Arriving in Amman

The Condie's home, they occupy the bottom floor.
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We arrived in Amman early Saturday morning, and after a long time waiting in line for a Visa/customs, we got our luggage and drove to the Condies.  Driving through Jordan in the dark was a pretty cool experience.  The mosques all have neon green lights in them and we heard the Call to Prayer playing through loudspeakers to the entire city.  We got to the Condie's house and it felt great to shower and lay in a real bed.  We slept until 10AM at which point we got up to shake the cobwebs out of our heads for the afternoon.  We drove to Ruthie's school to pick her up in the early afternoon.  I was a little surprised to see a man in camouflage holding a machine gun outside her school, but they told me he was just a security guard.  We all went out to eat falafel sandwiches and between the seven of us (Paul, Susan, Emily, Ruthie, Julie, Me and Elise) we put away 55 five falafel!  The whole meal was cheaper than a happy meal at McDonald's.  Traffic here is ridiculous!  It is everything you want to do when caught in traffic in the states but are afraid of doing!  They drive three deep sometimes or cut off large trucks! We saw three fender benders this afternoon alone.  Julie, Me and her parents drove into a section right outside of this city called Wahdi Sier (Waahdie See Air).  It is known as the poorer part of the city and it was clear from looking at it that many people are in need.  We saw empty lots filled with rubble and children with sandals and t-shirts playing in them.  Cats are everywhere here.  The temperature was about 45 Degrees Fahrenheit.  Wahdi Sier is built in a dry riverbed and the steep mountains around it. It was originally a UN Palestinian Refugee Camp, but eventually, after many realized that they would never be allowed home again, it was made into a town. From the top of a large hill we could see Palestine in the distance and the hills of Israel, about a 30 minute drive.  We eventually stopped at the house of a man that Paul is friends with.  He is a Taxi driver who has worked very hard to get the widows and poor families help.  It is a humiliating experience for a person to ask for help so much of his work is done through him visiting the homes of people and giving help before they have to ask for it.  We sat in his outer living room for an hour or so with his wife, sister, and mother.  It was a little humbling to be the only person in the room who had to have a translator to understand what was going on, but eventually I got used to it.  They served us coffee and tea, both with large amounts of sugar in them!  It is easier to introduce me as engaged to Julie as "Dating" does not really exist here.  Every time another member of this man's large family would enter the room we would all stand and shake their hand.  Paul would kiss the men several times on the cheek, but as I am a westerner, they are pretty good about shaking my hand.  We moved into an inner living room in his house and waited for some poor children to arrive to pick up some blankets Paul had bought to give out.  They know to come to this man's house if they need help.  We gave away 17 blankets total.  After a while we left.  His mother grabbed me on the way out and convinced me to pick an orange off of her tree, I picked one and she insisted I take another, and then her other son put another in my hand.  It was a miracle that I did not leave with a bag full!  The terrain is filled with Palm trees, Olive trees, Citrus trees, Rosemary, Sage, and Grapevines.

Jordan is built on several hills or Jabels, from the tops you can see different sections of the city.
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To learn more about Amman check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amman

From the top of a large hill we could see Palestine in the distance and the hills of Israel