It is an interesting time to be an American traveling abroad. On the subject of politics, conversations with locals or fellow travelers usually start tentatively, until it is clear we have no intention of voting for Trump. And then, expressions of disbelief, a series of morbidly curious questions, and terrified musings about the “what if” scenarios.
Jordan in particular has exposed us to some of the most eye opening, and at times heartbreaking, conversations. It has reaffirmed our belief in travel as a means to gain perspective, keep an open mind, and connect through our common humanity.
The proximity of the Syrian conflict makes it impossible to forget for long. A country of only 6 million, Jordan has seen an influx of 1.5 million Syrian refugees since the civil war began. And that is on top of several million refugees from other neighboring countries including Palestine and Iraq. Jordan is suffering from a multi year drought. It is a country straining under so much pressure.
Tourism has dropped 70% in Jordan since the Arab Spring. As our guide in Petra put it simply, “this is good for you, bad for us.” Impressive historical sites that should have swarmed with tourists, and sea side resorts that should have been packed, were sparsely populated. We enjoyed the luxury of no crowds, but not without guilt for the bleak implications for our hosts.
It is difficult to describe how completely, jarringly opposite our experience of Jordan has been compared to what may be assumed based on Western media portrayals of the collective Middle East. We never once didn’t feel safe. On the contrary, we felt genuinely welcomed.
We worry for Jordan and the future of its people and beautiful country. We are incredibly grateful for the time we spent here.
A Forever of Nows 