Photos taken by Ruofei Shang (Boston University), Student Correspondent for CET Jordan, Summer 2023
There’s more to life outside Amman. Maybe and maybe not. Oftentimes, our brains tend to associate certain places with memories, actions, and attitudes. Inevitably, after familiarizing myself with Amman, the city has become a place of comfort to me while the rest of Jordan became “adventures and fun”.
Right before the Eid Al-Adha break, CET took us to the two places that millions of travelers come to Jordan for–Wadi Rum and Petra. This trip was exactly what all of us needed after being wound up in work and activities for the past month. It was an opportunity to experience Jordan beyond the capital and a reminder that using Arabic should still feel fun rather than solely being our academic responsibility.
The bus ride to Wadi Rum was expectedly filled with waves of laughter and singing. After we arrived and dropped off our bags, we were taken to sand dunes and caves to wander around. It is strange to see how small we are in the world from different perspectives. In Wadi Rum, I was constantly filled with appreciation for life, nature, and my opportunity to be in Jordan for new friends, the language, and everything the country has offered me.
A whole day of traveling and exploring had drained me out and we finally got to a hilltop. I don’t know for how long, but I just sat here and watched the sunset without a word. Sunsets in the desert are particularly special as there is nothing to distract you from other than waves of mountains in front of you. The fading lights gradually washed away my exhaustion as I slowly disassociated from my surroundings.
There’s more to life… and there are impromptu photoshoots. Just like how I wrote in my Arabic essay for class, my love language is to make good food and take pictures of friends. I love when I can help my friends feel confident in themselves and have fun at the same time. During the golden hour in Wadi Rum, I called over my friend Salwa and positioned her for a desert-style photoshoot. Everything just worked out – from how the colors of her hijab and her pants coordinated with the desert colors to the angle that the last beams of sunlight fell on her cheeks. Similarly, in Petra, I followed Joseph as he rode the camel. What’s behind this picture was my friends and me telling him how to pose with the camel– “chin up,” “look away,” “be serious,” and “don’t be so serious”…
Being less than two hours of a drive away from Petra, Aqaba was a quick shift of scenery. Coming from a classic southern Chinese city, the humidity and heat were rather familiar. Located on the coast of the Red Sea, Aqaba is all Jordanian’s favorite vacation spot, which we humorously called the “Miami of Jordan.” Because of the Eid holiday, the city is packed with people from all over Jordan. Aqaba is very different from Amman – the streets are cleaner, and the traffic is more organized (there are actually crosswalks). The food scene was also amazing with their specialty in fresh caught seafood. Even though there were no Uber or Careem services, the taxis were very accessible and cheap. Within the city, you shouldn’t need to pay more than 2 JDs per trip.
Eid morning in Aqaba was celebrated with a trip to the mosque and a delicious brunch. The next day, we all went on a boat to go snorkeling in the Red Sea, which was by far one of my favorite activities in Jordan. We listened to Arabic music and even dabked on the boat. After the water activities, we all hung out on the beach and played volleyball. As we returned to Amman the next day, I reflected on how this trip has been filled with new experiences outside of the capital. Withdrawn from the excitement of being on break, I was mentally and physically ready to return to my daily learning and routine. Maybe there’s more to life outside Amman, but there is always more in Amman that I have yet to experience.