Today and tomorrow are going to be comparatively lite on activities because we have some important preparations for the next part of the trip and need a little more rest and down time. 

First stop today is the Royal Automobile Museum in Amman. This museum is such a fun and interesting visit, even for the non-car enthusiast! Tickets are purchased on-site immediately after the metal detector security screen. The museum is home to over 70 classic cars and motorcycles, all from the private collection of the late King Hussein.

Vehicles on display include a range of cars from 1950s classic models to modern day sports cars. The Daimler experimental motorcycle (1885), the first motorcycle prototype in the world, and a replica of the Benz patent motor car (1886), the first car officially presented to the world, are both on display at the museum. These prototypes are vastly different from their modern counterparts in both form and function. Interestingly, Daimler and Benz worked near one another though they never met. Their respective companies would remain competitors until a merger in 1926 to form the company known today as Mercedes-Benz. 

I enjoyed the Land Rover Defender on display which was prepared for King Hussein on several cross-country visits. The same vehicle was prepared for Pope Francis’ 2014 visit to Jordan and Palestine and is shown with the Vatican and Jordanian flags side by side. I appreciate the reuse and repurposing of a completely functional vehicle to fulfill different needs.

There is also an intriguing contrast of luxurious antiques with modern sportscars. Displays throughout the museum highlight the automotive advancements developed by Harley-Davidson, Cadillac, Excelsior, Humber, Aston Martin, Mercedes, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, and Ferrari, to name a few. Hollywood also makes an appearance at the museum with a speeder from Star Wars Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker and the rover from The Martian on display. The Royal Automobile Museum offers plenty of signage and video footage, telling the story of modern Jordan (and world history) through the lens of the late king and his unique collection. 

We checked out City Mall, Mecca Mall, and Abdali Mall. Overall, I would describe the malls as very similar to the standard American mall except multistory (3 or more floors) and with more stores and kiosk-style vendors. Some of the familiar store names include Pottery Barn, Ted Baker, Zara, and Lego, and there are a number of unfamiliar store names. City Mall has a food court with familiar quick-serve restaurants like Popeye’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Hardee’s, and Pizza Hut. Mecca Mall is part mall and part event center; there were workers taking down and cleaning up after what appeared to be an event. Abdali Mall is very similar to City Mall but is connected to an outdoor shopping area called the Boulevard. Each mall entrance has a metal detector and I’m surprised at how quickly I acclimated to this. It is nice to be able to walk around the malls as it can be challenging to find a good area to walk in Amman (remember, people park their cars on the sidewalks). We also stopped in a couple bookstores today and I have happily added to my “to be read” pile. 

We ate dinner at Lemon Grass Thai Fusion which is at the Boulevard before going back to watch The Big Bang Theory and continue working on the birthday cake. I didn’t realize how tired I was until we took a day to slow down. This trip has been amazing and I am incredibly grateful to see my friends and share a small part of their life here. The time difference and nearly two weeks of non-stop adventure is catching up to me a little bit so taking a couple days to slow down is much needed to rest and appreciate the experience.