My trip to Jordan was fantastic. I would like to write a lot about it in detail, but I fear it would be too long. Miriam and I had a fabulous adventure in Petra which is truly a lost city, only 20% has been excavated thus far. We met a bedouin man named Abdullah, in Petra who Miriam had met on her previous visit, and he really wanted us to come stay in his family's home that night. We almost did, but on top of the mountain we climbed to reach the monastery we met an older man who did not recommend staying with Abdullah, because he drinks in the evenings and has issues with women since his American wife left him. We took this advice and the older man helped us get a ride back to Amman for a reasonable price. We ended up riding back with a man and his 8 year old son in a brand-new, silver pick-up truck with a huge cab. The man really liked Miriam and I discovered I could follow their conversation reasonably well. Miriam's vocabulary is limited since she's only been studying Arabic since the beginning of September, and by that time I knew most of it or could at least figure out what they were talking about. Apparently in Jordan they have a reason for installing speed-bumps on the highway....very strange. I also saw a triangular warning sign with a camel silhouette inside. I'm assuming this is the euqivalent of "camel crossing." It made me grin. The driver said he would name his truck after Miriam because he loved it so much. He was very sweet and not creepy at all though, and kept inviting us to dinner with his family the next time we visit :) That is how everyone was, they're all so beautiful and warm that way.

In Jordan I saw the most beautiful coffee pots as we drove to the bus station the morning we left for Petra. The men selling coffe (or tea) will bring it out to your car or the taxi and you pay them quickly before driving away. I also learned that satellite TV is a one time fee, just for the satellite dish and components, and costs only around $150! But people get away with all kinds of illegal stuff there, so I guess that shouldn't surprise me! I also learned that Tamam means perfect, which I should have guessed since we ate at an amazing restaurant in Hania called Tamam. I even went to a produce market with Miriam's friends Phoebe and Harley. Oh my, it was crowded and overwhelming. Imagine Pike Place market with smaller aisles and ten times as much produce and everyone is yelling in Arabic! A man selling lemons gave us a yellow tomato for free because it was lying there with the lemons and we made a joke about it. Just after that I watched a cat scamper past and a man selling lettuce and beets hollered "Cat? You take!"


I met Miriam's host family in Amman and they fed us lots of delicious food. It is like eating at Grandma Karpoff's with Grandpa saying "eat, eat, don't be afraid!" Declining more food takes persistence, but they give up more quickly than Grandma Karpoff! However we were sent home with quite a bit of food. Here are all the women at the big lunch - after all the men left to go smoke outside - and somehow we all wore matching clothes and accidentally sat in this order!

I left Amman on Sunday the 26th and arrived in Athens where I met Kris and his friend Danielle, who is amazing! It was lovely to see Kris again. We had a couple days in Athens and then he left yesterday for London and is currently on a plane bound for Seattle where there is snow, ice, and temperatures in the 20s. Yikes, that's quite a change from Greece where the weather is quite pleasant and mild.

This time was even more difficult parting with Kris. I feel so heavy. It's more than sadness. It is numbing sometimes. There's not much more to say, it is too difficult to express, and this is public anyway.

Tomorrow I leave for Munich where I will hopefully stay in a house listed on couchsurfing.com, otherwise I'll find a cheap hostel until I can stay with family friends on Sunday. It will be nice to meet lots of new people and discover things about the city. The house has internet and actual beds and a big kitchen with lots of people who like to cook. I think it's basically a hippy commune. They even have musical instruments and an art space, a food garden, and a private recording studio. Very cool.

Apparently the markets for Christmas are beautiful and a lot of fun, I'll have to check them out. It's also time to let the family know that I'm coming - our German relatives, Otti, and Mia, who live in Kassel. I'll probably visit with them for 3 days or so which should be interesting. I know nothing about the region but I'm excited to learn more when I'm there.

Pictures are coming, sorry for the wait, but it's worth it. I promise.
Okay here are the pictures, as promised:
This is Jerash, Roman ruins an hour north of Amman.





Here is Petra, the sandstone city.














Here is Thanksgiving and and fun at Miriam's apartment.







And the lovely ladies.