On vaca...no wait, really I'm working!

Well, the opportunity came up suddenly for me to dash off to Amman for a week to work with my co-worker on various tasks before we have a big expat summit next week, so I grabbed it. Normally I shudder at the thought of leaving dear ol' Iraq, but this past month has been more difficult than usual and the thought of commerce and outdoor recreation made it too enticing to pass up.

It's odd how much I seemed to have needed a dose of "normal" life because every day here has been exhilirating in different ways. The big highlight though was our Friday excursion to the Dead Sea, which I had not yet been to. Actually, the best part of the day didn't actually involve the Dead Sea, but rather a canyon area nearby where you hike up through rocks and water for about 45 minutes to get to a waterfall area. It's definitely a spectacular excursion, because the scenery is beautiful, the water is warm, and the exercise is good. I would have liked to have taken pictures, but the fact that one must immerse themself in water to even get to the canyon area made it not a very camera-friendly environment.

Following the canyon trip, we went down to the public beach at the Dead Sea to give that bathing experience a try. Three out of the four of us had never gone in, so the anticipation was high. However, I must say that is not a place for anyone with either sensitive skin or open wounds. The salt content is so high that it just burns to stay in too long. It IS kind of exciting to go way out where you are not able to touch the bottom and be pretty darn certain that there is no way you will drown. It is impossible NOT to float, which makes it somewhat fun to play in the water. Upon exiting the water though, I felt and looked like I had immersed myself in a vat of baby oil. It's rather uncomfortable and probably the best part of the Dead Sea bathing experience was rinsing off afterwards.

It was also pretty exciting because I laid eyes upon Israel for the first time (or the "occupied territories" as they known in these parts). In fact, the mobile phones pick up the signal from Israel and a text message is sent to your phone welcoming you to Israel. Bet the Jordanians LOVE that.

One of my other indulgences was having a frappuccino at Jordan's only Starbucks tonight. Fortunately I feel satisfied by a single experience, having grown used to the Nescafe and Arabic-style coffee available in Iraq. Tomorrow I head to a conference for groups working in Iraq, which should be an opportunity to FINALLY meet some others who understand the environment. I must be really starved for meeting new people. But not too starved - I've already decided to bail on the second day.