The Christmas party was a great success. Lots of friends and coworkers came and a Merry time was had by all... Enjoy the pictures!
23 December 2007
22 July 2007
27 June 2007
Epilogue
I'm home now, and it was a magical journey. Jordan is a land filled with the history of the world and populated by the most hospitable and friendliest people on earth. Everyone you will meet in this place will bid you "Welcome to Jordan!" and will do everything in his power to ensure you feel welcome. This applies not only to shopkeepers and tour guides, but to everyman on the street. Anyone you might meet is compelled by his culture to welcome you and offer his hospitality.
One of the things that attracts me to this part of the world is the history. Amman, formerly known as Philadelphia was part of the Roman Decapolis. Ten cities across the Middle East made up this historically significant era. Art and architecture were at their peak. The magnificent ruins are testament to that fact. The remote desert castles, the many ampitheatres and the ruined cities of Jerash and others remind us that we are not the first ones here. Walking the streets and paths formerly used by such personages as Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and countless other historical figures makes one feel humbled and insignificant. It also produces a feeling of awe, and if you stop for a bit and listen closely, you can almost hear the ancient voices speaking to you over the millenia.
For me, the trip was even more important because I was able to spend fourteen days with Zeek. He made sure that every second was special. For two weeks I was treated as a King and wanted for nothing. Leaving him behind, for the fourth time, was one of the most difficult moments of my life. I miss him terribly. Still, we refuse to give up our dreams and hopes for immigration. Given the current political climate, the battle may become even more difficult, but it won't end until we have achieved it.
I hope you enjoyed our little blog. We had immense fun creating it, deciding what to tell you and which pictures to share with you. Please feel free to make any comments you like on any or all of the posts. We will appreciate reading them; and we will look forward to doing this again!
Zeek & Jim
One of the things that attracts me to this part of the world is the history. Amman, formerly known as Philadelphia was part of the Roman Decapolis. Ten cities across the Middle East made up this historically significant era. Art and architecture were at their peak. The magnificent ruins are testament to that fact. The remote desert castles, the many ampitheatres and the ruined cities of Jerash and others remind us that we are not the first ones here. Walking the streets and paths formerly used by such personages as Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and countless other historical figures makes one feel humbled and insignificant. It also produces a feeling of awe, and if you stop for a bit and listen closely, you can almost hear the ancient voices speaking to you over the millenia.
For me, the trip was even more important because I was able to spend fourteen days with Zeek. He made sure that every second was special. For two weeks I was treated as a King and wanted for nothing. Leaving him behind, for the fourth time, was one of the most difficult moments of my life. I miss him terribly. Still, we refuse to give up our dreams and hopes for immigration. Given the current political climate, the battle may become even more difficult, but it won't end until we have achieved it.
I hope you enjoyed our little blog. We had immense fun creating it, deciding what to tell you and which pictures to share with you. Please feel free to make any comments you like on any or all of the posts. We will appreciate reading them; and we will look forward to doing this again!
Zeek & Jim
23 June 2007
Aqaba and Red Sea
On Wednesday we went down to Aqaba. Believe me, it was hot as
hell down there and the humidity was unbelievable! But, after
dropping our bags we ran down to Red Sea and stepped in the
water. How can that water be so damned cold in such a hot place?
Since weekend had not yet begun, it wasn't so crowded on the
beaches or in the pools.
hell down there and the humidity was unbelievable! But, after
dropping our bags we ran down to Red Sea and stepped in the
water. How can that water be so damned cold in such a hot place?
Since weekend had not yet begun, it wasn't so crowded on the
beaches or in the pools.
We wandered around the city. I think we looked into almost every
shop there. We found a nuts place and bought half a kilogram of
roasted mixed nuts (pistachios, almonds and cashews) and then
went to a cocktail shop that is a favorite of Zeek's. There we
drank a concoction he invented...orange juice mixed with carrot
juice. Suprisingly, it was very tasty and refreshing. The sea
breezes kept us somewhat cooler, since the sun had set by this
time.
