La Cuchina

I have decided that I am not going to post about Syria and the troubles that are all surrounding Jordan.  I am going to post about something normal and everyday, like a good place to eat in Amman.  I came to this delightful restaurant last year on a girls night out and completely forgot to post anything.  We just revisited la Cuchina to celebrate a friends birthday last week so I will post the pictures I took last year.

La Cuchina is located in Abdoun.  The interior is very fancy.  In the winter when we last visited, there was a roaring fire place which added warmth to the atmosphere as it was incredibly cosy.  This year, we sat outside amongst the stunning flowers.

The food is incredible, albeit expensive like most places in Amman, but definitely worth it.  The service is top notch!  I felt I was very special and really taken care of.

Bow tie service with a smile :-)  Proper job!

A tea light in an onion -  a very cool idea.

From the Earth

As promised, I said I'd dedicate a post to this wonderful company.

I fell in love with their products when I saw their stall at the Souk Jara.  Now here is a great story regarding a certain blue necklace from this stall.  I saw this necklace and thought of my best friend, Alison who has recently had her first baby.  One of our first stops was to see her, her husband and their new baby in Germany.  I knew she would adore this necklace as it is her colour and her style.  When I gave it to her, she burst out laughing and said, "I can't BELIEVE it!  No way!"  For her birthday, her husband and given her the EXACT same necklace from the EXACT same company.  He had bought the necklace on Amazon and had no idea that the company was based in Jordan.  She thought it was great that both her husband and her best friend knew exactly what she liked.  Thankfully I had a back up plan and I gave her the matching ear rings instead!

The company are based in Amman and have a shop which is quite difficult to find, but so worth the effort!  Here is their link again with a map:  http://www.ftehome.com/contactus.html

Wild Jordan

Whilst you are in the Rainbow Street area, you may as well stop off at Wild Jordan. If you walk the length of Souk Jara, you will see the centre at the end of your shopping trip.  It is here where you can book and reserve spots at some of Jordan's loveliest spots such as Wadi Mujib and Feynan Lodge.  The centre is a branded division of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature.  Their main slogan is, "Helping Nature, Helping People".  Here is their link which is an interesting read:  http://www.rscn.org.jo/orgsite/Group1/AboutWildJordan/tabid/162/Default.aspx

There is a lovely shop to buy local made goods.

 There is also a nice cafe and restaurant. Unfortunately, I have not spent enough time here to try the food or to take more pictures.  There is an amazing view of the Citadel from here, but I couldn't access the view spot on the day we went here as it was closed.  Robert and I have recently invested in a new camera so when I get back, I'll go back here and take some good photos and maybe try the food.

You can just see the Citadel at the right, but as I said, the doors were closed and I couldn't get onto the viewing spot.  They had lovely, big beanbags out here.  I can imagine this place being a hot spot for young Jordanians who wish to smoke to hubbly bubbly.  

Souk Jara

Yes, it has been a long time since my last post and how I have missed writing and blogging about this wonderful city and country.  Since my last post, many events have taken me away from the computer.  We have been busy finishing school, planning our summer of travelling all over and moving apartments.  I am now writing this post in the South of France after doing a mammoth trip visiting family across two continents and 4 countries!  It was great to spend time with the people we love.  Now, we are enjoying our own time.  Robert has gone hiking and I have finally got the chance to update this blog.

Back to Amman.

We have been away from the warm city for a month and boy do we both miss it.  I think we mostly miss our friends and the weather.  Amman certainly has the best climate.  Although, I can imagine that right about now, it is very hot!

Before we left, I went to a wonderful little market just off of Rainbow Street called 'Souk Jara'.  It is open on Fridays, but only in the months of June, July and August.  The best time to go here is in the morning when it is reasonably quiet and free from crowds.  I think this place is the perfect spot to buy presents for people back home as there is a nice range of artists, craftsmen and women.  My favourite stall is the Olive Wood stall.  Here, you can buy lovely wooden jewellery and other nic naks.  Here is their website:  http://www.ftehome.com/.  If you are in Jordan or just visiting, I highly recommend this place.  After this blog entry, I will dedicate an entry to their work and shop in Amman.

A lady making flat bread.

I love the colours of the stalls - blue and purple!

Wadi Mujib - Petra with water!

Wow, wow, wow, wow!  This place blew our minds.  Its natural beauty was unlike anything we had ever seen before.  A truly majestic experience that we would happily repeat.

We started our hike at 8:30am with our fellow hikers; a group of teachers and good friends from school, plus Theron's 70 year old father and his girlfriend.  We all jumped into a jeep which took us to the start of the hike.  The hike started at the Dead Sea which is 410m below sea level.  We climbed for about an hour and the climb was quite steep.  I was pretty slow with my lungs not being at their full capacity, but I managed to do it with a lot of huffing and puffing.  Theron's dad was leading the way - such a fit 70 year old!  Once we were at the top, we started to descend into a canyon and eventually we reached a river.  We then started to walk in the river.

Being in the desert and such a dry country, everyone was amazed at how much water there was.  We all loved  seeing, hearing and feeling the water as there has been such a absence of if in all of our lives recently.

The whole hike was great and we all felt rejuvenated and fresh after it.  If you ever visit Jordan, Mujib is a must!

Thanks Nina for all these pictures!  I couldn't blog without them :-)  You're a honey!

Patrick and Stef, our fellow Canadians.

Off we go!

Water in the desert.

The lovely Nina and Lindsey - such awesome ladies!

Yep, that's where we're going!

We were told strictly to FOLLOW the guide, so I stuck to him like glue!

About to jump down with ropes :-)

Giddy with excitement and nerves!

"Just push, Michelle!  You'll be fine!"

Down safe and sound!

Woohoo!!!  We made it!!!

Phew!

floating down stream!

We had a seriously FUN weekend.  One of the best we've had in Jordan.  It has made us appreciate this country and what it has to offer in terms of its natural beauty.