountain), the ancient ruins which reflects the historic character of the city. A row of columns was seen standing tall at the site.
The Citadel, located up a hill along a main road could be seen from a distance but I did not visit the site.
In the evening , I walked to the King Hussein mosque ( built in 1924), which is close to the old Souq area. The mosque was filled with people offering their prayers and having their feasts as it was well past the time of breaking fast for all Muslims. I had a felafel meal (bread with fresh salads) as dinner at a local food stall before heading back to the hostel.
Amman city (1.8mil) is really a modern and progressive Arab city. The city is surrounded by hills. The people were generally friendly and most willing to offer their help to overseas travelers when asked. I felt very at home so looked like I had made the right decision in selecting Jordan as the first country to land.
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"Hello Jordan ! Thank you for your great hospitality & generosity ! I Can't wait to see Petra and take a dip in the Dead Sea"
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| Dessert Landscape, Jordan |
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