Jordan-A LONG overdue entry

Upon our return from Jordan, this entry was started on February 18th with every intention to finish it that day but obviously, it has taken quite some time to complete. So go to the bathroom, get something to drink and perhaps snack on and enjoy our trip to Jordan (Februart 7-117, 2008)!

Traveling Times Advisory Board Meeting; an annual event put on by my Company that has taken me everywhere. It has also taken Isabelle to Alaska on her first flight and cruise and now the whole family to Jordan. Yes, the country in the middle east Jordan. So we start last Thursday and Friday as lets call them, our in flight days. This entry is full of not only Isabelle's adventures to Jordan but also her Mama and Papa's so we have ours recorded too :)


Day One: We left LAX on Thursday, Feb. 7th at 3:45pm and arrived in Amman, Jordan on Friday the 8th around 6pm. Almost 2 days of travel time. That morning, Michael stopped by Best Buy to On the way to LAX we stopped by a drug store to get some Triaminic to "knock Isabelle out" on the flight from Los Angeles to Paris (which we are so glad we did...you will see why when we get to Day 7. The flights were uneventful for the most part. We had a bassinet on the first leg to Paris. I didn't know those existed until Michael from our office told me about it. You sit in a bulkhead row, the row with a wall in front of you, and they come with a metal pipe and fabric bassinet that hangs on/from the wall in front of you. We got Isabelle to sleep and then put her in it, barely. She had her head right at the top and her toes right at the bottom but she since she didn't weigh more than 22 lbs, she fit. She slept for more than half the flight with not a peep out of her. We got to stretch our legs in for an hour and a half in Paris where Isabelle was walking around mostly unassisted but still having to be prompted :) The last leg to Amman was 5 hours and again, Isabelle slept most of the way. All I have to say is that I was really glad we got to sleep in on Saturday because when we got to the hotel and even after dinner and unpacking, this little one was ready to play.


Day Two: Grandmama and Poppy (Grandpa Ilich) arrived from Dubai around 10:30am and called to let us know that they were here, waking us up in the process. We got up and ready, tootled around the hotel, went down to the Dead Sea (the hotel's "beach") and watched people floating without rafts-really weird to see, then headed back upstairs for a nap to attempt to get on Jordan's timezone (9 hours ahead of the west coast). Said hi to a few of our Advisory Board members that came in early, went to dinner with the folks and went to bed.


Day Three: Up early for breakfast and to get ready for an exciting afternoon. We were invited by one of our Board Members and Grand Uncle of Isabelle, His Excellency, Senator Akel Biltaji, to re baptize Isabelle but at Bethany in the River Jordan..it also happened to be his birthday too.

We had a few close friends/advisory board members join us, along with a Lutheran pastor. The ceremony took place at the site they say John the Baptist baptized Jesus. They had a font of purified water from the River Jordan, which we opted to the "sprinkling on the head" vs. the "dunking" in the river itself.


We then went back to the hotel to get in more comfier clothes for a quick bus ride up to the Dead Sea museum which happens to have the most spectacular view of the Dead Sea and even more so, the view at sunset!

We had a small cocktail reception for our group at a look out point before heading back to the hotel for the first of the Travel Mart events.

After we returned to the hotel and Grandmama took Isabelle for the evening, H.E. Biltaji held a reception in honor of Isabelle's baptism and of course, we threw in his birthday celebration as well. We joined the Jordan Travel Mart participants for their first night's welcome event that was held at our hotel. Needless to say we couldn't wait to get to bed and luckily, Isabelle was asleep when we got in.

Day Four: Let the meetings begin. So I was at meetings pretty much all day while Michael and Izzy hung out at the hotel. They were down at the beach, chatting it up with a cat, flirting with all the guys and even took a dip in the pool with Grandmama. I ran into Papa and her on the elevator and she squealed with delight when she saw me...that made her Mama smile! That night was another TravelMart event at another hotel full of drinking, eating and socializing. I was ready to hit the hay early so we headed back to our hotel at 10 and after Grandmama left, the monster woke up! I got a second wind and was very excited to get to play with her, since I wasn't with her all day. So Papa went down for a nightcap with Uncle Steve, Aunt Vicki, Bill and a few others only to come back to the room where Isabelle and I were passed out together in bed.


