The summer school is over and now I have Bern back in Finland for a few days already. So it is quite a goid time to summarize my month put there. And of course some of the trip stories will follow when I have tine to write them…

I have to admit that my month doesn’t feel like a month at all, time passed so fast, way too fast. It feels like I jut arrived to Queen Alia airport and then the next day I wa already there going back… But on the between there was still so much that happened and I leaded so much so maybe or was a month after all After this month I actually learned a lot about Arab culture, about Muslims and Islamic and I understand their iltire an way of living much much better. I actually didn’t have any wxpectaions or big stereotypes beforehands but still there was few hinge that was a surprise to me. First the religion was different in Jordan that I expected, they actually was quite similar than us, there was no so many over religious people and it just seemed natural that everyone ha their own way of believing. It didn’t matter I’d you was musliam or hostian, weared veil or not. At least or me it seemed that it was a lot of your personal choice. Of course it is nit do simple, family if course says a lot, specially in that culture where family was everything. That was actually another surprise, how much they valued family and who your father is. Sometimes it just seemed mean do much mire that your father was important person than what you actually knewed or did.

The nature there was amazing, it was beautiful but in do different way that in here Finland. It wasn’t do dead placehat someone mthy think, there was plants and trees even in the desert but still it was dry and almost dead place – but of course it was summertime. But I liked it, it was simple and plain view, and those few plants fit all attention easily. You spotted easily all flowers and plants and there was mo fear of not see something because it was hiding behind sone other plants And the views… Where ever we went it was always on the top of mountain and the view from the top was always just amazing. I never got bored of watching those views…

To summarize my whole month – it was just amazing time. It was so interesting to see something so different, experience different culture. And try to survive and getting used to all that heat – it was difficult at first but in the end I actually got used to it and now back here it feels so cold… I am happy that I had enough courage to go to summer school in Jordan, it was indeed one-time experience and I am more than happy that I actually used it. Now I just wish that I have chance to get back there someday because so much was left there that I didn’t saw yet…

Today we started the day by taking a bus and heading to Wadi Mujib. It is a nature reserve that is next to Dead Sea. There are multiple different routes that can be explored, but some of them are really difficult and dangerous, people even has been dying on the routes. And they take a long time to explore, something between 6 to 8 hours. So we just took a easier and shorter route, river route that took us through a amazing canyon, walking along the river.
It was just amazing, walking through the river and just watch upwards and see how much water has been digged its way with all these years. I would say that the canyon was something around couple hundred meters deep, it was really amazing. Water was so warm and still colder than the air outside the canyon, so it was nice just to sit in the water and enjoy.
But then the fun part began, it wasn’t just a nice small river that we were walking, there was a lots of rapids and small waterfalls and we had to make our way all way up to the big waterfall. It was so great and terrifying at the same time. Trying to climb up slippery rocks while water pressure is doing everything to push you back down… Well, that’s an adventure, that’s sure And in the end there was a great waterfall and I was able to walk behind the waterfall, and just take amazing shower up there, can say that when water falls rapidly from 50m, it almost hurts. And the sound is so laud that I think my ears are still hearing only the sound of the waterfall.
The way back was even more terrifying, you think that it is easier to came along the river, but that meant that in some parts when there was enough terrifying to climb up, now it was just jumping down, or sliding, or doing both at the same time. But it was so great, even though that I was terrified by my afraid of highs, but I made it.

Sunset at the Dead Sea

After Wadi Mujib we went to Dead Sea. Well, it is a sea, and it was a beach, so nothing special there. Expect floating in the Dead Sea is just something. I was walking in the sea, and my legs weren’t even near the bottom Too bad that I had some bruises and cuts in me, so I wasn’t able to spend so much time in the sea, because even the small cut just hurt really much because the really salty water.

Nice day after all, too bad that I wasn’t able to take camera with me to the river adventure, but my camera just wouldn’t survived from all the water. I was so wet after the trip, and my shoes are still completely wet. Well, at least I don’t need to wash them, I think that all the sand from desert trip is gone now

The Treasury

Last weekend we had a little trip to see little more of Jordan. Our trip headed first to Petra, an ancient city that is built inside the mountain and then to Wadi Rum, a nice desert place.
Petra is just amazing place, you maybe have seen some photos of it, specially from The Treasury, because that has been featured in the Indiana Jones movie, but when you actually see it, it is just amazing. You cannot believe how big the whole place is.

