Hey
guys,
So
Jordan in one word – AMAZING!!! I had the best time there and truly
loved every moment. I could attribute this to the fact that it was
considerably more relaxed, friendly and had an overall better
atmosphere than Egypt. I think I should also mention that while I was
in Egypt I was suffering from a huge amount of guilt and maybe
'reverse culture shock' could be an appropriate way to describe it.
After spending 2 months in Kenya working in slums and with so much
poverty, I felt so unbelievably guilty. I'm on a 'holiday' and in no
way helping or making any sort of contribution except to my own
happiness and it made the whole experience a lot harder to properly
enjoy. I think after being on tour for a couple of weeks I eventually
came to terms with it and once I got to Jordan I was in a more
selfish mindset and focusing on traveling again – doesn't take long
to fall into old habits!! But I think I've decided to volunteer again
once I get to India, living and working in the community for me, is a
much more enjoyable way to fully appreciate and experience a culture.
So
anyway, lets move on from my little self crisis and onto Jordan.....
:)
Aqaba
was our first stop and we spent the night sleeping on a rooftop of a
hotel from which we could see Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel and
obviously Jordan! Not a bad place to be when the sun sets and throws
different colours over a town that comes to life in the evening. Our
next stop was Wadi Rum desert (where Lawrence of Arabia lived). We
literally camped under the stars in the middle of nowhere, with
nothing but the mountains, sand and stars to keep us company – not
to mention a nice bottle of vodka and several apple sheeshas to top
it off haha!! I have never seen so many stars, or such an amazing
sight when the moon came up over the mountains to light up the sky.
You really had to be there to fully appreciate being so far away from
civilization but it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip
for me. Petra was on the itinerary next...oh, Petra, Petra, Petra,
how I enjoyed that experience. We walked and trekked through the
ancient city for about 8 hours, up and down mountains but it was well
worth the effort. I was astounded by the size and intricate detail
carved into the rocks. Needless to say after a day of exploring I was
exhausted but still managed to go out for a few drinks in a bar that
is actually a cave near petra...only 2000 yrs old so not really that
cool :)
Ummm
what else did we do in Jordan...it's hard to remember everything and
you can probably tell how jam packed this holiday is because we were
only in the country for 5 days all up. Oh the dead sea, how could I
forget swimming in the dead sea!! It was the most insane and crazy
feeling ever and I can only describe it as how I would picture being
in space with no gravity. You feet shoot up from under you and its
impossible to push yourself down so you just float, roll around and
let the child in you come out to play. If anyone ever goes there –
beware of getting any of that salty water in your mouth – its like
receiving an electric shock on your tongue with a gruesome after
taste!! After rinsing off we continued down to Wadi Mujib which is
essentially in the desert but is a huge canyon with water running
through. We put on our life jackets thinking 'why the hell do we need
these when the water in knee deep'?? Little did we know what we were
in for! Scrambling up rocks, being swept away by the current,
slipping and tumbling in dangerous conditions to finally reach the
waterfall at the top. I would pass on feedback that not only are life
jackets essential but helmets should also be!!
Jordan
in 5 days...pretty intense and full of so many unreal experiences
that it's hard to remember them all clearly. I'm currently in Syria
now, exploring Damascus which is gorgeous but I'll save for my next
blog.
I'll
say it again and again and continue to remind you all that I miss
you, and want to hear your voices and see your beautiful smiles! I
hope you enjoy reading these and that they entertain you on some
level. But don't worry I have so many more stories to annoy you with
when I get home you'll be wishing I would jet off overseas again and
leave you alone lol!!
Always
loving and missing you
Ki
xoxox
