It is difficult to put into words the week we spent with Leslie at her new home in Amman, Jordan. Exciting, interesting, informative, a walk through history, family time....just grand ! Leslie arrived for her first post with USAID in January of this year after a year of language and training in Washington, D.C. Duncan and I were lucky to be able to visit so soon (we were on our way to Madrid, Spain...more on that later). But where to begin? Our time frame was arriving on a Thursday (April 29) and departing Wednesday (May 5); the seven hour time difference took some adjustment but we were off and running as soon as our feet hit the tarmac.
THURSDAY evening (an hour after arrival in Amman) we went to the US Embassy for a "Wine & Cigar" evening; the wine tasting was set up around the pool area and later in the evening we danced to DJ music. So great to see Leslie and meet some of her co-workers; many of the attendees were actually associated with the State department as well as the Marine staff who live full time at the Embassy.
THURSDAY evening (an hour after arrival in Amman) we went to the US Embassy for a "Wine & Cigar" evening; the wine tasting was set up around the pool area and later in the evening we danced to DJ music. So great to see Leslie and meet some of her co-workers; many of the attendees were actually associated with the State department as well as the Marine staff who live full time at the Embassy. 
FRIDAY is the start of the weekend. The lovely cadence of prayers from the mosques begin at 4:30 in the morning and repeat five times during the day ending in the early evening. It is a wonderfully soothing sound and what devotion !! to stop five times each day to pray! Our day begins at "home" which is a lovely apartment in West Amman (mandatory within two miles of the Embassy) that is selected and furnished as part of Leslie's position; there is an armed guard stationed outside every residence that houses Embassy personnel for security. It is a lovely neighborhood with several private residences as well as apartment buildings. We had a full day ahead...we drive to Mount Nebo (site where Moses looked over to The Promised Land), a wonderful hike in Bethany along the Jordan River (where Jesus was baptized ) with a close look to the West Bank-both sides with armed guards patrolling the area and then on to the Dead Sea-yes, we did swim and yes you do automatically float ! You feel like a buoy-there is no stopping the "float" ! Dined in and watched videos-great to relax.
SATURDAY we spent exploring Amman; we were joined by Wayne, a friend Leslie has met since arriving in Amman who strangely enough is from Wallburg (right outside of Winston-Salem, attended UNC-CH and is a Marine officer at the Embassy-the world is getting smaller and smaller!) We began at The Citadel, the highest hill in Amman and the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon-a fortress for thousands of years destroyed by an earthquake in AD 749. Lunch was at a popular Lebanese cafe (we ate in the alley) and then had a leisurely coffee and she-sha (fruit flavored tobacco smoked with a water pipe-a popular social event in many cafes. Shopping afterwards in the town center we realized how well Leslie spoke Arabic-what a treat to have our own interpreter. Strangely enough with her stature and Arabic speech, she was recognized from previous visits in many places we dined and shopped. There is a stark contrast once you pass though the city center to East Amman-the poorer section of the city of over 2.5 million people.
SUNDAY was the beginning of Leslie's work week. She had arranged for a driver, Hasan, to take us to Jerash, about 45 minutes from Amman. It is one of the best examples in the Middle East of a Roman provincial city. The amphitheater presented a mini version of "Ben Hur" with chariot races and gladiators. Back in Amman Hasan treated us to the Royal Automobile Museum which featured a collection of 90 cars and 35 motorcycles from the reign of King Hussein. Dinner out with Leslie's boss, Laura, who had been with the agency for over 30 years was delightful-Lebanese again-I really do like olives, hummus and other strange delights.
MONDAY we began at 6:00 AM for the three hour drive to Petra. Although Leslie had already ventured here several times, it is so spectacular that one could visit many times and always be humbled by the experience. Hewn from towering rock walls of multi-colored sandstone, the imposing facades of great temples and tombs are a living monument to the desert tribes of Nabataeans-Arabs who dominated the region in pre-Roman times. As a new addition to the NEW seven wonders of the world, it is not to be missed. A special dinner back in Amman with Huda, Leslie's friend from graduate school at Columbia, who is native to the area-what a treat ! Jordanian hospitality is their signature-even when shopping you are offered tea and coffee as a gesture of welcome and always depart with a blessing for you and your family. In all of our travels, it stands alone as the most welcoming country we have ever visited.
TUESDAY we spent the morning and early afternoon with Hasan driving through the city and visiting the only mosque that is open to non-Muslims, in honor of King Abdullah, the grandfather of King Hussein. Visitors were allowed excluding prayer times. The structure and grounds were quite spectacular; although I had dressed conservatively, the mosque requested that I wear a full length robe with hood while walking around the property. This was the only occasion during our visit that the dress code was strict. We were able to visit Leslie at the Embassy in the afternoon and meet the persons she works with including the director of the mission in Jordan. There are a dozen Americans on staff with USAID and 70 Jordanian staff members. The Embassy itself is heavily guarded with armed soldiers, armored cars and machine guns. Our clearance into the area was quite extensive and sadly there were no photos allowed. Leslie is currently training in several areas with USAID but after a year will be assigned a project that she will supervise. We dined in preparing for a 5:00 AM departure on Wednesday for Madrid. We will be back......so much more to see and do !