Finally. Settled

 02-24-2022

So around midnight last night we finally decided that we were hungry and Ammar went down to the office to ask if there were any restaurants in the neighborhood that might be open.  The owner of the hotel said he wasn't sure;  but he gave us two perfectly ripe bananas!  A few minutes later he called to remind us that this is a no-smoking room and to say we could move to a room with a balcony if we'd like.

It's perfect sleeping weather, with cold air and a warm fluffy duvet! We are both sleep deprived and I don't wake up until eleven!! I have time for my morning ablutions and yoga before I rouse Ammar around one.  I figured that I had slept through breakfast, but he calls downstairs and breakfast is whenever I want it!! In the meantime, the owner comes to show us another room.  

I'm blown away! He tells us that many ambassadors have stayed in this room and I can well believe it! I'll have to take pictures to adequately describe it.  I'm a little afraid to ask the price when the owner explains that he will tell Booking.com that we only stayed one night and the other four nights will just be between us and for cash.  He says he pays half of the rent to Booking, so he can give us this glorious suite for the same price as our original room! And they had up-graded us at that!

Our first room

View from our first room

our new bedroom

And sitting room

And hall

and bathroom

part of entrance

The owner's daughter brings breakfast to our room!  She arrives with a basket of bread, two slices of cheese, two slices of meat and some apple butter.  I'm not too impressed  for 250 GEL (about $8) but she keeps coming up the stairs with tray after tray of goodies! It's too much food and I feel so guilty at the waste!  And all the trips! But Ammar tips her well and she is so surprised and grateful!

And coffee and treats!

After breakfast, and a quick perusal of the news about Russia's invasion of the Ukraine, we're off to go exploring our neighborhood.

It's such fun to go wandering without an agenda!  Lots of cool things to see in the neighborhood!  Ammar is in love with a food truck that sells coffee!  They don't have food trucks in Amman and if the regulations are all right and the customs can be avoided, this might be a real money maker!!  We watch for about fifteen minutes to see how many people stop by outside the Gallaria Mall.

This is interesting because some of the artwork, like the ducks, is actually stuck on pieces of paper or something!

I'm in love with the lampposts!

Apparently they need to make some repairs to the standpipe

There is a whole series of them, each one different!

My favorite

Many booksellers; but not many American language books.  I'd love to know what these Russians' take is on Americans!

hopscotch across the crosswalk!

We stop for espresso and cappuccino. This big chicken sandwich 

                                                            is only a little over three dollars!

He's selling handmade notebooks

The obligatory tourist photo of Parliament

Love the sky reflected in this hotel's windows

Dempnstrating in support of the Ukraine in front of a NATO building

one of the numerous "city" dogs, sleeping in the sun

not the same as our Goodwill!  It's a supermarket.

The red clay vat tells you that it was aged in the traditional Georgian way.

So many American products, at competitive prices.

cool, cool wine bottles at the Goodwill!

Eventually we wander home and take a little rest before considering dinner. Ammar calls the front desk and asks for a recommendation for a restaurant and for a cab to come in about half an hour.

First there is a call back with a restaurant and, later, a one minute warning that our cab is due!

He is waiting, as promised, and we take off.  When Ammar asks why there is so much traffic, our driver says it is because of the demonstrations in support of the Ukraine.  We don't see them;  but we did see one in front of the NATO building this afternoon.

We arrive at the restaurant with no idea what we are in for;  but the people at our hotel have all been wonderful and we have faith!  And it is well founded!! The place is huge with lots of outdoor spaces to wander through before we reach the actual dining room.  And there is music!  And dancing!  And marvelous food! And my favorite Georgian wine!  OMG Life is good!!  I have most of the wine, which is good, because I need Ammar to be in charge of getting us home and things!

lovely wine!!

note the authentic costume

They even have  hat-check girl! And she takes coats, too!

It's on the river!

Who knew we'd get dinner and a show!

Several folk dances!

Guess we ate the cheese and tomatoes before I remembered what I was doing!

and we're home!

The super young man who made our dinner reservations!

His friend that he met at the gym and whose hotel he stayed in until I got here, wants to meet him.  I made him promise to text me all the time and to tell his friend that if anything happens, or he is late getting home, his crazy American wife will hunt him down!  We'll see how that goes!  It does give me time to blog;  but if this is weird, please remember that I drank most of our bottle!!

And he's home safe and sound!  And he stayed in touch with me the whole time he was gone. Life is good! Now it's two a.m. and I really have to go to sleep!!