Mum and dad took me and my sister to Jordan. Cool
It was really, really cool. Jordan is fab.
Thursday: Arrival
Got to the hotel, Mövenpick (yes, like the ice cream). So beautiful, fountains and palmtrees and flowers and art and soft beds and a kettle in the rooms so we could make tea. We were all set in our rooms around half five, and headed out to the city center to see what it had to offer. Looked around in the shops for a little bit, bought some local tea and went for dinner at Ali Baba. I ordered three appetizers, cause they just sounded too yummy (no maincourse ofcourse). They use lots of goat cheese, menthe and cinnamon in their food. Delicious indeed. I also ordered mango juice which tasted like mango-squash-syrup.
Ok, so yes, bed.
Friday: Beach-chillin
ah, the breakfast! Delicious! Buffet ofcourse with all sorts of deliciously licious food. I had the chef make an omelette with everything except cheese. slurp! After breakfast we walked around for a little bit, found a scubadiving-guy and decided to go diving on saturday. I wanted to go scubadiving today (i get restless) but the others wanted to chill out at the beach. So that's what we ended up doing. The hotel had a private beach with sunbeds and parasols and a lifeguard who insisted on carrying our towels to the sunbeds. So use lots of sunscreen and chilled out. As it was a Mövenpick hotel it was always ice cream to buy. Went for a swim, the water was allright, a little cold at first, but you get used to it. The hotel hat 4 pools with different temperatures , from 21-38 degrees, but we preferred the salty sea. Around five we had had enough sun for the day. Took a shower and got dressed to go out for dinner. It was actually quite cold in the evenings. We went to this Italian restaurant by the sea which was highly recommended. I ordered the chefs special, and it was awesome. Spaghetti with shrimps and some sorts of white fish. Scrumptious!
"No thank you, i don't wanna ride your friggin camel, we're going to dinner"
Saturday: Petra
The bus left 07:15 so we had an early breakfast. It was a 3 hour drive. We stopped at this beduin-shop, where they had lots of cool beduin-stuff. I was tempted to buy a big bedouin-jacket, but didn't. But my mum bought a chessboard, and probably payed too much for it, cause they gave me and my sister a bracelet for free :)
Then we arrived in Petra. It was quite chilly, and my brilliant sister hadn't brought enough clothes (the jacked she'd brought was so ridiculously thin you can't even call it a jacket) so she borrowed my jumper. We walked to the "gate" and the there was around a 4km walk through the passageway to "the hidden city". I think this was the most amazing bit of the whole thing, it was really cool to see what they'd done to stop it from flooding. They had build some sorts of channels, which also provided the city with water, which is probably the reason it got so rich and powerful. Water is the clue in the desert.
The first vision of Petra, the gravechamber (which isn't really a grave at all) was magnificent. After that it was a little disappointing, probably because i had so high expectations (it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World). Well, so, we did some more walking and looked at stuff. Apparently had most of the city fallen to pieces after an earthquake, and the romans had then taken over, so most of the ruins were from the Romantime. Ok, so then we walked up to one temple-thing in the mountain, it's incredible how they've managed to carve in these huuuge rooms in the mountains. Then we walked aaaaall the way to the top of the highest mountain there, which was the sacrificing-spot (closest to the gods).
When we finally got back to the buses we were taken to lunch around four (hadn't eaten since breakfast, so we were starving!). mm, yummy, so much good vegetarian food here in Jordan. Perfect.
Quite tired when we got back. sleep!
Sunday: Scubadiving
I've gotten into a really nice "wake-up-rythm". Wake up with the sun around half seven. Had breakfast, got our equipment ready and headed to southbeach to go scubadiving. It wasn't so tropical is I had hoped since it is so close to Egypt which is supposed to be incredible colourful. First dive was at a shipwreck. Was allright. Then we had an hour before the next one, which were more or less just sand and a little seaweed and stones. A few lionfish and I saw a Moray eel and some barracudas.
