An Afternoon in Downtown Amman

Yesterday, Silvia, Stephanie, Saria, and I went to downtown Amman to go shopping. The neighborhood is not as, let's say....fortunate as other parts of Amman, but we were fine there. The men were on the flirtatious side, but we just ignored them.

Side note- after experiencing a lot of harassment in Morocco, I decided to buy myself a fake wedding band for Jordan to ward off unwanted suitors. I went to Claire's and bought myself a "wedding band/engagement ring set" for only $9. I haven't had to wear them much while being here since the men in my section of town are respectful. (Yes, even the guys my age are!) But I wore them yesterday for added safety measures.

Pretty convincing, huh? One day they'll be real :-P

Anyway, I was able to partake in my favorite Middle Eastern pastime- bargaining. The prices of the things I really liked were very fair to begin with, so I didn't do much bargaining for myself. However, I bargained for the other 3. I mean, they would've been fine on their own, but I'm super stubborn when it comes to bargaining, so they got even LOWER prices. I'm not a big bragger, but my bargaining skills are astounding. Click here for my bargaining tips! Of course, they're set up in currency terms of Morocco, but the rules are generally the same.

We went to a little shop that sold keffiyehs (the long scarves that men wear on their heads to block the sun from their necks) and although they were about 4JD, I got them down to 2. I told them that I lived in Morocco and that I know what a good price is. The other girls weren't as stubborn as me, but I wouldn't let them buy a keffiyeh for more than 2JD. When all was said and done, the men sold them to us for 2JD a piece. Win!

After a long, hot afternoon of shopping, we went to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that is known for its falafel and hummus. In fact, it's the most famous falafel and hummus place in all of Jordan. And let me tell you, it's for sure the best I've ever had. I'm afraid I'll be disappointed with the hummus back in the United States. I don't want to turn into a hummus snob, but I probably will since it's so damn delicious here.

And then we ate sheep head.

I'm totally kidding.

We're definitely going back to bargain more before we leave! (And maybe eat more hummus at that restaurant.)