Israel

It never seemed real. For the past year I’ve told everyone that I’d be traveling to the Middle East this summer, but it never seemed real. Not even after I’d won the grant, or bought my plane tickets. The past two weeks in Jordan have even seemed a bit mystical,…
August 31, 20144 Comments

Petra/Wadi Rum/Aqaba

Two out of three goals accomplished, which I think is pretty good – I didn’t get terribly sunburned, and I am extremely happy with the photos I managed to take. I left early on Friday morning to make the three and a half hour drive to Petra, spent the night…
August 25, 20142 Comments

‘Such an ajaneb’

Arabic lesson #2: Ajaneb – foreigner; Anas is constantly telling me that I am ‘such an ajaneb’   This first week has flown by in a smear of Arabic, argeeleh, long drives to the refugee camps, and so, so much good food and tea and coffee. Nina arrived on Sunday…
August 21, 20141 Comment

Welcome to Jordan

“First rule: Don’t act like an American” These were my instructions from my friend Anas before I had even left baggage claim, and I intend to stick to them, though I will admit it is not as easy to blend in in Amman as it was in South Africa; I…
August 16, 20144 Comments