Day Five: Michael and I were up at the crack of dawn, literally, since Isabelle woke up at 3:30am and didn't go back to sleep till 5:45am, about the time we were to get up to get ready and grab a quick bite to eat before heading off to tour Jerash; considered one of the most important and best preserved Roman cities in the Near East consisting of Hadrian's Arch, a circus/hippodrome, two immense temples (to Zeus and Artemis), an oval Forum surrounded by columns, roads, two theatres (the pic of Michael and I was taken in the Large South Theatre) and a bunch of small temples. In 746AD, a major earthquake destroyed much of Jerash and its surroundings. Grandmama stayed at the hotel to watch Isabelle...playing all day. It was an hour and a half drive in the pouring rain which actually stopped when we got there and started up once again when we left. What luck, huh?


After we got back, Grandmama got a break and Papa was back on Izzy duty while I continued with meetings. Papa and her took a nap and then headed out around the hotel once again but this time with he and Bill. Today they were were summonsed (sort of speak) to come sit out on a blanket on the patio with some sheiks and join them for Turkish coffee; that they were making right there on a little bunson burner type stove. Isabelle was memorized by them and the music they started playing. Unfortunately, neither Michael nor Bill had their cameras with them. Bummer, would have been a great photo op.

Plum exhausted, Michael and I headed out for another TravelMart event at the hotel next door, the Movenpick, which was to be the piece de la resistance (say it with a French accent-hehe), which was and would have been even more so if I could have had a nap. There was an elaborate spread of food and entertainment in the foyer of the ballroom and then when the doors opened up, there was a set up like you wouldn't believe. It was all Bedouin (gypsy) style with blankets on the ground, low tables to sit at on little (I mean little) wooden stools and wooden place settings! They started with the farewell speeches before dinner then went into a gladiator show, which is usually put on at the Hippodrome in Jerash, that we were very excited to see. However about half way through, I started nodding off...literally my head was bobbing up and down. I felt like I was in a lecture hall in college! So we left at a breaking point, said our good nights and headed back to our hotel to relieve Grandmama and all three of us passed out for the night.

Day Six: Up at the crack of dawn to say farewell to the Dead Sea and the Travel Mart and to head out to Petra, stopping at various places on the way. Isabelle was not her normal peppy self but we blamed it on jet lag and lack of a consistent sleep schedule like she has at home. However, she still continued to flirt with Keith, one of our Advisory Board Member's son, playing peek a boo and shy one with him which continued throughout the trip...by the end of the trip he was no longer Keith. He was Isabelle's boyfriend AKA: Keith :)

Our first stop was Mt. Nebo, 2680 feet above sea level and where they say Moses was given a view of the promised land and also where they say he died and was buried by God himself. The view was spectacular and it is said that on a clear day you can see Jerusalem. Unfortunately when we were there it was not one of those days however, it was still a beautiful site. Isabelle was in Grandmama's or my arms the entire time we were there with very little urge to get down and walk...so unlike her.


From Mt. Nebo we headed out on another hour bus ride to Madaba where on the way we stopped at a mosaic factory and the Mosaic School of Madaba to see just how these beautiful mosaics are made. To my Father's chagrin (he swears I talked him into it-hehe), they purchased a beautiful mosaic coffee table which is being made to their specifications, along with a round mosaic in the same design that will be inlaid into the tile at their front door. In the actual city of Madaba, we went to see St. George's "mosaic map" church; home to the famous 6th century Mosaic Map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. With two million pieces of vividly colored local stone, it depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns as far as the Nile Delta. It was very impressive considering the people who created this map actually walked the land and then returned to Madaba to add pieces to the mosaic approximating where they were, creating this map which is almost spot on as Jordan is seen today. We also stopped for lunch where we knew something was not right with Isabelle since she didn't want to try anything.


