Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Our tour begins in Amman where we meet a very special guide, a friend whom I've not seen in 8 years. Maha will be with us for our 10-days in Jordan. She will end her stay with us when she takes us to the Allenby Bridge where Maha will hand us over to our Israeli guide.
Maha Anabtawi, Guide in Jordan:
Maha's experiences reflect the "modern nomad" existence of many families of Palestinian origin. She grew up in Nablus, on the West Bank, and received her B.A. degree in history from Alexandria University, Egypt. Moves to Baghdad and Kuwait with a new Palestinian husband were agreeable until the family was expelled from Kuwait at the beginning of the Gulf War. Divorced and back in Amman with two daughters, Maha returned to school to receive her certificate to be an English-speaking Jordanian tourism guide. She is devoted to her Palestinian roots and the history of the Middle East and is an excellent instructor of ancient and geo-political history. She's fun too!
May 2:Hellofrom Amman.
Istanbul: May 1
Logistics:10 hr. flight, Turkish Air from JFK to Istanbul. Arrived 10AM. Spent day with my friend/guide, Nur, planning SECA Expeditions' October 2009 tour; found a small boutique hotel that is not over priced - a prerequisite for today's economy. Flying time between Istanbul and Amman, two hours. Arrived Amman, 11PM, and immediately fell into a comfortable hotel bed.
Observations, Istanbul: I noticed a number of face masks on passengers at both JFK and Istanbul airports, but none in Amman. Some people were walking around holding the edge of a scarf up to their mouths. I'm washing my hands more than usual. No confirmed cases of swine flu in Jordan.
My Istanbul guide and friend, Nur, who holds her Masters in economics and is working on her Ph.D in Japanese history, comes from an elite, educated, liberal Turkish family. Like many living in western Turkey, she has more in common with Europeans than those from more eastern regions of Turkey. I was surprised, however, at her reserved view of Obama who had just been in Istanbul while on his successful tour. Nur's view of our President was a definitely wait-and-see attitude. Like many, she and her friends are worried about our new President's economic course, and believes Turkey's economy is linked with that of the USA.
When I questioned Nur about her own government's course, she feels Turkey's President is doing well; e.g., the Government reversed the law which prohibited women from wearing headscarfs to school. Nur believes this new law allows freedom of choice and is not meant to highlight Islam, She also stated that the power of the secular military has been diminished, and it would not now have the power to carry out a coup d'etat. Interesting, as I feel our journalists tout a more conservative movement with Turkey's government.
The last time I was in Istanbul, three years ago, the country was in a deep recession. Unemployment was high, the infrastructure was in poor shape, and the mood was understandably glum. Today I saw a marked difference. Prosperity was evident: many buildings and monuments have been renovated, people were better dressed (the same number as before wearing head scarfs and/or long, covering coats), laws and programs had been enacted to enable Turkey to eventually get into the EU, and, despite our recent global economic crises, there is a better spirit in the air.
Istanbul is one of the great capitals of the world - I loved my eight hour visit, and was reluctant to hop back on my connecting flight, Istanbul to Amman..
May 2, Amman, Jordan. Logistics: slept 10 hours, swam in the hotel pool to rid the body of jet lag kinks, met with excellent travel agency I've been working with, and had a drink/meeting with the CEO of Aid To Artisans, a Hartford-based market development organization advising artisans worldwide.
- comments