#110 sightseeing in Amman: what to see in a half a day

Usually souvenirs are the best indicators to tell what are the top, must-see places in a particular city or country. And, soon after I arrived in Amman, i realized that Jordan’s top attractions are not really in Amman. 55% of the souvenirs will be either with Petra city landmarks and 40% will be made of the Dead sea salt or mud or some other under-the-sea goodies. But, though it was tempting to check out the Dead sea, I chose to explore Amman city.

Nowadays in any (relatively) developed urban environment one can expect pretty much the same: shops, busy streets with people, traffic jams, smells from food shops, traders, poverty next to luxury etc. Amman was not an exception, but still it has its own character: welcoming and helpful, kind people, whiteness (seemed like there is some kind of architectural code of conduct – almost all the houses were in white, beige, light yellow/brown color which made at times easy to lose my way as the buildings and streets looked so similar), entrepreneurial spirit and pride about Jordanian culture.

So, my top three places to go if you have a half a day to spare:

Al-Balad Souk (market) – this is located in the Old town where you can walk around, visits lots of small shops, meet locals and buy sweets and gifts (much cheaper and better than in the airport);

Roman amphitheater: when i got here, i was just thinking: is there a place on this planet where Romans have not been?? It was truly amazing to find this well-reserved footprint of Western civilization in Amman.

the Citadel: located on one of the 7 hills it offers fantastic 360o view over the city. It is an evidence of various cultures, regimes which have over the centuries influenced the history and destiny of today’s Jordanian people. The citadel reminded me of Athens.

Price: about JOD10 to go around with taxi;

Duration: 3-4 hours;

Amazingness; joy of adventure

May 11, 2014

 

#109 dining with a view: Wild Jordan cafe

When i travel and visit new places, exploring cafes and dining places is one of the most exciting things. Though hotel where i stayed (Toledo hotel, highly recommend it) offered great variety of local cuisine, I just had to check what Amman has to offer. For vegetarian and non-vegetarian people, but who value quality, organic food, Jordan wild cafe is a must-visit place.

Well, first of all, before i even sat at the table, i was amazed by the beautiful scenery and the city view and got stuck on the terrace for a while as i enjoyed the view. The cafe located on several floors has probably one of the most stunning views over the city.

Wild Cafe in essence is a an arm of a social enterprise which uses only locally produced products and prepares healthy, low-fat meals including also various local herbal teas and awesome smoothies.

So, finding a place with beautiful scenery and healthy, tasty food – that’s a bliss.

Price: for a salad, tea and smoothie – about 10GBP/10JOD.

Duration: 2 hours (they have there free wi-fi and interesting shop with handmade things made in Jordan (Death sea mud soaps!!);

Amazingness: definitely one of the must-visit places when in Amman;

May 9, 2014

 

#108 moving around Amman by taxi

During my stay in Amman i had many meetings and therefore had to use taxi a lot to move from one place to another. Overall, there was no problem: plenty of taxis, taxi drivers using taxi meters or agreeing on the fee before the ride, reasonable prices, good roads and not too bad traffic. However, every time my taxi journey became a real adventure because in Amman taxi drivers have a car (with petrol), they can drive, some of them can understand and speak some English, but basically they do not know where to go. They can take you wherever you want, as long as you know where it is. It is very helpful if the place you need to get to is a hotel (overall, everyone knew the main hotels, so it was easy), or a major landmark inside or outside Amman (everyone will offer you to take you to the Death Sea). Otherwise, they do not know really street names.

So, if you have a very good map with you and you make the driver actually listen to you (some drivers were not very happy following my instructions; i recon, it was something to do with my gender), and you have very good topographic thinking and quick understanding of traffic system when arriving to a new city, then you will be ok. If any of these elements are not there, you will have a chance to speak to several random strangers stopped on the road asking for their opinion about the location of the place you want to go. You may also have a chance to miss a meeting or arrive very late because driver could not find the location. Overall, i quickly learned, that every time i sat in the cab, it was a beginning of a new daily adventure.

Price: average from 2-5JOD per ride;

Duration: you need to plan at least 30min for a ride, more if you do not know exactly where you need to go;

Amazingness: looking from a positive side, sense of adventure is amazing.

May 8, 2014

 

#107 first time in the Middle East: Jordan

I love to travel, and when i have a chance to travel with work – it’s even better. However, when i have a chance to travel with work to places where i have never been – it’s amazing!

Welcome to Jordan!

This is a phrase you will hear in Amman a lot. Hotel staff, taxi drivers, random people in the city or sellers in the market – they will all make you feel welcomed in their country. It used to be one of the most popular Middle East countries among tourists, however now with the troubles in Syria it has made a negative impact on the travel sector and people are literally thanking for coming over and not being afraid to visit Jordan.

Amman reminded me a little bit of Greece. A city of white/ beige color houses spread across the hills and with a bit of Mediterranean vibe.

It’s my 33rd country i have ever visited.

Price: from London returns are for as little as 400GBP now;

Duration: a week;

Amazingness: fascinating to get to know a different culture and people.

May 7, 2014

 

#104 when you lose check if loser doesnt get a prize

So i was sitting at the cafe in central Amsterdam (De Laatste Kruimel– a lunch place with a character) waiting for my order – polenta with ricotta and tomatoes. When i had almost finished my fresh peppermint tea, finally the waitress came BUT with the wrong dish which i did not order. It was a busy hour with lots of customers, so she probably mixed up orders. She apologized and asked to wait (again!) for my polenta. Sigh. Well, i am patient and understand, but i was a bit angry. Friend of mine had already finished her meal whilst i am still waiting. grrr

But then, when the order came, it came with a bonus – a lovely apple cinnamon muffin. 🙂 My face changed immediately.

