Jara - Amman's new flea marketI kicked off my day this morning with a trip to Jara, more commonly known as Amman’s flea market. I’d heard and read about this buzzing street market first on Jordan Planet via a number of wonderful posts by Jordanian bloggers who’d written extensively about Jara, putting up myriads of beautiful pictures. I was not disappointed when I visited it for the first time either. The market was lively and filled primarily with Jordanian handicrafts, jewelry and other local products.

I really enjoyed the open festive vibe in the place, something that was really missing during the heyday of my Ammanite existence since such public events were less mainstream back then. The location of the market in Jabal Amman proves ideal, as this authentic old neighborhood gives the place a unique and original flavor that is missing in the majority of areas in West Amman. The only downside to that place is that it occupies a fairly small space. It could definitely be stretched out a bit. But then again it is still new and seems open for further expansion.

I left Jara with a pair of kick-ass silver camel earrings. They are just so cool. I cannot wait to wander about in the streets of DC with two camels dangling from my ears.

Madaba camelsFrom there I, along with the rest of La Familia, headed south into the suburbs of Madaba to my aunt’s farm for some lunch. The main dish was mansaf, naturally. This all-Jordanian delicacy was followed by knafeh, then some Turkish coffee and mint tea — items that make life worth living. The wonderful family atmosphere and divine food made for a perfect day.

On the way back we got to see the King’s Academy, which is Jordan’s first boarding school. I’d blogged about it some months ago, so it was fascinating to see the mammoth structure up close and personal. It was quite an impressive structure with a number of adjoining buildings all topped with a rich, red tile.

One highlight of our return trip to Amman was stopping by an area farm primarily to marvel at a female camel and her baby. According to the farm’s owner, the camels were brought to Madaba from the "eastern region" primarily for their milk. The owner told us that camel’s milk is very healthy and capable of curing serious illnesses … although it is an acquired taste. With that thought in mind and our stomachs filled with mansaf we made our way back to Amman. What a fine day!