Exploring Rainbow Street

My hotel room is awesome, but lacks handsome, charming men and awesome women to spend time with. Chances of meeting such people in my room under favorable conditions are slim to none, so I go out a lot. The neighborhood is entirely residential, except for a few business hotels and office buildings, so there's nowhere nearby to go after work. As soon as I finish at JBCP, I change my clothes and cab it to central Amman.

Amman is a rather new city, and its growth was dictated by trends in the population and the economy, not good city planning. It's a big, sprawling mess, spread over seven hills, with awful traffic. It's wonderful and I'm enjoying my time here, but getting around can be a pain (lots of stairs). Luckily, taxis are cheap, safe, and plentiful.

When I tell Jordanian taxi drivers I am from America, the first thing that they (almost) always say is that they love President Obama. I have yet to meet a taxi driver who liked either President Bush. President Clinton gets mixed reviews, but mostly positive. I always respond that I loved King Hussein and also love King Abdullah. The "conversations" consist mostly of names, thumbs up and thumbs down, and facial expressions, and I love every one of them.

I've spent the last few evenings hanging out on or near Rainbow Street, an area that was recently "revived" in a major neighborhood development initiative. There are lots of trendy bars and cafes, some of which have wonderful terraces where you can stay all night, chatting and watching the sunset. The neighborhood is a place to "see and be seen" and everyone dresses to impress. It's a good mix of young professionals and expats.

My new friend, E, is helping me navigate the neighborhood. She's here working on a consulting project for NGOs and she lives in a communal house right near Rainbow Street. The house comes with lots of young, fun people from all over the world, and a rooftop terrace. Last night, we sat on the terrace, drank fresh mint tea, watched the sun set over Amman's rolling hills, and watched the rise of a beautiful full moon. All around the city, children flew kites and fireworks went off (usually to celebrate a wedding). Apparently, this happens every night (except for the full moon of course).

I'm really glad to have met E. She's incredibly intelligent and well-travelled and compassionate and fun, and I look forward to spending more time with her.

This weekend (Friday and Saturday), we're going to explore more of the city, including coffeehouses, restaurants, markets, and street festivals. That is, IF I don't go to Petra ... or the Dead Sea ... or Wadi Rum ... or Petra ...