So, the lesson is – when you lose, before getting sad and angry, make sure and check if the loser does not get a prize. 😉

Price: polenta about 4-5EUR; muffin was obviously for free + my time of waiting;

Duration: long and at the end lovely lunch break.

Amazingness: food was perfect and customer service eventually too (ability to admit the mistake/ problem and then readiness to correct it is the key).

May 6. 2014

 

#103 night in a boat hotel

Amsterdam is not only paradise of pancakes and paradise for cyclists. Because of its hundreds of canals, it’s also a paradise of boats. In fact, boats are used not only to move around but some are used as houses, some as museums, some as hotels. Yes, hotels. So, to have one more adventure in Amsterdam, we spent one night at a boat-hotel.

In all honesty, everything was like in a normal hotel: we got our room, great continental breakfast with a bit of Dutch touch, wi-fi and great customer service. Yet, it was all so different and cool. The room obviously was a cabin, where you need to coordinate the moves with the other person, because of the size of the cabin. Our evening chill-out place was not a normal hotel’s lobby or restaurant, but the deck of the boat with stars above our head, sounds of water and sea birds flying around. At night i would wake up to check through the tiny, round window if we are still above the water or somewhere else.. (water levels remained at acceptable levels at all times).

A beautiful experience.

Price: about 60 EUR for double room (Vita Nova boat hotel);

Duration: 1 night;

Amazingness: certainly a not your regular hotel experience. worth a try.

May 6, 2014

 

 

#102 welcome to paradise of pancakes: Amsterdam

According to my observations, there are people who cant be bothered about pancakes, and there are people who totally love them. I am part of the latter. Pancakes were my childhood food. Pancakes were probably one of the first dish i learnt to cook. I like sweet and sour pancakes. I like thin and thick pancakes. I like simple and sophisticated pancakes.

I heard the rumors before that Dutch people are into pancakes as well. Now i can tell these are not rumors. That’s a fact. And, they are not only loving pancakes. They are very serious about them. Never ever before i have seen a menu at a pancakes’ place with close to 100 options!!!!! Being vegetarian was very helpful in decision making process as it reduced the number of options by half.

So, if you are in Amsterdam, you should check out two places: Pancakes! Amsterdam and Pancake Bakery. These 2 places will be mentioned in various tourist guides, but contrary to my worries about them being overly touristic and hence not so authentic, you will not be disappointed.

At the Pancake Bakery i followed waiter’s advise and chose Greenlander’s pancake: spinach, Indian nuts and Camembert cheese. At the Pancakes! Amsterdam my pancake looked like vegetarian pizza and tasted perfectly.

Amsterdam has its international vibe and therefore also its restaurants’ menus are inspired by various cuisines, however, try to go Dutch there and eat their pancakes. Amsterdam (or Holland) is probably the best place on the earth where to do it.

Price: about 10 EUR for a portion of pancakes but may depend on your choice;

Duration: sometimes it may be not a huge meal at all, but richness of pancakes will keep hunger away for many hours.

Amazingness: total deliciousness.

May 6, 2014

 

#101 cycling around Amsterdam

For someone coming from London cycling means not only being brave, but being even reckless. On my first day i automatically bought a day travel card to get around the city (they have trams and metro there); however, i soon realized that renting a bike is not only cheaper, but it is also really safe. Cyclists here are treated as integral part of the city’s traffic system with their own cycling lanes, traffic lights and street signs. What can go wrong here with such a cycling-friendly infrastructure?

 

We used Mike’s Bike Tours company (look for this monkey in the picture on your left to find the entrance into their ‘office’) which seemed like never would run out of bikes. Very good prices and friendly service.

Price: 6 EUR a day;

Duration: cycle as much as you can and want and go as far as you want and can;

Amazingness: apart form walking, probably the best way to explore Amsterdam;

May 4, 2014.

 

#100 Amsterdam’s rooftops

The best way to explore the city is to walk, with or without following map, getting lost. But it also always very fascinating to see the city from the top. So, i checked out 3 places: The Blue cafe, then Nemo science center and the Amsterdam public library.

At the Blue cafe, you can just sip wine and enjoy fantastic view over the Amsterdam through floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

You must visit Nemo if you have children. I think, you may actually get stuck there for the whole day. But, even if you go there without children, it’s worth a visit because of its rooftop view over the city and a very flowery roof.

 

Amsterdam’s public library has a nice cafe/cafeteria on its 7th floor with a large balcony with amazing panorama.

Price: entry for free in all places;

Duration: depends if you order a food/ drink there or just take a moment to enjoy the view;

Amazingness: definitely worth a visit.

May 3, 2014

 

#99 Am. Dam. Amsterdam.

I guess, every serious traveler has some sort of a ‘list’ in his/her head with cities and places to be visited. Some kind of a ‘must-see’ list of places which determines our next travel plans. I have such a list, which is constantly growing, but one city has been on this list for way too long. Well, until May 2, when i finally got there.

AMSTERDAM!

I dont know if it is because of the long time i was thinking/ planning to visit Amsterdam, but I just loved it from the first hour. Canals, cyclists, free spirits, special character and vibe, architecture, people. I kept asking myself why i did not come here earlier. Why it took me so long. The good thing is that it is well connected and can be easily reached, so, now i have a new city on my other list – “my favorite cities in the world”, which means – i will always want to revisit them.

 

Price: from London with Easyjet you can get return tickets for about 70-80GBP (depends, of course, how long in advance you buy a ticket).

Duration: long/ extended weekend;

Amazingness: it is now on my ‘favorite cities in the world’ list. That says it all.

May 2, 2014