Jordan

Assalamualaikum and hye!

This post is a lil bit overdue. According to the countdown clock on the dashboard of my laptop I have 1 day 11 hours and 45 minutes until I start actually traveling toward Amman, Jordan.  But really, this journey started when I was in IB. I don't know why I have this kind of affection towards this country. Or maybe I know.Or I don't.

HISTORY

As the crossroads of the Middle East, the lands of Jordan and Palestine have served as a strategic place connecting Asia, Africa and Europe. Kalau tak percaya tengoklah peta. Haha dan kalau nak tau history Jordan bolehlah rujuk Wiki atau others websites that are available and trusted.

WE WENT...

1. Petra 

of course!  Boleh jalan through the aqueduct system and saw temple and of course the famous site of the Treasury all carved right out of the stone.

The Treasury, below (of Indiana Jones fame) is beautifully detailed!

Past the Treasury, we wandered some of the many stone staircases that allow you to hike all over Petra. There are tons of temples and tombs you can climb up to. Unfortunately, we only had a few hours to spend here, but we still managed to take in as much as we could! I believe it will take days to explore or hike if you want to fully take in and appreciate the beautifully handcrafted architecture and history behind the city. (Oh ini city zaman dahulu tau, jangan main-main)

 

Open every daily till 6pm but it depends on the season. Kalau winter kemungkinan besar tutup awal.

Jordanian and Residents - 1 JD

Non Residents - 50 JD

What a difference kan? So advisable nya, pinjam student card pelajar yang study di Jordan. Mereka takkan terima kad pelajar di luar Jordan harap maklum.


2. Ber-hari raya haji di Jordan

Yey! This is the best part where I can get to know more students here, warga -warga PERMAI sekalian. Of sembahyang raya, open houses, food, I can't thank enough alhamdulillah :)

3. University

Melawat Yarmouk University and Jordan University of Sc and Technology. Macam lawatan sekolah pulak rasanya tapi tapi teringin kan nak tengok kat mana sebenarnya students Malaysia kat sini study. Heh Yarmouk ni centre town sikit dan JUST tu beribu jauh benar dari town (ok exaggerated, takes about 15-20 minutes jugaklah kot kalau guna taxi dari town). Hakikat dan realitinya, jauh cantik dari....(fill in the blank)

Favourite place in JUST ;)

3. Makam makam sahabat

Tiada bayaran masuk dan di guarded by pak cik - pak cik yang baik.

Perjalanan dari makam ke makam ada yang agak jauh. Jadi dinasihatkan rancang lah perjalanan anda dengan baik.

 

4. Ajloun

Beautifully structured castle. Kubu peninggalan Salahuddin al Ayubi. My second favourite hero after al Fateh (:

When we reached the roof of the castle the view was breathtaking; from the roof we could see the borders of Syria, Israel, and Iraq. It was only a quick,  30 minute tour an incredible experience to take in the history, amazing sites and beautiful scenery surrounding the castle.

Jordanian and Residents - 25 fils (macam RM1 la)


5. Jerash

Following Ajloun we headed out to Jerash. Part of peninggalan tamadun Rome.

Since it was nearly Maghrib, we only had a chance to enter the '500m' area and not fully the whole Jerash since the counter ticket was closed. It was a long day and I would definitely recommend taking a few hours to discover and explore the archaeological site.

SHOP

> Jubah semestinya! Dan lawa lagi dari Egypt boleh tak?
> Pashmina
> Souvenir keychain dan sebagainya
> Snow globe [ this is quite A MUST for me:) ]

TIPS AND TRICKS

> Make sure tukar duit USD/currency lain siap-siap convert ke Jordan Dinar before start jalan-jalan. Masa pergi hari tu, susah nak jumpa currency exchange shop. Jumpa pun, tutup. Jadi sediakan payung sebelum hujan.

> Visa to enter Jordan is 20 JD. Dalam lebih kurang LE160 jeng jeng jeng hahah terus makan duit haa Jordan ni awal2 lagi. Tapi visa is available at the immigresen counter. You'll be assisted by the worker there iAllah.

> Transportation. Ada buses, taxis. Kita orang tempah kereta sewa dan ada local pak cik yang tolong bawakkan. Basically dalam dua hari setengah cost lebih kurang 200JD. Berbaloi jalan-jalan dengan pak cik ni, tak kering gusi dibuatnya :D

> Dan kepada yang suka adventure sendiri seperti kami, sebaiknya ada lah kawan yang belajar di Jordan. Senang sikit kita nak 'book'. Mungkin untuk berurusan dengan local Jordan, terutamanya dari segi bahasa. Kerana mereka menggunakan Arab Fushah! Tapi yang menggunakan khidmat Ustaz, tidak ada masalah rasanya.

> Berhati hati dengan barang berharga anda. Husnuzon jugak tapi kita berjaga jaga. Moga Allah lindung.

> Musim panas boleh jadi sangat panas. Saya cadangkan lawat lah Jordan dalam bulan October-Februari. Middle October pun dah sangat sejuk, 10 deg (tahap kekuatan badan masing-masing).

> Untuk membeli ticket airlines, banyak je yang offer macam Royal Jordanian, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Emirates dan yang lain-lain. Tapi jangan lupa untuk compare harga ye!


BUDGET

> Currency 1JOD = RM4.40 = LE 8.00
> Nasi mansaf = 2.5JOD (wajib kalau pergi Jordan)
> Jubah = 15-20JOD (wanita), 7-10JOD (lelaki)


Ala kulli hal, Jordan suits me.  The market downtown with men yelling at you to buy their oranges or tomatoes, the plethora of shawarma stands, and the way that religion is infused into all parts of people’s lives here: all things that are making me fall in love with Urdun.