Well, I have made it. I wake up bleary eyed and first things first, head down to the front desk to explain the situation with my room. I am promptly handed another room key and told to move over my belongings. With that out of the way, I head outside to explore my new destination. Here are my first impressions of Amman Jordan. As always, I am keeping it real, this website is about honesty.
Chaos
Being right downtown, one expects some chaos especially in the capital city. This does not come as a surprise. There are vehicles everywhere, double and triple parked, crossing a street on foot, is done anywhere, no need to find a non-existent crosswalk.
There are people yelling and horns a honking. Cats skitter and jump from garbage cans as I pass by. Smells abound. I see hardly a single female anywhere, not even locals. I stand out like a sore thumb.
Unmaintained and Filthy
Decades and centuries of grime on these buildings down here make them dark and dingy. This is not a downtown with shiny glass skyscrapers and new buildings. These are old concrete structures, many looking abandoned. Keep in mind, Amman is a massive city and I am in one very small area. I can indeed see skyscrapers, so your experience may be completely different than mine.
Many of the sidewalks where I am, are full of litter and gunk I know not what it is. I try my best to dodge the muck and am thankful that I didn’t end up purchasing that new pair of shoes in Spain.
Tourist Tax
By this, I mean I am being charged the inflated pricing that is only applied to tourists by the local vendors. I am trying to find some food for the rest of my day and even the small shops are charging me too much. Nothing has price tags and I don’t speak the language so this goes with the territory.
It will take me a few days to begin to figure out what is a fair price and what I should walk away from. For now, I pay what is asked and am grateful, that I can keep my wits about me and have a stash of food. 😁
No Tourists
I see none. I’m in a hotel with 19 rooms, and I am the only person currently staying at this hotel. I walk around and see not one other person who I would guess to be a visitor. I knew the country’s tourist industry was struggling because of its current neighbourhood status, but this is next level.
It makes me even more self conscious. I am a person who likes to blend in and not be looked at or seen. This is the opposite of that for me.
I’m in a state of culture shock. Even as a seasoned traveller, who has visited a wide variety of countries, Amman has surprised me on these first few outings. I think I was expecting a more modern city, tourist friendly, especially being so close to two of the big tourists draws of the city. I feel over my head, and this provides me with a huge mental challenge. This is travel life folks, what its all about. 🙃
