Petra

Day three of Jordan: Petra! So Petra is a town in the south of Jordan which is site of all these ancient ruins that is a very famous place to go and see. It also cost about 60 bucks to get in for the day so my friends said they will skip this trip because they can go any time just living across the boarder. So off to Petra I went alone!!

I started the day by leaving and catching a bus at 6 AM!!! I hate mornings and normal not all there at this time but I head out to catch cab to the bus around 5:30 AM.  I thought the Muezzin was done for the morning call because the last one is normal at 5AM. So I just about wet my pants when he started again when I was walking in the dark!!!! I was alone in pitch black in an ally and he start off again! It truly was the freakiest thing ever lived though (might be exaggerting)!! I have been living in an Arab village for over a month now and I am used to the Muezzin but it was very weird to experience it in the dark alone in an Arab country.

So I took a video so you can all see how freaky it was!

I have no problem traveling alone and most of you know it really is the only way I have traveled in the past. I would say that I am the number one promoter of traveling alone but this time I would not advise traveling alone. Traveling alone as a female in a Arab country was very hard for myself. I don't want to give the wrong idea at no point did I feel like someone was going to take me, kill me, or rape me but I sure didn't feel respect at any point (not sure its the right word for how I felt but its the best I could come up with). Once it became clear I was alone without a man it was non stop cat calls!! At first no problem but about five hours into it I had enough and head home. I would advise everyone to go and see Petra if they have the chance, even camping there would be amazing. Just make sure you are with a group or an Arab to reduce the problems.

 Another downside of traveling alone always selfies!!

Jarash

Day two of Jordan! We went to our friend hometown of Jarash and we ate once again nonstop!! You can see use below before Arabic treats and after Arabic treats!!

We also spent some time in the ancient roman city and the ruins. We had some good time roaming around and playing on the stones!!

Look at all those Carrots!!! 

Not much to say other then a great day lots of great Arab food with great people!!!!

Amman

So after leaving the Arava and many people went back to normal life my friends and I decide we need a vacation. The three of use had finished finals, moved home (I moved to new place), moved my friend and my other friend took her Arabic final. If this does not say vacation time then I don't know what does!!! We talked about it and decide we wanted to go to Jordan and visit our friends from the Arava. Funny enough my two friend have never been to Jordan even though they both have lived only a few hours away from it there whole life! So we hopped on to a bus and headed for the border of Jordan.

After spending some time in the duty free and waiting for 40 minutes for a bus to drive use less then a Km we had made it to the border control of Jordan. So a piece of background info Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1996 and have been at peace ever since. It was funny to here my friends talk about the day when the treaty was sign kinda like the Americans talk about Sep.11 but it is happy day to remember. Even with the peace between the two country we had some problems crossing the boarder into Jordan. The Jordan police pull my two friends out to talk with them for 20 minutes or so and final we called the friend we where going to visit. He was basically put in change of ensure that they leave the country and don't cause any problems. It was a nice change for me because I have been "talked" with by the Israeli government the two time I fly into the country. So I told my friends pay back is a bitch!

So we received our visa and stamps and off we went to Amman!!!!

We stayed with a friend who rented a flat for the week so him as his girlfriend could spend time together. So we figured why not crash the love shack? Each day we had another Arab friend from the Arava be in charge of our well being and took us around to do the tourist thing. Our first day was spent with our friend and her sister family going around the city center!

While shopping in the city center our friend had to kept reminding us not to speak in Hebrew. I am by no means claiming I can speak Hebrew because I can't but I have replaced a lot English words with Hebrew words. So I have to say I think I got yelled at the most for speaking in Hebrew. Sadly even though the two country have been at peace for 18 years it is still not very safe for Israelis to go and visit Jordan. It is hard to say if it is because of Jordanians or of the Palestine living in Jordan but we were always reminded by our friends to say we came from American and not to bring up Israel.

After our time in the city center we were off to her family house for dinner. They cook a wonderful meal and they tried so hard since I was the only guest that ate meat the other three are vegetarian/vegan! I would guess it was the first Arab family that tried hard to make a meal not surrounded by meat. Also when being a guest in a Arab home it in not polite to stop eating. If our plate were empty they would just refill our plate when we were not looking. Once we were done with dinner we went down a level to her sister flat and ate again. The idea here is that each member of there family had a level of the home and each time we went up a level we ate again. I am sure we ate a month worth of food in 5 hours and sadly it was just the end of our first day in Jordan!!!

Welcome! American?

What does it mean to be an American? I feel like this question is something very easily answered when you are within America. In America you could walk up to anyone on the street and ask them so what does it mean to be an American. I would guess that you would hear: Freedom, Voting, Guns, brave, and power of the people. I am sure there are more depending on many other factors but it is easy to be proud American in America. So why is it so hard to be an American every where else in the World?

While spending time traveling I have heard nonstop what it means to be an American that I felt that I need to share:

1. There is an McDonald's want to go?
2. Of course you have that (insert any material object here) in America you are the fattest country.
3. Were can't you go as an America?
4. Will you Marry me?
5. O Americans are so lazy they just microwave everything.
6. We have to speak English the American is here.
7. Embrace the local cultural you are in! It may be against what your cultural is but you are traveling to experience new cultural and if you shun the local cultural then you should have stay in America!
8. American just eat nonstop crap filled with hormones and sugar
9. You stole our (insert local good here)!
10. Dumb American!!

It is sad to me that a country which is so proud of it self is viewed so poorly around the world. It is draining to always have to hear all the negative comments about American when I truly do not have the a large amount of pride in America that most people do. Sadly I understand or see why people around the world view Americans in such a poor light. If you have ever traveled you can easily spot who are the Americans and that they are dragging us down as a country. I enjoy traveling and I do not wish that other stop traveling but if you are please don't believe that you are in charge of the world. As an American you can walk around like you own the place only in AMERICA!!!! Every were else in the world you are a guest and need to behave like one! This means don't order people around, don't mock/bash the locals, don't expect everyone to speak English, and please don't eat every meals at an American chain restaurant. I would like to start having people around the world view Americans travelers as smart and caring people and not be labeled as the world idiot! Please just the government make us look like idiots not our citizens!!

I know this post sounds a little random but I could not listen to one more person make a comment about me just because I am an American. There were people I met here that are from American that these comments are warranted towards but because of these few American travelers the rest of us are not given a chance. So my advice that I have to give Americans who are aboard but having a hard time finding them self then I say go HOME!!! I would guess that you are having a hard time finding how to fit into the new cultural and you just feel like you are being attacked the whole time. If you are around other American who are not having a hard time then it is a sign that you are meant to be in American and please just stay there from now on!!

Arab Village

So I left the Kibbutz to move into the real world of Israel!! I started by helping my friend Tal move from Jersumal to an Arab Village of Abu Ghosh. I moved in with her here and so far not to much happen. We work hard on unpacking the house and getting use to life outside the Kibbutz. The first day the we got here it was actually a very stressful day but after we relax for a moment she looks at me and said boy it sure smells like meat here! Do you think our home will always smell like meat here? I think its safe to say that this is the only vegan home in the Arab village. Still everyday the home gets the smell of meat and we eat our animal free meals. I have not had time to go and see the village much but hopefully soon I will have the time.