Dana, Jordan
7 AugI met a girl named Randi from Denmark and we decided to do a trip from Amman somewhere. We chose Dana in the south and packed our days packs and went to the bus station. It took a good 2 hours for the bus to fill up but finally we were on our way. A long bus ride later we got to the town of Dana, where we were picked up and driven to our hotel. The town only had 3 families left living in it and was situated on the edge of a hill. It was amazing to see this green nature reserve when all we had seen so far in Jordan was desert. We got settled into our room and went for a hike up to a spring to watch the sunset. We were invited over by a group of Bedouin to wash our feet in the spring and watch the sunset as we tried to communicate through broken English.
Back at the hotel we met a couple from Canada/Israel and decided to split a guided tour in the park with them the next day. After a great dinner, Randi and I went out for a walk to check out the stars and on the way back we got invited to a fire with some guys drinking tea and smoking Sheesha. We joined them and learned they were part of the Jordanian Special Forces, through lots of effort we managed to have a conversation. We finally excused ourselves to head back to our room.
We were eaten alive all night but managed to get up in the morning to go on our hike. Our guide was great and we had a nice tea break half way through. After the hike the couple drove us a couple of towns over and we caught the bus back to Amman. We were quite happy with our decision to leave the hustle and bustle of the big city, even though we managed to get much less sleep there.
Foggy
Wadi Rum
30 JulI got up at 5am to catch the early bus out to Wadi Rum, I was lucky enough to meet a girl on a way to an exam to help me out at the crazy bus station. We piled into this little bus and we were on our way. I got out at the junction of Wadi Rum and started walking down the highway. Only 3 cars went by until my hitchhiking worked (I started to show more leg) and I got picked up by a semi truck. He drove me most of the way until I was picked up by another van and taken the rest of the way. The desert was an amazing red color and it went on forever, I hired a driver and he took me around to a bunch of the sites. It was still morning but the little hiking I was doing was taking it out of me in the heat. The cliffs surrounding me were huge and I would not want to be lost out here alone. After visiting you can really tell why this is a must stop on the Jordan itinerary. If you are not into crowds (and you are okay with heat) go during the low season of summer, it was really only me and the desert and I got a real feeling of loneliness out there.
Foggy
Danish Hospitality
21 JulWell my solitude did not last long… At the end of my last meal out with my parents I asked our server where I should spend my Saturday. After a few minutes of chatting she gave me her number and told me to call her in the morning. After I parted ways with the folks the next day (see Gravy Train is Over), I called up Line and she came over to my hotel. She lived close by and said we could drop my bag off at her place while we went out for the day.
We grabbed her bikes and she took me for a tour all over Copenhagen. We rode through lots of parks and saw all the sites to see, it was great to finally get out in the city when it was actually sunny out. After the bike tour we went back to her house where her mom made us a Danish lunch. After our cool down we jumped back on the bikes and went to Tivoli the amusement park right in the middle of Copenhagen. We had such a great time on all the rides, especially the fact you got to see all of Copenhagen from the tops of them.
It was getting dark and figured it was time to start drinking so we rolled back to her place for some food and a warm up for the night. We drank with her neighbours and her sister and then out to the club. All they drank were shots, no time for casual beers so things got ugly fast. I was out on the dance floor most of the night, killing any reputation Canadians had for good dancers. We slimed home just after 4 to crash at her place.
The next day we woke up and Line took me to the national museum and then we went and watched a movie. It was raining again so we went back to her place for dinner, her mom made us some Mexican food. I packed up my stuff and then Line walked me to my Hostel. We then went out for a quick beer before I said goodbye to the best tour guide I could have asked for. A great way to start off the trip, so Thank You again Line!
Foggy
A Night in Riga, Latvia
12 JulThe night started out like most others on this trip, my parents and I wandering around the old part of town looking for a place to eat. We found a nice little place off the main square called D-Style. We ordered some drinks and food and had a quiet sit down while checking out the nice scenery passing by. After dinner our server invited us back later because one of the owners was throwing her music video release that night.
We sauntered off down to another bar and sat outside to watch some live music. It was a little uncomfortable for a while as I had to endure some creepy girls snapping pictures of me from another table. A couple more Zeltas (Latvian Beer) down the road my parents left for the hotel and I was left to peruse the streets.
I stopped in at a dance club where there was a bachelorette party going on, I shared a couple of dances and accepted a few of their drinks until I felt it was time for the next spot. I found a change of gears at a quieter Irish Pub, grabbed a pint and stood on the patio. A couple of tall dudes walked by so I asked if they played ball, after a little chatting they came in and bought me a beer. One of them ended up being the assistant GM of the Raptors and the other used to play. They were over watching Jonas Varound the in the U19 world championships (still think it was a lousy pick). We shot the shit about ball for a while and then went our separate ways.
I wandered back to D-Style but had sadly missed the premier, but the music video was still playing on the TV. I recognized the blonde in the bar and walked up and asked her how the premier went. We watched her video for a while and told me about making it and how she was part owner of the bar. She bought me a few drinks and then took me outside to meet another one of the owners. I couldn’t believe it when I saw that the other owner was just as gorgeous. I spent the rest of the night talking with the other owner; she was a big hockey fan so perfect in my book. I didn’t spend a dime the rest of the night, we drank Canadian Club and Zelta, the Canadian and Latvian pairing. The clock struck 5 and it was time for this traveller to stumble back to his hotel room, with the birds chirping and sun out it was quite a civilized stroll home.
Foggy Travels Himself
Foggy Travels 