Day 192: Amman - last stop in this round-the-world tour

Amman was our base for exploring the near-by sights, such as the Dead Sea and Jerash. Our hotel, Palace Hotel, was highly recommended by other travelers, and it certainly was not a disappointment. Good value for the money. Best of all, the heater worked all night long!

view from Palace Hotel

The next day we wanted to see the Dead Sea. Apparently there was no local bus taking us all the way to the Amman Beach, but we still tried the local bus option. Once we were dropped off at Rama, there was another man going to Amman Beach, so three of us shared a taxi. The man was Iraqi-Kurdish from Kirkuk. It was a strange feeling standing next to someone whose country has been at war while both of us were staring at the Dead Sea where another war was raging less than 80km away at Gaza.

check out the size of this salt crystal

The color of the Dead Sea was lighter than I expected. It looked just like normal sea water. There were a dozen Russian tourists there already, so we weren't the only crazy ones to take a dip in such cold weather. Floating in the Dead Sea was a piece of cake, but getting in was tricky with the sharp salt crystals. One can get cut easily.

the Dead Sea mud treatment

Katy floating in the Dead Sea

We also did a day-trip to Jerash, an ancient Roman city, and Kerak, a Crusader castle. On both trips, our buses were waiting for the seats to fill up completely before leaving. Since they were the big buses, it took about 90 minutes each time. So we sat in the bus and chatted with other passengers. It seemed like a normal routine for them. Jerash was interesting to visit, full of Roman ruins. The castle of Kerak, on the other hand, was too windy and too cold because it sits on top of the mountain, offering good view of the surrounding area.

Jerash

Kerak

Amman is our last stop in this trip because Katy and I have decided to get married in Taiwan in March! We are sad that the trip is ending so soon, but are very much looking forward to the next phase of our lives. We will definitely pick up the trail again - hopefully not in the distant future. So many places to visit, yet so little time... Let me end this blog with this phase I saw from a road sign in Taman Negara - "Life is a journey". Safe travel to you all!