Tuesday September 26, 2017
I slept comfortably at the Fairmont and woke up about 8:30. As I began to open the dark curtains, I could feel the heat of the sun coming through the glass windows. I looked out for my first view of Amman, the capital city of Jordan. A brilliant sun shone down on rectangular beige concrete buildings. Traffic moved quickly along on the road.
I remembered that breakfast was served until eleven, so I had plenty of time for a shower and relaxing before checking out and moving to another hotel which was picked by the OAT tour group.
About ten o’clock, I went downstairs and took my camera with me so I could take photos of the hotel on my way to breakfast. The restaurant was lovely and had several dining areas which were decorated in different regional styles.
The head waiter explained that the main room had Turkish decor and the other adjoining rooms were decorated in traditional Jordanian and Moroccan styles. I’m standing in the Jordanian room in the photo below. The walls were full of photos of the former King Hussein and his family.
The morning buffet was beautifully arranged with an amazing variety of breakfast options at different stations. Waiters hovered nearby to fetch coffee or tea. Turkish lanterns illuminated the main dining area:
I stepped out to see the street in front of the Fairmont Hotel and to feel the weather. It was a bright sunny day and the temperature was cool and dry.
Eventually, I asked the concierge to call a taxi for me after I checked out and he booked a Fairmont car with a driver to take me to the Cham Palace Hotel. (For only 5 JOD) I had a nice scenic drive through Amman. The driver asked me why I was changing hotels and if I had a problem at the Fairmont. I told him I was joining a tour group and the Cham Palace was their hotel.
When we arrived at the Cham Palace, the driver looked around for someone to take my luggage. A young man hesitantly appeared and the driver commanded him in Arabic. As the youngster clumsily took my bags, the driver said to me, “It’s not the Fairmont,” and we both laughed.
My bags and I passed through another X-ray machine in the outer lobby of the Cham Palace. I guess security is good in Jordan.
I checked in and was able to go to my new room to relax and wait for Marilyn, my roommate on this trip, to arrive. Below is a photo of the view of Amman from my room at the Cham:
By 7:00 PM, Mohammad, our tour guide, Doris, Marilyn, and I were sitting in the hotel dining room eating dinner and chatting. All the other people were due to arrive later in the evening.
Large noisy tour groups from Roumania and China arrived. They clamored into the dining room and filled all the tables around us. This was definitely not the Fairmont!