It is hard to believe that it was only a week ago that I last wrote about my first day in Amman. Since then, I spent another day touring the city, travelled to Chicago, spent four days in West Palm Beach and have now enjoyed an afternoon in Nashville, Tennessee. It certainly feels much longer than a week!
The second day in Amman was as enjoyable as the first. Anne and I headed out early to tour the Roman Ruins at the highest point in Amman, this area had been inhabited from the earliest settlers until the late 1950's so we got to see remnants of all periods. The sun was getting hot so we began our descent down winding side streets, and nearly hidden steps, to a wonderfully preserved Roman coliseum at the bottom of the valley. A busy street runs in front of the coliseum and we decided to explore for a bit. We came upon a wonderful market in full hustle and bustle. Vendors called out their wares and we were greeted with "welcome to Jordan" as strangers caught our eyes. The guidebooks had said this would happen but the welcomes still took us by surprise.
The market had pretty distinct areas and as we wound through the stalls, we came upon produce, household goods, and my favorite- spices, beans and grains. I have always loved a market, but more than that, it was the type of authentic experience I crave when visiting a foreign place. We then hopped a cab back to First Circle in search of a cafe recommended in a book. No luck finding it, but we did end up having a wonderful lunch at the Nature Cafe. We intended to cab it back to the hotel but the traffic seemed backed up so we just started walking. What was meant to be a little walk until traffic eased turned into a pretty challenging walk to our hotel at Fifth Circle. There is a slight incline the whole way, uneven pavement and curbs well over a foot and a half; we arrived at the Four Seasons drenched in sweat and confident that we are probably their first guests to make that walk. Frankly, we are lucky they let us back in! But we cleaned up a bit and then headed to the pool for some well earned relaxation before our fast approaching travel day.
Anne and I parted ways at the airport. I met up with my Iraqi delegation just before departure. The eleven hour flight was direct to Chicago O'Hare, we arrived late afternoon and finally settled into our hotel rooms just before seven. I struggled to keep my eyes open and quickly feel asleep before being awakened by a banging on the windows that made up two walls of my corner room at the Airport Hilton. A fierce storm had arrived- both wind and rain pelted the glass in such a way that I turned on the news and considered closing myself in the bathroom. Fortunately it moved out as fast as it had arrived and I quickly settled back to sleep.
The next morning I learned that hundreds of flights had been cancelled and passengers had been shepherded to the underground tunnels as winds as high as 86 mph ripped across the airport. It was quite a welcome for my foreign guests. Nonetheless, they were happy to be in Chicago and have been pretty taken with their surroundings throughout the trip. One told me, "Madame Krista- one set of eyes is not enough, I need a set to put in the back of my head so I do not miss anything." It has been a privilege to witness their sense of awe and curiosity. Between frequent stops for pictures and smoke breaks, it has been a challenge to remain on schedule but we are managing!
The trip to West Palm Beach was to see the ongoing construction at Herbert Hoover Dike. Cut-off wall construction is the primary focus of this technical exchange and we were able to tour two sites utilizing different methods to accomplish the same end result. The group was enthusiastic and fully engaged with the on-site engineers and project management. The heat and humidity made for a very long day but it was just the type of exchange of information that I had hoped for. We concluded the briefings on Friday evening and that left us with Saturday open for a bit of touring. With the encouragement of our USACE senior engineer, we made our way along the ocean, and then I-95 for a walk on the beach and lunch at South Beach, Miami. The amazement this time was at bikini engineering, but it was also a chance for them to roll up their pants and dip their feet in the Atlantic Ocean. As a group, I am sure we were quite the sight ourselves.
And finally, we flew and arrived in Nashville just before noon today. Tomorrow morning we will head to Wolf Creek Dam on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. Everyone got to stroll around town today, and I even managed a run through the historic district, across the pedestrian bridge and around the Tennessee Titans stadium. It is a neat city, and my first visit. I would love to come back and spend a bit more time here. Another time. Next up is an early departure in the morning and a pre-planned breakfast stop at Cracker Barrel. Kitschy Americana at its best, and my personal favorite- Momma's French Toast Breakfast await. Welcome home Krista! The day holds even more promise- a visit with Adam, Noah and Amelia who will join me at the State Lodge for two nights .
So much to share thsi week but I am fading fast. Five more days to enjoy. It is great to be stateside but I also know that my real return home will only come after I get back and finish up in Iraq.
Love,
Krista
p.s. I wish I could share pictures of my group, but for their security, I am not comfortable posting them on the web. Pictures include the market and ruins in Amman, me above the Cumberland River in Nashville and our two site visits to Herbert Hoover Dike.
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