Looking forward to a possible Tunisia report....

Wow, cold - thanks. Blush. Now I feel guilty about not traveling for a bit - I have to renovate my house instead:
http://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com/.../home-fires-2/

Would love to make it to Tunisia - I've put it off twice now. But Scandinavia is on the list too.

I had to laugh about your failure to recognise the guide with whom you'd hung out all day, can't tell you how many times that also happened to me!

Wonderful report! I love how your kids are learning to talk to hotel clerks, ask for directions and plan driving routes. What great experiences for them. Makes me want a re-do of my teen years in Michigan where we went to the same places "up north" for vacation every year.

Bniemand - yes those were the days. We went to a place about 90 miles away every year and thought it was exotic.

Well, I should have been grading a pile of papers, but I had started reading this earlier, and decided what the heck, pour a glass of wine and finish the trip. Great report! I was in Peru a few years ago and loved reading your report; Jordan is on my wish list and you described the trip so well (I am kind of a foodie, though, so would have enjoyed a few more details about what exactly you ate; the chicken did sound interesting!). Your description of the map reading incident, with daughter grabbing the map from your son, had me laughing outloud.

When I was growing up my family (similar to yours, except the daughter - me - was the youngest) traveled a lot, often driving in a questionable rental car, often at night, often on lonely roads, and seldom with reservations. I can't tell you how many crazy car incidents we had. These are some of our most favorite childhood and teenage memories (ahh, long ago!) and I really think you and your wife are absolutely doing the right thing with your kids. They sound like pretty great traveling companions! All the exposure our family had living in and traveling to countries other than our own affected all of us in very positive ways.

That said, I do like making at least a few reservations now!

I hope you do consider India. I have not been there recently but do dream of going back someday.

Those cliffs in Norway look a little scary to me, but I look forward to that report.

Hi Annabelle - yes food. That is a big empty spot on both our trips and my reporting. I remember as a kid eating in a restaurant in Watertown New York. The three kids including me thought we were being good, quiet and attentive, but after awhile we just couldn't take it anymore. We were probably good for about 20 minutes. But I guess we starting acting up and my mother said "you three are ruining this vacation"... which was possible since we were the majority. I remember thinking when I am adult I am not exposing my kids to this kind of torture. It will be eat and run.

That unfortunately has stuck with me. The two boys are like that as well. Let's eat and get out of here. And that is all a long way to say that food is an afterthought. The food was delicious in Jordan, but aside from tomatoes, cucumbers, chicken cooked underground and humus (?), I am not sure what it was. There were some onions we thought were potatoes until we ate them. One thing about eating in the Bedouin tent - it was pretty dark.

Your mention of the festival in Agaus Calientes brought back good memories. We were in Puno when a parade went by. Geez those people looked like they were enjoying themselves. We love to see that in area where life otherwise can look a bit rough.

What an adventure and I applaud you and the others who did Jordan independently. While I do plenty of independent travel, I felt I would feel more comfortable doing Jordan with an escorted tour. I went to Jordan/Israel at the beginning of March for 2 weeks. And while I was solo, I did the trip through Gate 1 -- there were 14 of us for the Jordan portion -- a nice size and a great group. It was our guide, Hazim, who brought Jordan to life for us. Prior to working at Gate 1, he had been a guide at Petra and Wadi Rum. Whenever we visited a site, he shared the history in such a way that I felt I was there in those earlier times. This also applies to Jerash. I don't have to tell you how amazing Petra was and Wadi Rum was fun -- riding camels, etc. The accommodations were very good throughout the trip. We also stayed at the Dead Sea and stayed at the Holiday Inn. It was very nice! The Dead Sea was a little cold for my Florida blood, but I did get in after I slathered myself in mud.

So if there are others out there who want to see Jordan but would prefer an escorted trip, I would recommend Gate 1. Saw plenty but also had lots of free time, great guide, excellent hotels and at a good price.

I had the same fears flying back from Tel Aviv through Frankfurt. I arrived in Frankfurt to snow and my flight to the States was delayed. However, I did not make my connecting flight to Fla so it was a very long day. But those things happen!

Back to planning more adventures. Want to get to the Galapagos next spring.

Really enjoyed reading your trip report! I traveled to Jordan in 2010 and loved, loved, loved the experience. Your report was interesting (and funny) on a lot of levels and brought back some good travel memories. I wish more people had this fascinating country on their radars. Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea... all amazing!

Ahh, I get it now, colduphere. Pretty funny about eating in the dark tent. Sometimes that can be a blessing; what we don't know...etc. In south China my brother (who had lived a long time in China) told me to either not ask what I was eating or order vegetarian. I had lived in Asia as well and eaten some unusual things, but we were in an area that featured rare wild animals(I am thinking it was some type of wild cat?) as delicacies. But just to ask, did the food in Peru make any good impressions on you? I was so delighted with the food there!