Next morning, we got up very early and ran down to the beach and
dived into the sea. God, that water was so cold it would take
your breath away!!! But, it was also so refreshing! Zeek actually
got out (waaay out) into the water with me and we just enjoyed
the sun and water so much.
Later in the day, more shopping then back to the beach and swam a
bit more and enjoyed a couple of beers as we watched the sunset
behind the mountains of Palestine.
Next day we enjoyed a nice breakfast (?) at Burger King and
decided to run over to the bus depot and reserve our seats for
the return to Amman. A stroke of luck led us past a bus that was
getting ready in that moment to leave, so we jumped inside,
bought tickets, got inside the bus and rolled off toward Amman. I
say it was good luck because the bus was bigger, more comfortable
and the air conditioner worked better. It was also way less
crowded than the bus we rode down to Aqaba in. Here are a few
interesting pictures we made whilst we were there.
19 June 2007
Dead Sea
We have just arrived from our trip to Dead Sea and it was a really great trip! Sadly, we are both sun burnt a bit, but we will survive that. As soon as we arrived, we dropped our bags, changed our clothes, grabbed our cameras, and dashed down to the shore. After enjoying the view for a few minutes we dropped our shirts on a chaise and went down and jumped into the sea. I will tell you again that it is a truly strange sensation to lie down in that water and not to sink!
Unfortunately, like a true eejit I decided to turn myself over and swim as I would in sweet water. Let me tell you, that WILL NOT work!!! Immediately, my eyes and mouth were filled with that salty water and my eyes burnt like fire! Try wiping the water away with your hands and you will only worsen the situation. So, I backed myself up toward the shore so I could sit and just wait for the sun to dry the water from my eyes. Remember, at this point, it was still impossible to even open them, so I’m doing this blindly. Zeek managed to make his way over to help me get closer to the shore. All this thrashing about was observed by a man on the beach. He came over and yelled for me to come toward his voice and dry my eyes with his t-shirt. After all was settled he introduced himself as the new Chef there at the Marriott. He is from New York City and had just arrived there himself. He and his fiancé are moving to Dead Sea.
After we came out of the water we gave ourselves a mud bath. Cute picture, isn’t it? We wandered round the shoreline for a while, until the mud dried and then showered it off and lay on the chaise lounges to have a couple of beers and relax.
The rest of our time there was spent lounging round the pool smoking nargilla and drinking beer. After we checked out of the hotel, we were sitting in reception waiting for our bus to arrive and who should we see but our old friend Danny who now works in that hotel. He was a bit upset because he didn’t know we were there because he would have arranged some special meals and discounts for us. Sadly, it was too late for any of that, but you can sure believe we will remember he is there next visit!
Unfortunately, like a true eejit I decided to turn myself over and swim as I would in sweet water. Let me tell you, that WILL NOT work!!! Immediately, my eyes and mouth were filled with that salty water and my eyes burnt like fire! Try wiping the water away with your hands and you will only worsen the situation. So, I backed myself up toward the shore so I could sit and just wait for the sun to dry the water from my eyes. Remember, at this point, it was still impossible to even open them, so I’m doing this blindly. Zeek managed to make his way over to help me get closer to the shore. All this thrashing about was observed by a man on the beach. He came over and yelled for me to come toward his voice and dry my eyes with his t-shirt. After all was settled he introduced himself as the new Chef there at the Marriott. He is from New York City and had just arrived there himself. He and his fiancé are moving to Dead Sea.
After we came out of the water we gave ourselves a mud bath. Cute picture, isn’t it? We wandered round the shoreline for a while, until the mud dried and then showered it off and lay on the chaise lounges to have a couple of beers and relax.
The rest of our time there was spent lounging round the pool smoking nargilla and drinking beer. After we checked out of the hotel, we were sitting in reception waiting for our bus to arrive and who should we see but our old friend Danny who now works in that hotel. He was a bit upset because he didn’t know we were there because he would have arranged some special meals and discounts for us. Sadly, it was too late for any of that, but you can sure believe we will remember he is there next visit!
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