Amman by Taxi

Today (Friday) I slept in a bit and then went to the gym and had a great run on surprisingly fresh legs (must have been the dip in the Dead Sea). I then had brunch and went for another swim. Swimming in the Dead Sea (or floating) is an incredible experience. You literally float on the top of the water with absolutely no effort at all. In fact, it takes more effort to go under for any amount of time (which I don’t recommend because it burns your eyes, and nose).

Oh, and I rubbed this Dead Sea mud stuff all over my face before I went in. Supposedly it cures all your skin’s problems if you leave it on for 15 minutes. I figured my face could use all the magical powers it could get, so I left it on for 30 minutes just to be safe. I fully expect to wake up looking like Brad Pitt tomorrow.

After the Dead Sea I had a sandwich and a few Coronas on the balcony of the hotel before heading out. I had a taxi drive me into downtown Amman for a quick tour. Amman is by far the country’s largest city. Roughly 35% (more than 2M people) of the entire population resides in Amman.

The city was built on seven hills and the buildings tumble down into Amman City Center. They are almost all white or beige and largely uniform in appearance. I took a few pics from the cab and then from one of the highest points in the city, The Amman Citadel (see below). Khalil (the cab driver) was a very nice man with a heavy foot. After our tour we went for a cappuccino before he took me to the airport.

Driving into Amman

The view from Amman Citadel

More from the Citadel


Ancient amphitheater near City Center


Traffic in City Center