I arrived in Amman, Jordan, on a tour two days before the war between Israel and Gaza broke out. You can imagine the shock that I was in when I got news of it. However, I decided to continue on the tour, and I was not about to turn around and go back to the States. I flew Turkish Airlines, which I totally don’t recommend, and to Amman at 1:30 a.m.

I joined the other folks on the tour and took a room at The Prime Hotel until 11 a.m. that morning when we checked into The W Hotel.

We checked out at 11 a.m. and then proceeded to The W Hotel , which was fabulous. Everything was excellent to extreme detail, and I just loved my stay there!

We were totally wiped out but left the hotel after a quick unpack and took in the local sites. We visited Rainbow Street. There are many restaurants, cafes, and shops, and Rainbow Street is considered the heart of the Old City.

Then we wanted to go to the gallery area to see the art of the country, so we went to The Kalid Shoman Foundation and enjoyed Jordanian art, both old and new.

We wanted to visit the famous Citadel from there, so we knew we had to take an Uber. Yeah, I love Uber! So much freedom! Love Uber! The Citadel, as shown in the image below, dominates one of the seven jebels —or hills—that make up the capital city of Jordan. It’s known locally as Jebel al-Qal’a. The site boasts the remains of a Roman temple, a Byzantine church, an Umayyad palace, and several other features of historical interest.

From there, we took another Uber, and our driver was enthusiastic about driving around Amman and showing us the streets, the Amphitheater, and downtown. It was great. I was seeing Amman as a local. Below are some images that show you what the landscape of Amman looks like no matter which way you turn; only this one holds their famous Roman Theatre. The theatre was built between 138 and 161 CE, during the rule of Antoninus Pius, the Roman Emperor known to be one of the most peaceful Emperors in Roman history. The theatre can hold over 5,000 onlookers and is still used today!

Towards the evening, after a day of Ubering around, we wound up downtown, and I couldn’t help but admire some of the women’s fashion in their local storefronts.

I enjoyed my day and a half in Amman. We left for Wadi Rum the next day, and it was time to continue our Jordanian adventure. Readers may also enjoy our reviews of Morroco and the Sahara,  A New Yorker’s Long Weekend in London, African Lion Safari and Niagara Falls, and Bar Italia Madison.