The Petra site from the top

And it is just a part, not everything has been dug out of sand and stone. It is just amazing how somebody actually could managed to build something like that and I cannot stop thinking that could we build anything like that nowadays anymore? The whole city inside the mountain, that is just something that I really don’t think that is possible today anymore.

Desert

Next stop was to the Wadi Rum, a desert place where we had a food and slept – well in theory. In those two hours that I was able to sleep. Wadi Rum is a nice desert place we stayed right next to mountain that gave just a slightly shield from the wind, but it was still a really windy place. And right next to our camp was the real desert. It was – well amazing First time seeing real desert is an experience, and now I understand what everyone is meaning by saying that desert is just a big sandbox. Because that it is, nothing but sand. That part desert was not so dry so there was actually some plants growing, which was good for camels – during our camel ride they got hungry and just stopped to eat all plants. They just had to taste every plant they found

Sunrise at Wadi Rum

We watched sunset, which was beautiful but I think that sunset back home, on the lake is just so much prettier. And sunset is something that you should not watch in the group… And in the morning we watched sunset also, woke up early and just sat on the rocks and watched the whole show. That was nice, but again, sunrise back home, near lake on the winter morning is much prettier

So, yesterday at 9PM we arrived to Queen Alia Airport, in Amman, Jordan. Passport check was funny, the hardest part was trying to teach the custom person how to pronounce my name correctly It wasn’t so easy job to do, but in the end I managed to get it somewhere near enough. After finding working ATM that agreed with us to give us some local money we were ready for our trip to our apartments. Have to say that that bus trip was indeed something memorable, specially after you have used to finnish way of traffic. All those horns, and overtaking. What to do when there is rush and carline goes slowly? Well, instead of waiting in the line you just cut off the line and change lanes – and sometimes lanes aren’t even important at all. It is possible to have in three-lane road two, three or even four cars at the same time – and all of them changing lanes at the same time. It was indeed something quite different. Good thing that I am not even able to rent a car here

A Amman night from our balcony

Our apartments are really nice and good. Were are living two at the same apartment, sleeping in the same room and in addition we have bathroom (with shower) and living room. And balcony with just a great view. And what the best, we have service for 24/7, so if anything just broken or we need assistance, we just go to downstairs to ask for help Something that is something really really luxury in Finland. One interesting part in our apartment is the electricity, it is quite… well… in this case photo indeed speaks more than words:

Interesting way of make one socket to many…

At the one time when we were getting our apartment our television went dark and powerless (in that photo there is television, DVB set-top box and fridge connected to wall) and service guy was fixing it by just twisting the whole thing until we got our power. Well, we got a flash of light from wall socket but in the end we got power back to our fridge and television.

Yesterday I had something great in my life – my first life ever. It was of course a little bit exciting at first, but now afterwards I can just say that flying is just a great thing. I just like that feeling when the plane leaves the ground and all that nice feelings in the stomach when we were landing. Just great Luckily I had two flights then, so I had enough pleasure. And of course had a little bit time to take some mandatory flying photos…

First flight, flying somewhere over central Europe – I think…

Second flight, shortly after lift off, flying over Istanbul

Is there anything nicer than sunset in the air? (Yes, on the lake…)

All those horror stories about plane food – well, I had my flights only on Turkish Airlines, but I had to say that food was great, it was really tasty and didn’t reminded at all like a rubber or anything And what was a surprise was that I had a proper meal on the both flights, not bad at all… In a kind I am already looking forward for the return flights, but luckily it is still in the future – at the moment here in Amman is just too much fun to go back

So here I am, sitting on the airport and waiting for the check-in to open. Many months ago, while it was still a spring (around Easter) I got an opportunity to attend to the summer course – in Jordan. It was just such a crazy opportunity that just could not leave used

So here I am, on a few hours I will be on the plane (hopefully) first time in my life. I already managed from the train trip as well as the bus from trainstation to airport so I think will manage just as well with airplane

I will be spending a hole month, 17.7 – 18.8 in Jordan, studying hardly of course, but keep checking this blog and my photo gallery for dozens of photos I will try to post on the trip