After several days in Amman, I’ve decided to stay a few months to soak in the local culture and enjoy some interesting day trips. I booked an apartment in Jabal al-Weibdeh neighborhood for the first two weeks, but am looking for another place in the same area with more natural light. It’s a safe and interesting area. I’ll need a tourist visa extension – so that’s the next step.
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Jabal al-Weibdeh has a “richness of culture, quiet modesty, and calmness”.
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Jabal al-Weibdeh is known as a “bohemian, hipster area in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Amman”. The neighborhood is filled with a “variety of quaint cafes, painted murals, and little shops”. With “one foot in the past and the other in the future,” it’s described as a “thriving artist haven with rich historical roots”. The area doesn’t seem at all pretentious to me, and I feel comfortable here. It’s just a matter of finding the right accommodation.
Jabal al-Weibdeh and Al Balad
Jabal al-Weibdeh is wedged between “two important and contrasting Amman neighborhoods”. Both contribute to the “charm and uniqueness of the area”. On one side there’s Jabal Amman with art galleries and historic sites and buildings. On the other, there’s downtown Amman, also known as “Al Balad,” the oldest part of the city, dating back as far as the Neolithic period.
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“Downtown serves as the mid-point between East and West Amman. East and West have their own set of attributes. The westside is gentrified and affluent, while the east is less abundant and depleted in terms of resources. Jabal al-Weibdeh is home to locals, expats, and tourists and is an intriguing, inviting district of the city.” Tourist Jordan
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Cafés in al-Weibdeh are superb, and I’ve found several to be great for hanging out and observing daily life in Amman. One favorite is Rumi Café. Barristers there serve the best tasting chai latte – Karak Chai – I’ve ever experienced. It has a delicious Middle Eastern spice twist.
It’s Broken :o(
My “sprained wrist” wasn’t improving… After visiting the neighborhood clinic, a Jordanian doctor recommended getting an x-ray immediately, so I took an Uber to nearby Islamic Hospital emergency room. I was wrong. It’s broken. The swelling had mostly disappeared, but the area where you would wear a bracelet, was odd looking and painful.
Islamic Hospital
After the x-ray, I returned the next day to see an orthopedic surgeon. Clearly the only non-Muslim patient in the waiting room, I was treated respectfully and with kindness. After determining my wrist was definitely broken, the hospital refunded the charge to see a general practitioner – amazing!
The orthopedic surgeon recommended a cast, and I’ll go back in two weeks, so the doctor can assess recovery and hopefully remove the cast. This is the first broken bone in my life – and I imagined it would be much more painful. The cast itches and makes doing almost everything take longer, but better a fractured wrist than a broken arm or leg.
With the wrist drama, I’ve only explored a few areas of Amman so far, but made some contacts. There’s an active expat community here, and they have weekly group hikes and desert camping trips to Wadi Rum.
More later…