Day 9. March 28.
From getting up so early throughout the week I was up at 6.30am today. Hazel still sound asleep, I make my way up to breakfast. Anthea and John are there so I join them. We discuss the trip, Jordan, Ahmed, our group. Anthea retires in a couple of weeks and they're in the process of selling their house so they're going to be all systems go when they get home. They're staying here until Monday. Hazel arrives, and then soon after Peter (*in Frenchies voice* all the gang are back together). Hazel’s taxi to the Dead Sea whisks her off at 11.30am. Bye roomie! Peter and I meet downstairs and go for a walk around Madaba and see the archaeological park. There's an abundance of mosaics in Madaba and all are made from locally sourced natural materials. We walk through the shops selling market stall type items; trainers, track suits and children toys, then souvenir shops and chicken shops. Where you can go in an ask for a certain weight of chicken and the seller will pick that live chicken, kill and pluck, and hand it over to you. With a pit stop at a falafel seller; falafel, cucumber, tomato, yogurt and chilli oil in a pita wrap for 1 JD, we head back to the hotel. Spent the afternoon chilling out at the hotel, by the pool, catching up with people back home while I wait for my taxi at 6.30pm. Saying goodbye to Anthea, John and Peter made me so sad…I don't know how I’ll cope with saying goodbye to the India group, when I'd only spent 8 days with this group! Who's going to mock my poor height, distance and capacities guess work though? Would I even miss the back of throat snoring from my roomie? Or have someone else on my tour who has so many life stories about all the areas they have lived in? I'm a big fan of group tours though and I'm happy that I’m doing a couple more.
My taxi driver, Basem, picked me up and I waved goodbye to the remainder of the team and set off for Dubai. As we drove through flush green fields, full of sheep and goats, with stray dogs, Basem spotted the black iris- the national flower of Jordan so I stopped for a photo op. Check in was quick and and I was through security within twenty minutes.
We landed at Dubai a little late and I very quickly realised that I was coming in at the peasant terminal. I.e. NOT Emirates. Half an hour later I'm through passport control, grab my bag off the belt and head for a cab. I get to my hotel around 3am and check in like a zombie. I'm on floor six, room 612 (my flight number was RJ612 too!). MY ROOM IS ACE! My king size, crisp white sheet bed is such a sight for sore eyes. The head board is padded four foot high. I jump on it Pretty Woman style. I have a quick shower and sink into a deep slumber in my massive bed in my own room…
I cannot recommend Jordan enough and I really think it's such a shame that's it tourism has depleted so much when it has so much to offer. The people are happy and kind, and absolutely love welcoming you to Jordan. The history is vast and the scenery is stunning. When I told people that I was heading to Jordan as my first stop on this trip people all seemed really concerned, there was no need. You’ll eat your body weight in flat bread (tip: toast it. It's next level), humous, falafel and cucumber and tomato salad.It's a safe and captivating country. I would love to return to Wadi Rum and visit the Sheikh…and pop in at Ahmed's for Magluba.