So...as I mentioned before, Jordan was a challenging country to visit. But mostly, it was a good challenge, a what-doesn't-kill-you-makes-you-stronger challenge, the kind of challenge that changes a novice traveler into a seasoned one.
Still. There were moments that I could have done without.
Like the moment I thought I'd lost the travel wallet that held all our passports, vaccine cards, Turkish Residency IDs and debit card.
That moment was a doozy.
Here's the cautionary tale...
Having arrived in Aqaba, we settled into our hotel and got ready for the next morning's snorkeling adventure (as seen in our first YouTube video about Jordan.)
During our preparation for the day, I took a second to contemplate my travel wallet. Generally, I always keep the wallet with me, in my zipped-up, backpack bag. But for a significant portion of the next morning, my bag would be unattended as we swam.
So, do I leave the passports unattended at the hotel or take them with me and leave them unattended on the tour boat???
My father is a firm believer in locking passports in the hotel safe--but I'd heard that hotel safes were not that secure, that anyone from the staff could probably open it! Thus, I'd been told to hide valuables somewhere in the hotel room where staff might not look. But that seemed a bit ridiculous, right?
What to do, what to do.
In the end, I just decided to take the passport wallet along with me. I'd trust that no one would be daring enough to steal something from a boat tour and I'd double check the purse as soon as I got up out of the water. Everything would be FINE.
Everything was NOT fine.
In fact, everything went sideways in a way that nearly gave me a heart attack.
After swimming and eating lunch, we were drying off as the boat got ready to dock. No one else had come on the tour so I hadn't worried about my wallet being stolen. It was just us and a few crew members.
So imagine my surprise when I looking into purse and it was gone! All my fears about being kidnapped in a foreign country returned with a vengeance and I started debating the best course of action. First, I quietly alerted the captain who immediately and loudly called all four crew members up and made them start tearing apart the cabin, looking for the wallet. Once we reached the boat slip and no wallet had been located, the captain suggested that maybe the it had fallen out of my purse during the car ride over. (He then offered to watch my three children while I ran back to my parked car...
...Um, No.)
So Jack, Brenn, Meg and I ran to the car and searched for the wallet to no avail. I debated about going back to the boat but the kids were so tired and worn out that I wasn't sure if that was a good idea. I texted the captain asking him to please, please remain at the harbor for just a little bit longer, just in case our passports were still on that boat. He kindly agreed to have a crew member stay with the boat for a little longer. (He also offered to drive with me to the hotel and help me look there for my wallet there...
...Um, No.)
The whole way back to the hotel I was praying but I was also semi-starting to plan for the prospect of being in Jordan without any identification 😬😬😬😬😬 The closest embassy was in Aman and there were security check points all along the road between the two cities... what was I suppose to do then?!?!
Something like panic began to grow in my heart. I told the kids to take over praying for the wallet while I started praying that my anxiety wouldn't give me a stroke.
When I got to the hotel I raced up to the room and opened the safe.
No wallet. Not there, not on the bed, not on the dresser. No where.
Nearly despairing I sat down and tried to retrace my actions from the previous night. I thought about inspecting the safe, I thought about packing for the snorkeling trip...
...and then I remember debating with the kids on where the best hiding spot for valuables would be in this hotel...
...Argh!!!
You guessed it, my wallet was hiding in the third spot that I checked. Apparently, my subconscious decided to play the "hide-the-valuable-in-the-hotel-room" game without letting me know 😝
Heart beat returning to normal I first thanked God for helping me in a moment when I needed a clear head. I thanked him too for being the kind of God we can rush too in a moment of panic. He is a good father. I then hastily called the boat captain (who probably thought I was a crazy lady) and thanked him for all his non-kidnapping, non-stealing help. (Truly, all the people in Jordan were very kind and helpful to me. But you can't blame a girl for getting uneasy 🤪) The kids concluded their prayer marathon and we all started breathing easily again. We all remarked at how quickly God answered our prayers. I hadn't planned on having an impromptu worship service, but after the stress of the situation, we all took some time to praise God. See, travelling. It's good for you. You learn to trust God more.
So that's the story that I shushed out of Jack in the video!! It was probably the most stressful part of our trip and it left me just a little edgy for the rest of our stay. My wallet never left my side after that, and I took the time to take pictures of all our passports and IDs. I sent one set of photos to Paul and the others went into a specific folder on my phone. (Travel hack!)
After visiting the ancient city of Ayla (the precursor to the modern city of Aqaba) we made the short drive from Aqaba to the desert of Wadi Rum. Waiting for us in a village on the outskirts of the desert was a tour guide named Abu Osama.
A few people have asked why I travelled through Jordan all by myself. Basically, it boiled down to timing and finances. First, the tour company that I considered using (based on recommendations by friends) was already booked for the week that we would be there (the week we scored super cheap flights.) Second, I have perhaps an over-confidence in my ability to drive myself anywhere I want to go 😆 I didn't think I needed to join a group in order to move around the country, visiting tourist destinations. I can research and plan anything with the help of the internet. Plus, I know how to change a tire, drive a manual vehicle AND I have google maps! All set. No worries.
But my wise, slightly concerned husband asked if there was another option...perhaps a middle ground between a large tour group and solidarity wandering. And there was!
The tour company that I'd wanted to join offered to build an itinerary for me with guides lined up and accommodations secured. It would just be my responsibility to show up to each place on my own. It was a perfect middle ground!! My kids and I were a tiny tour group of four ☺️
Mr. Ramzi planned a wonderful schedule and took care of communicating with guides and hotels on our behalf. He frequently checked in with me and was always available via WhatsApp for any questions or concerns that I had through the week. I can not recommend his company, Jordan Allure Tours, enough. They took great care of us from the moment we landed till the moment we took off. He was able to squeeze in so many activities that I asked for and made sure that the kids and were always safe and taken care of. His family even opened up their home to us while in Petra and let us join them for a meal one evening. Such a great experience for me and my children.
Ok, so, back to the desert!
Though you've never been there, you've probably seen Wadi Rum as it's been featured in many films and TV shows. Need an alien looking red desert? Jordan has just the spot for you!
We spent the day driving through this alien landscape, stopping at various photographic spots. We gazed at ancient petroglyphs, hooted down into empty cisterns, ran along multi-colored sand dunes, and road camels (as gracefully as possible 😆.) All around us were magnificent rock formations that overhead.
And it was HOT. We maybe have gotten sunburnt. You'll perhaps notice that the single hat I remember to pack rotated heads a few times during our outing 😆
We finished our afternoon with a late lunch (of rice and chicken, but done in a pretty famous Jordanian style...and it was incredible) before Mr. Abu drove us to our campsite for the night.
The whole day was vibrant. Almost a sensory overload. But it was all perfect. We came away amazed by the beauty of our planet and the creativity of our creator.
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