Live from Jordan, Part II

mosque in Amman

Dear G.,

marhabah! keef halek? (Hello! How are you?)

I've had a wonderful adventure in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a small country in the Middle East. I stayed with S. and K. in the capital city of Amman. We floated in the Dead Sea (the lowest place on earth), visited the Roman city of Jerash, hiked the canyons of Wadi Rum, and toured the ancient structures of Petra where entire buildings are carved into rock.

tank time

I rode on a tank, met new Jordanian friends, and shopped for blankets and hand-carved olive wood souvenirs.

Did you know that you read right to left in Arabic? Islam is the main religion here, although people practice different faiths. I visited a mosque, Greek Orthodox Church, and Catholic Church, too.

hanging out with the royals

I saw lots of camels, donkeys, cats, and sheep. I ate the national dish called "mansef," a feast of lamb and rice served on the biggest platter I've ever seen.

Jordan's king is Abdullah II. His picture is everywhere around the country -- in shopping malls, restaurants, hospitals, parks, even the windows of cars!

Jordanians love the word "welcome." I felt very welcome here. I had Arabic tea with my new friends and played soccer with their children. This is a very exciting place to be and I learned a lot.

some new Jordanian friends

bashoofek bahdein! (See you later!),

Max (aka, "Flat Stanley")

PS: S. says "Happy Birthday Elizabeth Bishop!"