Jordan II 

cctv.com 06-23-2005 10:34

Welcome to travelogue, welcome to Amman, and the capital of Jordan. Jordan has a population about 5.1 million, but in Amman, the capital alone has about 1/3 of total population. And here, the spot is a commercial street; it is the heart of Amman city. And from this point, I can look down all the activities going on there.

Amman is known in history as Rabbath-Ammon and in Graeco-Roman times as Phila-delphia. No more than five hours drive from anywhere in the country. It is a convenient base for tourists. Amman consists of an old and more traditional part called “City Center” or “downtown” in Arabic is pronounced Balad.

Here, Mohammedan Road is one of the major streets; it is the centre of downtown of Amman. Here are all the commercial shops that you can find everything. And the local tour guides told me, Back to the 70s and 80s this was the center of commercials you can find everything in this old town of Amman.

The Suq, in the heart of downtown is a typical Middle Eastern market where you can buy almost anything. It is also an interesting cultural experience.

There are numerous shops, supermarkets and grocery stores in Amman. On the King Abdullah II Street, you can find many shops specialized in mother-of-pearl inlayed furniture from Syria. Some small boutiques where you can buy original designs of sterling silver hand-dipped in 24-carat gold and adorned with semi-precious stones. All of above are just off King Faisal Street, which is called Amman’s Gold Suq.

The Dead Sea has an historical and spiritual legacy of its own. It is believed to be the site of five biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar(Bela). Today its eastern shore is sparsely populated and serenely quiet. With much of the landscape virtually unchanged since ancient times, this is a favorite spot for a holiday drive. Spend the day sunbathing, swimming, or dinning. Relax in the gently lapping water

You cannot sink!

Summer time many people come to the Dead Sea to take a vacation. There are many beautiful hotel resorts at the sea. As you know, every body goes down to the Dead Sea, especially go to Marriatt and Movenpic. Two hotels all have their private accesses to the ocean. People go down there is wonderful and first of all, you have beautiful views. The second of all, you can use the mud The Dead Sea mud is well known in the world.

This is not for opera; it is the Dead Sea mud. Actually, it is very sticky. You know what they gonna do to make every body look like this. And then, according to the locals, my friend right here, tell me to put on the Dead Sea mud and you relax, let it dry. This is supposed to do well. Now, I am waiting for it to get dry.

The Dead Sea mud is good when it is dry. I can’t move because it likes glue. It glues everything. All my skin becomes one piece. Its like glue, it glues everything.

I can’t walk… See you.

It is very salty. Make sure you don’t have any cut, any wound or anything that on your skin, otherwise, it is pain as you have a cut then you put salt on it. Without that, you feel comfortable...

Duke’s house is very unique, it is situated right in the center of downtown, and Duke himself is a very interesting person. He tries to preserve all the old cultures and traditions in downtown of Amman. He worked with neighborhood and government tries to comments people moving to downtown and keep those old buildings. This house is very old since the downtown started in the twenties, and he still keeps it like a guesthouse right now. Now once awhile, he will get all the artists together to visit this house, and dinner there, chat with people, and talk about social issues, politics and everything. And it is also convenient, you can order food from there, he has his own kitchen and servants, and also you can order anything you want from the street. For example, coffee! It is very common in the downtown of Amman. You can order by one phone call and they will deliver it in five minutes.

It is very inexpensive; one cup of Arabic coffee deliver to your door only costs about ten cents, not even ten cents. So you will have lots of fun. The Duke is a… that is about Duke.

I am an old Amman eye. I would like to promote and encourage, and also develop the life in the old city of Amman. It was the center of everything of all the happenings and whenever there was any festivity it used to take place here

It is one of the ancient capitals in the world since 4,000 years before Christ. And it has all layers of civilization known to everybody

Jarash is very impressive, especially when you walk on the ancient city with thousands years of history. Especially that…ah the south gate, imposing gate and from there we get to the street of columns also called the Roman Cardo and the street running to the north about six hundred meters. It’s full of columns. It’s still standing there after all these thousands of years.