Ladventura - 14 is a great number for a tour, though obviously it depends on what the 14 people are like. We had that number for our hike in Peru.

lucy_d - it is a good question why more people don't visit Jordan. We heard of a lot of people that were making a day trip from Eliat to see Petra. Which on a couple of levels is understandable - they want to see Petra and they are probably on a tight schedule in Israel. But you wonder a bit whether the "Petra brand" hasn't become too dominant. Tourists may think Jordan = Petra and they don't have to see the rest of the country. It's an interesting marketing challenge for the Jordanians.

Annabelle - in my China trip report I mention getting up from a restaurant table to see what was being cooked in the kitchen. The outline of what looked like a rodent was in the frying pan. We were not certain and we didn't stick around to find out. The first part of a Peru trip we were so paranoid about getting sick before the Inca Trail that we ate very conservatively. After the hike we found the food good but again we probably wouldn't notice great food if it hit us in the face. Our one regret, going back to South Korea and China for a minute, is that we didn't take bigger risks with street food. Some of it looked so darn good. I am haunted by the images of some of the street food we passed up in Xian. It looked so tempting.

This was a great report. We're heading...hurtling...toward those college years. Overseas will be even harder but I wouldn't be surprised if at least one my kids gets bitten with the travel bug. It's my fault afterall.

Is there a reason why people couldn't spend more than 1 day in Jordan when visiting Israel? (ie visas)?

Not that I know of. In fact Jordan encourages people to stay more than two nights by waiving visa fees for groups of five or larger travelling with a Jordanian registered travel agent (or something like that - I haven't read it in awhile). And you can enter without paying any visa fee through Aqaba.

My guess is that many people travelling in Israel want to see Israel with Petra as an add-on, but that's a guess.

I suspect that a lot of people see the photos of the Treasury, do no more research, and don't realise how much more there is to see. I spent two days and could have used a third.

I used to eat street food with abandon and then I got really sick (it was in India, which I probably shouldn't tell you since you are debating whether or not to go there!). But I was young and cocky and not using common sense, so there you go. Chinese street food can be awesome - just thinking of those green onion pancakes my mouth is watering. In Peru I had no expectations about the food, so the delicious fruit, avocados, soups, etc. really surprised me.

I would never eat street food in India, but I eat it in China, no problem. BTW, be careful with chicken and buffets in India, even in posh hotels.

Yes, my SO at the time got very ill from something, most likely a lassi, he had at a 5 star hotel in India but the hotel dr fixed him right up in no time-just took one injection. Food is fantastic in India though we never tried street food and still had a problem.

Hi Cold,
I'm not sure how I missed reading your trip report before today but, oh well. A trip to Jordan has not been on my list but I enjoyed reading about your adventures.
Just when I was wondering how the teenage boys were enjoying the trip then you wrote about their hiking experiences- the cliff, the scream, the older sister yelling at her younger brother, mom getting ill in the back 40. A typical family adventure, right?
Will your daughter be home in time to travel on the summer vacation? She sounds like a very capable young lady and your approach in getting the kids started with organizing, talking with people and taking control of the travel must be working!

Looking forward to your next report!

Hello Finecheapbox .... Have you run into that friend again at a soccer game? You know the one who asked?

I wish I was our daughter. She comes home for six weeks, then goes to Tunisia for six weeks, then meets us in Stockholm. Someone hit the jackpot.

By the way, I mentioned above the technology the Bedouins use. I forgot to mention how the Internet affected me. It used to be I would miss sports significantly while I/we were away. To the point of not wanting to travel at times. On this trip my ex university basketball team was playing in the final game of the Canadian university basketball championships. Using my Tunein app I listened to the game late at night in Madaba. Clear as a bell. Once again it was a mixed blessing. Great to listen to the game but aren't we supposed to miss things when we travel?

Haha! No, I've been avoiding her but there's a tournament coming up where I might see her unless I send my husband without me. By that time she'll be wondering why I'm not 'further along'. ;)

A friend was just in Tunisia with his family for spring vacation and posted pics on Facebook. They did a family camel ride (his family, not the camels) for two nights. A picture of a 'desert side' restaurant with a few skinned lambs hanging by their feet. The guy cooking would slice off some of the meat for grilling similar to kebab, I guess. Place looked a bit dicey as there wasn't a single customer in the outdoor restaurant which is never a good sign! But my friend said Tunisia was a great place to visit. Your daughter will be probably have a bit of culture shock traveling from Tunis till Stockholm!

We definitely should miss things when we travel but I enjoy Tunein radio too. Saturday mornings at home with the National Public Radio station tuned in certainly brings me back. You're not going to miss the Stampede while you are in Europe are you? No international coverage on that like curling I don't think. Will you be hiking here in Scandinavia or doing the big city tour? Hopefully this was Mrs. cold's choice. I've sensed a little tension there lately so maybe you gave her the dart to throw on the map this time around.

Enjoy your day!

Colduphere -

I have really benefitted from reading your report and enjoyed it.

My daughter will be in Jordan this summer for an internship at an Architectural firm. I may go to help her settle in and to tour the various areas you mention. Once I know if I am definitely going I might call out for a question or two.

Thanks for sharing the report!

Annesherrod - that's wonderful for you and amazing for your daughter. The summer will be very hot but so worth it. It's a real shame that Syria is having such problems. Everyone seems to travel south from Amman but north to Syria is our hope for next time.

