Traveling in the Middle East

Palestinians I have never seen a riot. My chance came on Tuesday at the University of Jordan. Earlier that day, the Israeli police clashed with Palestinians at the Masjid Al Aqsa, the Dome of the Rock. This, along with the Israeli order for the construction of 1600 new settler homes in occupied East... Sign in to see full entry.

Jerash and Skye 6:00 AM. I woke up early to prepare for an adventure in Jerash. Jerash is an ancient Greek city that is about an hour away from Amman. It is one of the most beautiful and well-preserved cities of its kind. I had great expectations of exploring ruins and running through meadows. With... Sign in to see full entry.

“I don’t know what to do. I want to stay, but I know that’s foolish. What do you think?” These are the words that fell out of my mouth as I stumbled into Allison’s office. She looked at my flustered self with the calm and confidence that follow experience. “Why do you want to stay?” She asked.... Sign in to see full entry.

Arab women dancing to rain, screams, and drums is different. These women are normally reserved and have their hair covered. In celebration of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, we had a party. All the women in my family came over to Arwa’s little apartment and turned it into a salon. Everyone was putting... Sign in to see full entry.

Running. A young man running from other young men. The man being beaten in broad daylight. I have never seen this happen before. This is what I saw as I rode the bus back to Dakhlia circle. I cringed and cried out as I saw the first blow come down upon his brow. But I did not stop it. And neither... Sign in to see full entry.

Rocks. The Rose City. The Nabatean mountains. These are all names for the City of Petra. To reach Petra, you must hike through a narrow ravine. Then it widens and you are there. You see the Treasury, a beautiful carving chiseled into the pink rock of the mountain. You think of the people that carved... Sign in to see full entry.

Ahlan wa Sahlan, Welcome to Jordan! These were the first words my CIEE teammates and I heard at customs in Queen Alia Airport, Amman, Jordan. We someof the 108 CIEE students who had invaded Jordan over the course of two weeks with intentions to study Arabic and area issues, to travel and find... Sign in to see full entry.