Then off for another shorter bus ride to Kerak, a crusader castle. Grandmama kept sleeping Isabelle on the bus with her while we went and "stormed the castle" :) Once again, Michael's new camera got some pretty cool shots...

The last stop for the day was a place called Petra Kitchen where you go to learn how to make traditional Jordanian dishes, make them, then enjoy your work. Now you all know me and my lack of knowing how to make even a traditional American dish so, imagine who the running joke was about? Michael felt right at home and was chopping at the bit to get started. I decided I would be in charge of watching Isabelle, drinking the wine and taking pictures. Let me tell you, that kept me out of the kitchen, sort of speak.

The lady who owns the place is from Texas (she is not the lady in the picture here holding Isabelle) and came to Petra for a visit and never left. With her passion for cooking, especially Jordanian cuisine, she decided to share her experience and lessons with other out of town guests of Jordan and created Petra Kitchen. Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely and besides getting to feast on everything we made, we got to take home recipes of everything as well! I am still waiting for Michael to make us a Jordanian meal (hint hint).
As for Isabelle, that night was a long one for her and she didn't want anything to do with food, not even her own jarred baby food that we brought with us from home. Her nose started running more and a little cough had started. We needed to get her back to the hotel for a hot bath, a dose of Tylenol and a good night sleep. Michael and I had to be up and ready to move at 7am the following morning while Grandmama planned on staying at the hotel with Isabelle. This go-go-go was finally getting to our little one and unfortunately, there was nothing we could do about it.
Day Seven: Although Michael's and my night's sleep was on either side of a restless little one, we were up and moving at 7am to get to Petra before the crowds did! And boy was that worth it! Out of all of the sites that Jordan has to offer, this was the place that we were looking forward to visiting the most. It was a short bus ride there and the excitment on the bus was overwhelming. Even the folks who have already been were excited to share it with all of the "Treasury Virgins". The weather was a bit hazy and a little cold but nothing that this group couldn't handle. We were there for about 4 1/2 hours and couldnt get enough of it! Everywhere you went, every corner you turned, there would be something new and amazing to see. I am just going to go ahead and attach some pictures with a caption for each one...

Little Petra

A Guard in the Siq (the passageway to The Treasury)

Your first glimpse of The Treasury

The Treasury, camels and us-taking a shameless picture to get in The Signal (our local newspaper)


The start to our 960 step journey up to The Monastery with Terry and Rich-forget the stairmaster!

The Monastery
Do you see the tip of the hiking boot below? That is Michael's as he is sitting on the edge of a cliff where just 2 months ago, the wind literally blew someone off the side to thier death. We found that little tidbit out after Michael got up. Boy can you see everything from this height!


Being on a tight schedule to get down south to Wadi Rum for our jeep rides (this is the desert where Laurence of Arabia was filmed), we headed back to the hotel to pick up Grandmama and Isabelle who is now looking like death warmed over and had not eaten a thing but did have a few bottles. The 2 hours bus ride was tolerable with a box lunch from the hotel and a few magazines left to read. Isabelle passed out as soon as the bus started moving.

We got to Wadi Rum and once again, Grandmama stayed with Isabelle as we did the desert jeep ride. Please remember as you read this that my Mom and Dad were just in Jordan 2 years ago and she did not mind one bit staying back. We did not have our cameras with us since it was raining and you really don't get good pics from the inside of a jeep. I am hoping that someone will send some along since the dinner that night was really something to see. When the jeep ride was finished, we pulled up to a three sided tent in the middle of the desert with a light that was run by a generator and were told that this is where we will be having dinner...a Bedouin dinner. Meanwhile, Isabelle, Grandmama and an advisory board member who wasn't feeling well and had stayed back with them at base camp, pulled up in a pick up truck to join us for dinner. Like I had mentioned, it was raining on and off and it was getting cold so Michael forfieted his dinner with us and took Isabelle back to "base camp" where Michael had some dinner and Isabelle had very little of her own but Michael got to witness her walking all around that place unassisted! She seemed to be fairing well but the next day is when it all came down like a ton of bricks for our little one. We moved onto our hotel in Aqaba this evening where we would be staying the next two nights.

