To the Balad, the Downtown

Ah, I taught an Egyptian Jesuit how to cook some refrigerated meals. He liked the taste of the pastries I baked and he wanted to see how it was done. He realized that he can do it on his own if he needs to do so. He was having friends over and wanted to impress them with a tasty breakfast.

I took the morning to drive to an indoor-outdoor art gallery called Darat Al Funum. It is one of my special places in Amman because it is incredibly peaceful and with a lot of shade. Darat al Funum has a special meeting happening so I was not able to see the indoor exhibits, but I mostly go for the outdoor viewsThe atmosphere is serene and the outdoor seatings are cleared of dust every morning so it is inviting to sit and read or sit and pray. I did both. The location is at Jebel Amman, the oldest settled hill in the region and it overlooks the Balad, the downtown shopping district. One goes from the most quiet place to the busiest of places.

After leaving the gallery, I found the stairwell to Al Balad. From the top of the stairs, it seems like a fun adventure as there are old paintings of Picasso and Van Gogh that signify this is a place of culture. At the top of the stairwell, I saw four young men sitting outdoors having coffee. When I returned one and half hours later, they were still there talking up a storm.

There are cultural tour group meeting houses along this stairwell and there is a museum that I want to visit called "Museum of Old Signs." I saw the sign for it and noted it, and when I returned people told me it was a must see place. Along the stairwell there are barbers and bookstores, restaurants and tailor shops, and other neat places.

Once I stepped into the Balad, the pedestrian traffic almost takes you along with its energy. There are famous Shawarma kiosks and falafel drums. There is one falafel place that always has a long line to order food. I've eaten there a few times. There is also a kanafeh baker that draws long lines of dessert-goers. Children are weaned on these honey and pistachio topped cheese pies. They are quite tasty. I used to get a high caloric drink in the winter in the size of an espresso shot glass called Saleh. It is filled with cream, cinnamon and pistachio. Mmm. It is only served in the winter to warm you up, but I would imagine a little rum or vodka would give it a good punch. 

I was marveling at the changes in the Balad from eight years ago. Gone are the numerous DVD stores that mostly sold illegally copied movies. I could always watch American blockbusters before they were on screen in the U.S., but they are now replaced with decent shops. There are very many bookstores, which I appreciate, as the Jordanian culture historically has not been big on reading like the Iraqis, but there are so many nationalities living in Jordan that the retail is adapting. I passed through many chocolate stores, teas and spice shops, nut factories and elegantly wrapped sweets. I like going down alleyways and opening doors. I figure if there is a doorknob, it must be turned. If there is a button, it is there to be pressed. I have not qualms about trying an entrance because I often discover something exciting in the journey. As a tourist, you can often take risks that the average citizen would not do. I was impressed with the diversity of shops and the contents of some of the small shops seemed to be upgraded from the time I was here before. I will return this week to try a few more doorways and alleyways.

My steps led me to the Nymphaeum, the old Roman public baths. As there was no running water, the public would bathe in these places to be refreshed. In a place covered with dust and water resources scarce, a central gathering place like this served many public interest needs. The U.S. government has allocated some resources for rebuilding parts of this project, but I'm sure the archeology takes a lot of time. 

At the Nymphaeum, (what an intriguing word), if one looked up, you would see the Roman Citadel and the Columns of Heracles. I've been to outdoor concerts there and I saw the musical, The Sound of Music, with the columns illuminated and a cool breeze almost bringing the music to the heavens.

A few years from the Nymphaeum is the massive Roman Amphitheater. It is easy to tell that this is the downtown region for the Romans. It was the community gathering place built right into the side of the rock walls and overlooking a plateau where the sound carried easily. It was central part of the city. It is quite amazing that one can sit in the same seats where Roman citizens heard public lectures and caught up on news from the Empire. In a world of impermanence, these structures have endured for millenia.