And thanks for getting this trip report to 100 replies. Three numbers looks so nice.

Just found this report today. We did a similar trip two years ago with our youngest son, (17 at the time). This brought back some great memories! We were the only three in our Bedouin camp and the camel ride at sunset is something I will never forget. We carried on to the new resort development southeast of Aqaba (Tala Bay?) and then crooked over into Isreal for a week. What a contrast to Jordan!

All in all this is an interesting part of the world. Thanks for a great report.

Pirouette - thanks for reading. And I love your name.

A few of us including Fra Diavolo, Thursdaysd, Moremiles, Grassshopper, Dgunbug and ... I apologize if I am missing anyone ... were talking about India above. Okay I REALLY hate parents who come on here and brag, especially indirectly. But I want to tell this story. Our oldest son graduated from high school today. He won an award for the student who best combines athleticism with an interest in international affairs (interesting combination). The award was given by the Indo-Canadian Community - the only such community to offer an award. When he was on stage he told the man representing the community that he would use the $600 to visit India asap. So I guess one of us is going to India, with a top-up in funding as required.

that's the most bizarre award i've ever heard of
but congrats to him
and have fun in india

What was the old English public school motto? Mens Sana En Corpore Sano? But it didn't say anything about international.

Good for him, although I think that top-up funding will definitely be required.

How fantastic! Congrats to your son winning such a unique award and India will be a wonderful experience for him-in fact, you should all go. We will all await your trip report...

Hi Cold, I just read this blog entry from a solo traveler/photographer and her month in Jordan. I wondered what your thoughts would be.

http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/acts-...ess-in-jordan/

You know Grassshopper I find this a very difficult question. As I wrote I was very impressed with our hotel owner. He went out of his way to help us. I mentioned the hotel owner in Petra who said we could pay our bill after we arrived home. The guide in the street in Petra who noticed me staring at our car and assuring me it would be okay. They all did it so naturally. On the other hand we did not really notice people starting conversations or asking where we were from. Then again we were only there nine days. And there were a couple of instances when people were saying questionable things not knowing our daughter understood.

I think what I would say is that people are not afraid to talk and to help. It just comes very naturally. There isn't that reluctance to engage that the author mentions in her blog. It is not overly friendly. It just happens.

Our daughter is in Tunisia now. She was telling us that the men in Tunisia are more likely to say things to her than in Jordan. Nothing inappropriate but definitely more aggressive. I think she prefers the Jordanian approach.

I have a couple of other unformed thoughts that involve how comfortable westerners are in Middle Eastern environments. We are probably sending off a slightly nervous vibe that precludes more interaction. But it is very hard to analyze one's own behaviour.

Just stumbled onto this engaging yarn, Cold. Sounds line a great trip & I join the others in saying,"Good on you" to you & Mrs Cold for bringing up your youngsters to be independent, thoughtful people with an awareness of a variety of people, places & lifestyles.

I've not been to Jordan yet, but it's certainly on the list, with Turkey & Morocco.

Thanks for a great read.

Dear Cold,

I don't know how I missed this trip report. Beyond being an entertaining writer, you and your family do have some grand adventures and seem like a lot of fun. And your daughter has had a very interesting year. I'm so glad she was able to do her travels and advance her study of Arabic.

I do hope you will get to India as well. It's a nice contrast to Norway and Sweden;)

And Iceland where we are now. Have a good trip to Denmark Gruezi.

Bokhara our goal is still your second home Nepal. But I must say after a couple of very tough hikes in Norway and Iceland I fear that our goal of a family trek in Nepal may be giving way to something less strenuous.

Hope you're having a great time in Iceland!

That is quite a trip report!! I am going to Jordan this week, and I'm particularly looking forward to the WAdi Rum and Jebel Al Hash..

Have fun Ashwinb. I am just helping a friend organize a trip there as well. Please let us know how it goes.

So enjoyed this report! I may be travelling to Jordan in March 2015 (in conjunction with a trip "home" to Saudi Arabia), so I'm reading up on it.

Loved your description of the camels! I grew up in Arabia, and camels were known to be aggressively nasty and dirty beasts. They can run faster than horses, so if we ever saw them in the distance, we would go the other way.

Also loved your description of scrambling up the sand dune. There was a nice dune by the Persian Gulf at a place called Half Moon Bay, and we used to scramble up and roll down . . . and plop right into the water. Lovely.

I'm interested in the descriptions of the Petra at Night excursion -- is there a reason you skipped it? Did you have the opportunity to do it?

Anyway, thanks for fueling my dreams!

s

Hi Swandav. Good question about Petra by Night. As I remember it is not offered every night. If we had gone it would have been the evening of the day we had just spent at Petra. That seemed a bit much. I am sure we were also considering the expense. If you are already at a place you want to do things but with five people the cost of adding activities really adds up.

March should be a perfect time to visit. I hope you enjoy your trip, including back home. I was really looking forward to looking out over Saudi Arabi from the top of Um Ad Dami, but as you read we didn't all make it to the top.

bookmarking, thanks Cold

bookmarking - THANKS!

ttt