Jarash is about 40 kilometer from downtown Amman, driving takes about 50 minutes to 1 hour depends on the traffic. And it is located in the north part of Amman. From this tourist book, it says Jarash is the second only to Petra in tourist appeal, The ancient city of Jarash is remarkable for its long chain of human occupation Here at a well watered site In the hills of Gilead, Remains from Neolithic times have been found as well as Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad and others. Jarash’s golden age, however, was arrived with Roman rule. Today, it is acknowledged as one of the best-preserved province cities of the Roman Empire. Jarash was a member of the Decapolis. An dynamic commercial league of Ten Graeco-Roman cities here, it is beautiful Jarash.

Once upon a time, Jarash was a center for business. The street behind me was the major street for trading and commercials. And here, they called forum, once awhile, people got together here to talk about business, community issues. This was the center of everything.

After thousands of years, all the stones remain here still have some secrets locals want to talk about. The secret number 1, listen to this. The secret number 2 after few thousands years, can you believe this column still live? It looks like a piece of rock, but it can move, I can prove it.

Host: How are you?

Local: Where are you from?

Host: I am from China.

Local: Welcome to Jordan.

Host: What do you say in Jordan?

Ahalannosahalan

Ahalannosahalan

Jarash Festival is held from mid July to mid August every year. This festival features folk dances by local and international groups ballet, concerts, opera and popular singers. The star attractions in Jarash are the ruins themselves.

In the downtown Amman, you have to come visit the Malika Faidal Street; on the street it has all the kind of restaurants and coffee shops. First of all, you can visit this Alberts restaurant. This old restaurant offers full course meal, actually for lunchtime is the best time to visit. And you can order the fish, the fish pound is right on the downstairs there is fresh.

After that, you gonna come over here and visit AL-RASHED Coffee shop. The best Arabic coffee, don’t forget your flavor pipe, the water pipe or called Nargileh

Local call it Nargileh. It has so many flavors

Personally I got this strawberry flavor. The strawberry is really good. And after you enjoyed all these staffs, there is something even better. Go across the street, Habiba pastry, you can have the best desert. Maybe we will try, See if they can deliver it over here

This is the favorite, one of the best-known deserts. Called Baklawa. It is very oily. Its sugar, the syrup

Ahaway is the coffee, So, I can order the Ahaway just the same? Everyone is taking a break in this time of the day. Everyone just had a lunch

Because the main meal in Jordan is lunch meal, so they had a heavy meal, everyone is really tired. They are taking a break for a couple of hours The street is dead right now.

Friday is the weekly holiday. Many businesses including airlines, travel agencies and some shops are also closed on Thursday afternoon. Earlier closings are in effect during the month of Ramadan.

About the exchanging rate what I told you on the street, take a look at it:

Convert to US dollar is 100 Dinar is 70 US dollars.

That was wrong, I always have to think of it twice to figure it out. Let me get it straight right now. 1 Dinar exchanges to 1.4 US dollar. Or on the other side is 1 USD equals to 0.70 cents of Jordan Dinar, or JD they called that. 1 Dinar is about 10 or 12 RMB. So that is about the rates.

Another thing is Arabic horse; it is actually famous that every body is heard of it. Since I was in China everybody told me that you gonna see the Arabic horse, and here in Jordan, especially one place I have a chance to visit is the Royal Stables. They have beautiful Arabic horse.

Here we are at the Royal Stables in Jordan, the famous place. As we know, Arabic horse is beautiful and well known. This place has about 130 the best breed horses and they can do shows, they can do running. Every year, there is the best show in Arabic countries, about fifty countries get involved and they show off their horses. So today, we go to take a look at those best breeds.

Beautiful.

Hello!