Day Eight: It all started at 2am this morning. Isabelle woke up with her nose running and a dry, hacking, all in the chest cough that would make her cry each time she coughed. To make matters worse, the coughing made her throw up everything she ate earlier in the evening, which was not much to begin with, and she was running a fever of 101.9. So, we gave her some of the Triaminic we had bought at home along with some more Tylenol and cool compresses in hopes that it would help her sleep. I think Michael and I may have had 5 hours sleep, on and off, that night. She finally fell asleep and since this day was pretty much a day for everyone to rest and do thier own thing until later that afternoon, when we had the group meet with the Commisioner of Aqaba and Akel once again and enjoy a farewell dinner, we limited ourselves to our room letting Isabelle sleep as much as she could.

When Isabelle finally woke up she was crying and coughing away so I picked her up to soothe her and found that she was burning up! We took her temperature and it was at 104! That was it, no more messing around with Tylenol and cold compresses, we called the hotel doctor who showed up at our room 30 minutes later. He asked us what all has been going on, when did everything start, etc. and deemed that it was the onset of bronchitis. He then perscribed her some antibiotics that I will have to admit, we were very leary on giving her being that we have never heard of it before and that we are in Jordan getting it. However I do have to say, having Jordanian friends who to us are more like family that you can call upon anytime, really came in handy. I called our friend Malia, who was in charge of the TravelMart, and she happened to have one of her co-workers with her who's Father happens to be a doctor in Amman who spoke perfect English. So he called us at the hotel and we gave him the low down on Isabelle, the doctor's diagnosis as well as what he perscribed her and he gave his approval. Meanwhile, Akel and my Father were on thier way to a pharmacy to pick up her perscription. On the drive to the pharmacy Akel decided to make a call to the hotel doctor that saw Isabelle to see if he was ligit and come to find, he went to school with Akel's Father! SMALL WORLD!


Anywho, I stayed with Isabelle that night and insisted that Michael go with the group, and as Bill's date :), to the farewell dinner. The photos he came back with were amazing. After meeting with the Commisioner, they had dinner on a private yacht that cruised around the harbor of Aqaba. It sounded wonderful but I knew my little one needed her Mama. She and I laid around all afternoon and night, dozing off when we could and snuggling up with one another. I think I needed that as much as she did.

Day Nine: Once again, we were up at the crack of dawn but this time to catch a 9:00am flight back to Amman where our whole adventure began and today, where it will end. Isabelle hadn't eatten much but was in better spirits than the day before and her fever hadn't broke yet but it was down a few degrees. All in all, we were all happier campers. When we got down to the lobby everyone was so concerned about her and glad to see she was doing better. We said our goodbyes at the airport in Amman since some folks had to rush off as soon as we landed to catch thier connecting flights where as our flight was not taking off until 1:50AM, yes folks...1:50 in the morning, the following morning. Isabelle was fine on the flight, we were very concerned about her ears but since this was more like the flight from Burbank to Vegas, short and flying at a low altitude, she was fine. Once we were in Amman, Grandmama, Poppy, Michael, Isabelle and I headed over to the hotel that they were staying at overnight (before returning for another visit to Dubai) and where we got a day room at and pretty much did exactly what we did the day before...nothing! We let Isabelle rest up for the VERY LONG flights and layovers to get us back home.

She did not want to wake up for the flight at 1:50am and everyone in the airport knew that. She was so fussy, still had a slight and still not eating. From 1:50am on Sunday Jordan time to 11:00pm on Sunday west coast time, and do remember the 9 hour time difference, we finally made it home safe and sound and Isabelle made it through all of the flights without one single tear! Our little world traveler since then has seen her doctor and got a clean bill of health, we have all caught up on our sleep, talked about our trip and have shown pictures to people at least 100 times and most of all, I have finally finished this blog entry :)