Jordan

To continue living vicariously through myself and relive my distant but wonderful travel memories, today I am going to write about a trip we took over Christmas break 3 years ago with Felix's family. 

One thing (among many) that I love about having married into a European family, is the places they choose to take holidays. While I was really excited for this trip, Jordan is absolutely not somewhere I would have picked to take a vacation. 

It was unique and cultural and absolutely beautiful. We spent time in Amman, the capitol city, visiting different mosques, historical landmarks, and ruins. We spent a night at a traditional Bedouin camp, complete with local food and dancing. We visited Petra, one of the 7 wonders of the world. It was obviousy breathtaking and so memorable. We ended the trip in the southern city, Aqaba, at a stunning hotel on the Red Sea, where we could see Israel and Egypt from the shore. This was my first time in a predominantly muslim country. It was so interesting learning about the role women play in society, polygamous marriages, and other cultural norms. We had a great tour guide and driver the whole trip who constantly fed us information about the country and culture. 

Some memorable moments from the trip: taking a run through the desert with Felix and my father-in-law to the border of Saudi Arabia, floating in the Dead Sea and being rubbed down with mud, touring mosques (fully covered) in Amman, shopping at a traditional spice shop in Aqaba, climbing through old army barrack ruins, drinking tea around a fire listening to stories at the Bedouin camp, and walking through Petra at night by candlelight.