Ok, then back to the hotel and had some lunch and some suntime at the beach before we went back to the southbeach for a night dive. We had to pick up a marinesoldier on the way who needed to be there to make sure we didn't, you know, planted any land-mines in egypt (it's really close). Lots of moril in the water! (the glowing algeas that make the water look like you're swimming in stars). But they guide was, to put it mildly, completely rubbish. All of a sudden he disappeared and my sister was left without a buddy, and my dad (which was my buddy) didn't pay attention at all, i had to keep us together. Gosh. Apparently there was something wrong with his ventilator so he had to go to to surface, but he had also turned off his flashlight so he disappeared, and trust me, it is pitch fucking dark. Can't see a thing. But it all turned out ok.
So tired when we got back. I didn't really want food, but we ended up eating at a really nice restaurant at the hotel. then bed. sleep.
Monday: Wadi Rum
This was the best day. Got up, had some breakfast and off to the bus again. We drove for an hour or so, had a little stop and drove another hour before we arrived in Wadi Rum, the desert, the land of the bedouins, the true Jordanians. Earlier the bedouins used camels, but today jeeps are the way to go. So we got all our stuff (warm cloths) on the jeep and off we went. Every now and then we stopped the guide told us a little bit about how the beduins navigated through the desert, using the stars or the mountains or special man-made signs. Once we stopped by a place called the moon-wall, because when the moon was full and right over this really tall mountain-wall the moon looked like it was very close. Like you could grab it if you climbed the mountain. Then we were told to walk up this sand dune, because apparently is was very good for the back to run down, and it would massage our feet. So up we went (gosh walking in sand is heavy), and the sand was really cold despite the hot sun. When we got up me and my sister had to climb a little further up the mountains, it was just too tempting. Then we ran down (my dad nearly broke his toe banging it into a stone on the way down) and went on with the jeeps. We stopped in bedouin camp were we were served tea. It is very sweet, served in very small cups (like shotglasses). To the next stop we rode camels. It was very peaceful riding through the desert like that (although my camel was a little angry). After the camel ride we climbed a small mountain again to watch the sunset, (it was sooo cold!)and then walk down to the bedouincamp for dinner.
They showed us how they prepared the food by digging it down in the sand with herbs and hot coal. Then we ate, and we danced.
When we got home to the hotel again we were all really tired, but i had promised a salesman to meet him so he could show me where to buy a burka and the traditional Muslim-dress for women. It was a place i would never have found on my own. He also helped me so i got a good price for it, it's nothing i really need, but it was really pretty. Then he showed us where to get the best falafel which he bought us. Mmmmmm. Just falafelpieces in a paperbags, eating like popcorn. yummy.
Tuesday: The Dead Sea
My dad had already been to the dead sea, so he didn't come with. Understandable, a 3 hour busdrive is not so cool. But mum, sister and I went. Got there, swam in the sea, which was supersalty so it made you float. It felt a little like when you try to get on, off or turn around on a water mattress. We also covered ourselves in the dead-sea-mud. It is black and supposedly very good for the skin.
Chilled out in the sun before we drove back.
This evening we had the buffet at the hotel. They had sushi! mmmm! and 37 different desserts!
Wednesday: Beachy peachy
Another day on the beach. It was nice enjoying the warmth of the sun before we had to go back to cold Norway. I swam in the sea, and just layed lazily on my sunbed, doing nothing. The book i'd brought with me for the trip was so boring i couldn't be bothered to read it.
Ate dinner at Ali Baba again, i had the onion soup!
Thursday: departure
We got to enjoy the soft beds and the breakfast one last time. We had a few hours at the beach and a chocolate and banana milkshake, before we had to leave. It was a little sad, we had such short time here, wish we could've stayed longer.