If she is in heat, that means she is accepting the stallion. She brings in urine and the (way) she is standing, you know, then I check her, Then I look at the ovaries, then if the ovaries are big I enter it to her. Sometime you do it with artificial and frozen semen, which is from Europe, from America…from China for instance. It is frozen, then I check 3 times a day, then I install them with half of the section, then I look at the egg, it will be growing and growing, and it is gone, then I enter some more.

It is special corporeity. This is a special semen collection bottle, then I hang it here, put hot water, it is about 45 degrees.

Then you put special corporeity, everything is clean and straight, and then the semen comes from here.

They were found on the base of 7 warfare, they were brought in after the great Arabic wars. And on the base of those 7 warfare (horse) were founded, and other horses were added to that. And First purpose is remain and maintain of those all 7 broad lines; and then the other purpose came in, other projective came in, to raise the horses for Arabic horse show competitions. And that stays the biggest now. And the third one is to breed horse for indulgence to horse competitions,

Horse is such a delicate thing, and you treat him nice, he will treat you nice and this horse won’t take too long. It only takes me 10 or 15 minutes. Now, we become friends. It’s very nice.

It’s a beautiful horse.

Even though Jordan is a Muslim country, but Eastern and Western cultures you can see everywhere. For instant, this magazine, this beautiful printed magazine and you open it up; it tells you everything going on in the capital Amman. There are bars, clubs, social events and many activities

I had a chance to visit the Jordan TV and chat with Ms. Rania Oumeish, who is the Chief Editor of a local fashion magazine and also an owner of a model agency. I learned from Rania that Jordan is primarily a Muslim country, although the freedom of all religions is protected. Muslim women’s clothing often covers their arms, legs and hair. Western women are not subject to these customs.

It is basically a social magazine where you go everywhere to take photos of all the events and put them on it.

Social magazines are needed everywhere. And when we started it, it was not easy cause people do not want to get photos to explore their privacy, but after 2 and 3 months. It was ok.

How do you fit into this society situation? Do you have any difficulties? Of course I have difficulties, I always have male cost more than female (models) especially between the ages of 25-40 because they start to get married and they don't want to appear on TV.

And also another thing is about TV here. Jordan doesn’t have many local TV programs. They just have only one TV station called JTV: Jordan TV. But every body here can get satellite service. You can watch 600 and 700 channels and programs from everywhere CNN, NBC, BBC, Movie channel HBO and you can also watch the China Central Television CCTV9.

Jordan cousins are one of the most famous foods in the world; especially in Amman everywhere you go you can find its traditional food. Food is also an important part of culture. It expresses the hospitality and generosity. One of these restaurants I have visited is very popular ones especially in the weekend. So many people come here; it can host hundreds of people. There are indoors, outdoors under the tent, With Arabic music and they offer the full course meal of the traditional food cousin. One of the famous food called Mansaf you see everywhere in Jordan, in the restaurants, weddings, funeral, parties, everywhere. This is how it made of, like a big tray, you lay the pancakes on the bottom, then you put rice on it, and then put a lamb chop, lamb leg the top of rice, and then you put another pancake like this on the top of it. It is delicious. It is very good, you can eat like this, you don't need any other things you can eat the whole thing. want some? Here. How do you do with the shrak? How do you eat with shrak? It’s made of wheat and salt. I have a little rice. It is ok, no problem. Eat the whole thing at a time. I have to practice how to use hand to eat. It tastes better. It tastes delicious. But it probably takes me 2 minutes to practice, when you come back. And next time you see me eat this; it will be perfect, beautiful not like that. OK.

How do you do with the hand? I have to practice how to use hand to eat. It tastes better. It tastes delicious. But perhaps mean too many thins to practice, come back. And next time you eat it perfectly, beautiful, not like that. OK.

It is very heavy. Finally I finish my trip in Jordan. It is a very short trip I feel like, I need to stay here longer. All I got is huge luggage filled with gifts and all the souvenirs, but it is only ones of thousands. I've got and I need more. But count on me, I will be back, watch the program, I will take more programs and show you more beautiful things.

Bye bye!

Editor:Chen Zhuo  Source:CCTV.com