some guy in lebanon

Yesterday we went on a tour of Amman, which was actually a blast. We saw the Citidel, which is a mountain in the middle of Amman that has three different relics of past Imperial rule of the Jordan empire. There’s an old Roman ruin, an Arab tribal ruin, and a Ummayed ruin. All three are spectacular, and in great condition. They can be seen quite easily on Google Earth, and are actually the first thing I noticed when I checked Amman on satellite photos.

We’ve basically been bunckered down in our apartment because of the cold, though we’ve found that if one of us wakes up at 6:30am and turns on the heat, we can get a few hot showers.

Now I’m in the Mecca Mall, which is a gigantic mall here in Amman, and very western, though the ever present smell of cigarette smoke and wait staff even at fast food restaurants reminds me of the difference in cultures. Oh yeah, and I only paid a dollar for lunch, which was huge. This place is ridiculous.

This is our last night of vacation – on Wednesday we begin our lecture series on Modern Middle East history, and on Thursday we begin colloqial Arabic class at the University. Looking forward to that, because it might keep me from getting screwed over by the cabbies in this town. They’re vultures and crooks of the lowest degree.

Aaaaanyway, I miss everyone, but I’m having a great time here. I’ll try and get some pictures up over the next few days – take care all,
wd