The best way to enjoy Arabian culture, in Amman, Jordan 6/2023 (Stop 1)

6-10 June 2023 I have been looking for places that are exotic and exciting to visit, but not too far away. Many places are still trouble spots. These hot spots are still too hot – I want to try to swim close to them without getting burned. On the 6th, I flew into Philadelphia, no, not the US, the old name for the capital of Jordan, Amman.

At the passport control, the officer asked me how many days I would be in Jordan, then said, welcome to Jordan. After stamping it, she said it a second time. So I was doubly welcomed.

Here, trees have to be planted. They do not grow like weeds. This place yearns for moisture. There is not a lot of green in the landscape.

I immediately noticed the buildings were mostly low rises, they did not have to go high because they were all standing up on the hills. The architects play it safe – they are invariably rectangular and angular, with hardly any curves, varied only by size. How monotone the color is, almost all of limestone white. But huddled together on the hills, they look anything but monotonous.

It is Islamic and conservative. Muslim men mostly do not wear short pants. But Jordanians are way too cool. The hotel front desk assured me I could wear shorts here because this is a free country. It is traditional, I have not seen any KFC or McDonald’s. Everything I saw, the merchandise sold, the signboards, they are pretty local and Arabic.

I sampled some of the great local treats by grabbing them off the streets, to eat on the go. I pointed to the flat bread still puffing on the pan. The baker grabbed a steamy one and put it in a plastic bag. Now, that’s fresh bread. Along the streets, small shops filled with a dazzling array of treats – drums of nuts and dried fruits, trays of candies, cookies and local desserts. I grabbed some pistachios, some Jordanian dates, an assortment of Middle Eastern desserts, succulent apricots, flat peaches and baby grapes, in one afternoon walk-about, all freshly prepared for me. This was how I sampled Jordan. I was happy like a child.

Amman is historic.  A Roman theatre, right in the city center, is surprisingly intact. I had to climb to the top of the terrace seating on 3 limbs. It was scarily high. The historical Grand Husseini Mosque stood out with its 2 towering minarets. At the top of one of the hills, towering over the city, were the remains of the Amman Citadel. It was a great immersive time into the past – the old streets, the old mosque, the Roman theater, and the citadel, all within walking distance.

After 2 days in Amman, I hired a car to drive south to Madaba, about 40 km away. The hills were low, good enough for many housing blocks to grow on. The grass was pale green, probably a bit dehydrated.

Precipitation did come, but more like a sprinkling of a few drops sporadically, leaving my dusty car looking like a spotted leopard.

I arrived in Madaba town, the streets were pretty quiet, and the shops shuttered. This being Friday, their weekend. As I rode into the city center, locals stood on the streets and prayed facing the central mosque. Soon after the prayer, more shops started to open. I walked into a big bread shop, the locals were there to lay their hands on the bread just rolled off the oven, still steamy and puffy. Freshness you can smell. It tastes like a heavenly manna.

After tearing into the bread and kebab, I quickly visited the historic Virgin Mary Church, St John The Baptist Roman Catholic Church, and St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church. Despite this being an Islamic land now, it is undeniable that Christianity had flourished here. For Malaysians, who are restricted from visiting Israel as a tourist, being here is as close to the biblical land as one could get. 

Click here to see all the stops on this trip