Amman:
Wadi Rum:
Traveling to Wadi Rum was expected to take 4-5 hours. The plan was to leave campus in the morning in time to ride camels and watch the sunset. For some reason it took us 8 hours to get to our campsite. Towards the last 30 min the sun was rapidly dropping in the sky and it was a race against the sun. By some miracle we made it before it was dark and camels were waiting outside the camp for us. We all got on on a camel and trotted off into the desert to watch the Jordanian sunset paint the sand.
Wadi Rum was absolutely beautiful, unfortunately, we did not have any time to explore it during the day since it took us so long to get there but after the camel rides we had a delicious dinner, danced dabca and hung out under the milky way.
Petra:
The map below is not the most detailed but it gives a good idea of some main sites and monuments.
I have come to a point where I have seen so many ancient sites and columns that I feel a bit numb to how amazing the sites actually are. It kind of makes me sad but at the same time makes me appreciate the feeling of excitement when seeing and doing new things. At this site Connor, Kelly and I wandered around a bit and then enjoyed orange and mint lemon juice while overlooking a valley.
Other:
Jordan shares borders with several countries. On several trips that we took we were extremely close to several of these borders. It is a eerie feeling because there is so much turmoil going on in the surrounding Middle Eastern countries but at the same time was never concerned for my safety in Jordan. Many Americans associate the entire Middle East with being an unsafe and dangerous place, however, upon arriving in Jordan I got to see first hand how helpful people are and learned various Jordanian perspectives.
Another eye opening experience was hearing the progression of bombings in Syria. I remember the first night sitting outside on the balcony and occasionally hearing distant sounds of bombs. As the month went on and conflict continued to grow the bombings became more frequent and louder. During one trip close to the Syrian border we could actually feel a couple of the bombs as they went off in the middle of the day.
The three pictures below are images I took while passing refugee camps. The one on the bottom right is the newest camp being constructed in Azraq. The other two pictures are of Za'atari which is the second largest refugee camp in the world currently home to tens o thousands of refugees.
As a final project for this course Sara, Laura M, Mamdauh and I put together a presentation on drinking water at Za'atari. It has been very interesting to combine the water engineering aspect with relevant events that need immediate action.
Here are a couple links to videos that show conditions in the camp and the dire need for clean drinking water. Jordan is ranked in the top ten most water scarce countries in the world which is now being impacted by thousands of Syrians coming into the country each day.
I have gained a deeper understanding of water scarcity and processes in place to help water scarce countries and water treatment processes. I have also rediscovered my desire to help people affected by disaster and would potentially like to incorporate that into a future career path that I may take.
Closing Ceremony at Jordan University of Science and Technology |
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