A Typical Jordanian House Visit

Today Jean Louis (coworker) and I went to visit another co-worker. Leaving the fairly westernized world of Amman and traveling to the countryside is quite a big difference. The road signs are no longer written in English, and the Muslim influence is quite heavy. The area is much more conservative. We passed several towns on the busiest day of the week and didn’t see one woman outside. Once we arrived at Abed’s family house we were quickly greeted by all of the men in the family and then whisked off to the guest room. The room only contained cushions which were setup on the floor and against the walls to make something that looked like a sofa. There was also a small table in the middle of the room that resembled a coffee table with no legs. We were offered coffee first. Arabic coffee is very strong and is brewed in a very special way that takes a few hours. The coffee is served in small cups that only hold a few ounces. The customary way to serve the coffee is to pour one or two sips which you drink very slowly. After you finish the next serving is offered. This process continues until you either shake your cup or place your hand over the cup when the next round is being offered. The coffee was followed by tea. After talking with everyone for a while we ate lunch. We had the national dish of Jordan, Mansaf. Mansaf is served on a large pizza dish, which is communal. On the bottom of the dish there is a layer of bread. On top of this is a mountain of white rice. On the top is some type of meat; it can be lamb, chicken or veal. The dish is usually eaten with your hands. Since we were westerners they graciously offered us spoons. Finally, there is a bowl of soup that you pour over your rice as you like.

After eating we decided to venture out to see the landscape. We drove as far west as we possibly could go (literally until the road ended). We were only a few hundred meters from the West bank. On each mountain top there was a solders base where they kept a close eye on us, guns ready. The Jordan valley is absolutely beautiful during the winter and spring. The winter is the rainy season where everything grows. It is absolutely amazing to see the difference between the tan sandy hills of summer and the green vegetation during the winter season.

Leaving the fairly westernized world of Amman and traveling to the countryside is quite a big difference

Next, we drove to a tree that is famous in the area. Legend has it that a holy man (perhaps a prophet) came there to die. The tree is the size of a football field and looks like it is made up of many trees that are somehow connected underground. We then drove up into the mountains probably about 2000 meters up. There was suppose to be a famous church in the area but we were unable to find it.

Following the driving we returned to Abed’s house to chat some more. And once again we were served tea, you can start to see the trend taking shape.

It was another wonderful adventure in Jordan. On the way home Jean Louis and I had a conversation about how you can only have relationships like these with the native people if you work and live in the country. Tourists miss out on the opportunity to really get to know the people of the country they are visiting.