We set off at 11am and headed north out of Amman for about an hour and a half. We were visiting the family of one of our Jordanian friends, up near the Syrian border. We had been there once before so we did not need to use the map, because Kate (AKA - the human GPS) was telling me the way.
In the middle of nowhere, is a sign to 'CyberCity' which Kate remembered was the place to turn off the main road. Driving past it, it did not look much like a cyber city, but appearances can be deceiving. The road deteriorated significantly, and the last few kilometres were slow going as we negotiated our way around the massive potholes.
Average size family
The family live in a small village and, since our friend's mother had 16 children, almost everyone in the village seems to be a relative of some sort. This is quite a normal size for village families in Jordan and many old people have lost count of how many grandchildren they have.
Upside down lunch
For lunch we had a delicious Jordanian dish of rice, nuts, chicken and various spices, known as Maghlouba. This literally translates as 'upside down' because the food is served onto a massive central plate by turning the pan upside down. It was delicious and Isaiah, in particular, had eyes bigger than his stomach and struggled to move after eating so much.
Unusual foreigners
After lunch, they took us to their uncle's farm, which has sheep and horses. They were in the process of building a new house with stables for the horses on the ground floor and living quarters upstairs. We sat with them on cushions on the roof to chat, drink tea and eat dates. We overheard his cousin saying to the others,
'These are not like normal foreigners. They are like one of us - relaxed and not proud.'
At about 5pm, we said goodbye and headed back home. It seemed a shame to leave so soon because we had such a nice time with them and felt so welcome.
In the middle of nowhere, is a sign to 'CyberCity' which Kate remembered was the place to turn off the main road. Driving past it, it did not look much like a cyber city, but appearances can be deceiving. The road deteriorated significantly, and the last few kilometres were slow going as we negotiated our way around the massive potholes.
Average size family
The family live in a small village and, since our friend's mother had 16 children, almost everyone in the village seems to be a relative of some sort. This is quite a normal size for village families in Jordan and many old people have lost count of how many grandchildren they have.
Upside down lunch
For lunch we had a delicious Jordanian dish of rice, nuts, chicken and various spices, known as Maghlouba. This literally translates as 'upside down' because the food is served onto a massive central plate by turning the pan upside down. It was delicious and Isaiah, in particular, had eyes bigger than his stomach and struggled to move after eating so much.
After lunch, they took us to their uncle's farm, which has sheep and horses. They were in the process of building a new house with stables for the horses on the ground floor and living quarters upstairs. We sat with them on cushions on the roof to chat, drink tea and eat dates. We overheard his cousin saying to the others,
'These are not like normal foreigners. They are like one of us - relaxed and not proud.'