To completely fall into the lives of others through books is the best way to escape reality if you ask me. You know when you read a book, and you get so into it you actually kind of forget that you're reading it, and you start to read quicker and quicker because you're so curious of what happens next. Those are the best books
ah, i had some amazing weeks with summer-norway, I ate mussels boiled in white whine, we bought fresh shrimps and ate them by the sea with withe bread, mayonnaise, lemon and cold beer, i went fishing and caught a lot of mackerel, went swimming in the sea, jumped from the high cliffs, got a nice tan and blond hair, stayed up late with friends in the late sun and summer heat, slept long in the mornings, wore loose skirts and see-trough dresses and fell asleep in the sun and got that "through-and-through warmness"
Mum and dad took me and my sister to Jordan. Cool
Then we arrived in Petra. It was quite chilly, and my brilliant sister hadn't brought enough clothes (the jacked she'd brought was so ridiculously thin you can't even call it a jacket) so she borrowed my jumper. We walked to the "gate" and the there was around a 4km walk through the passageway to "the hidden city". I think this was the most amazing bit of the whole thing, it was really cool to see what they'd done to stop it from flooding. They had build some sorts of channels, which also provided the city with water, which is probably the reason it got so rich and powerful. Water is the clue in the desert.
The first vision of Petra, the gravechamber (which isn't really a grave at all) was magnificent. After that it was a little disappointing, probably because i had so high expectations (it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World). Well, so, we did some more walking and looked at stuff. Apparently had most of the city fallen to pieces after an earthquake, and the romans had then taken over, so most of the ruins were from the Romantime. Ok, so then we walked up to one temple-thing in the mountain, it's incredible how they've managed to carve in these huuuge rooms in the mountains. Then we walked aaaaall the way to the top of the highest mountain there, which was the sacrificing-spot (closest to the gods).
Ok, then back to the hotel and had some lunch and some suntime at the beach before we went back to the southbeach for a night dive. We had to pick up a marinesoldier on the way who needed to be there to make sure we didn't, you know, planted any land-mines in egypt (it's really close). Lots of moril in the water! (the glowing algeas that make the water look like you're swimming in stars). But they guide was, to put it mildly, completely rubbish. All of a sudden he disappeared and my sister was left without a buddy, and my dad (which was my buddy) didn't pay attention at all, i had to keep us together. Gosh. Apparently there was something wrong with his ventilator so he had to go to to surface, but he had also turned off his flashlight so he disappeared, and trust me, it is pitch fucking dark. Can't see a thing. But it all turned out ok.
This was the best day. Got up, had some breakfast and off to the bus again. We drove for an hour or so, had a little stop and drove another hour before we arrived in Wadi Rum, the desert, the land of the bedouins, the true Jordanians. Earlier the bedouins used camels, but today jeeps are the way to go. So we got all our stuff (warm cloths) on the jeep and off we went. Every now and then we stopped the guide told us a little bit about how the beduins navigated through the desert, using the stars or the mountains or special man-made signs. Once we stopped by a place called the moon-wall, because when the moon was full and right over this really tall mountain-wall the moon looked like it was very close. Like you could grab it if you climbed the mountain. Then we were told to walk up this sand dune, because apparently is was very good for the back to run down, and it would massage our feet. So up we went (gosh walking in sand is heavy), and the sand was really cold despite the hot sun. When we got up me and my sister had to climb a little further up the mountains, it was just too tempting. Then we ran down (my dad nearly broke his toe banging it into a stone on the way down) and went on with the jeeps. We stopped in bedouin camp were we were served tea. It is very sweet, served in very small cups (like shotglasses). To the next stop we rode camels. It was very peaceful riding through the desert like that (although my camel was a little angry). After the camel ride we climbed a small mountain again to watch the sunset, (it was sooo cold!)and then walk down to the bedouincamp for dinner.
They showed us how they prepared the food by digging it down in the sand with herbs and hot coal. Then we ate, and we danced.
My dad had already been to the dead sea, so he didn't come with. Understandable, a 3 hour busdrive is not so cool. But mum, sister and I went. Got there, swam in the sea, which was supersalty so it made you float. It felt a little like when you try to get on, off or turn around on a water mattress. We also covered ourselves in the dead-sea-mud. It is black and supposedly very good for the skin.
This morning when i woke up and looked at my self in the mirror i looked very.. french. My hair has gotten pretty long and it fell down on my shoulders, a little messy, but in nice curls. And i wore this bra-thing with laces and which you can see through. And my physique from hips and up are quite skinny, so i felt like a french student who nurtured herself with cigarettes and sex.