Hiking in Dhana

So this past weekend we took a trip to Dhana, which was pretty fun. One thing you should know beforehand that makes the story more interesting (perhaps) is that I forgot shoes and shorts in Sab'ha, so I bought some cheapo ones in Amman before we took off for the trip on Friday. The drive down was relatively uneventful; I hadn't slept much the night before (after sleeping all day Tuesday my body clock has no idea what's going on) and so I was pretty tired. But after buying a Coke from the overpriced tourist trap we stopped at, I was good to go. Old Dana (I've seen it spelled both ways, so I'll mix it up to keep things... um... interesting?) was pretty cool, and tiny. Lots of what looked like old buildings (although I'm sure they were built in the 60's) including our hotel. Our hotel was one of these buildings, with a few rooms; there was one toilet, squatter, and shower for each gender. There was a tented area on the second floor with couches for us to hang out and play cards. 

Luckily, our day involved more than just hanging about the hotel. After putting our stuff away and changing, we headed down for a big hike. We all started out together. Then, everyone decided that staying on the trail was lamesauce, and so we explored some off the beaten path. That brought us to a steep downhill; this was where I stopped. Let me tell you for a moment about the shoes I bought. They were leather slip-ons, which ended up being just too small for my toes, so my pinky toes were getting strangled. The downhill had been exacerbating that problem, and so I concluded that I'd just be a sissy and head back towards the trail by myself. I experienced roughly 1-2 minutes of last-kid-picked-on-the-elementary-school-kickball-team syndrome before I realized how AWESOME it was to be by myself. The views were stunning, and at each turn I just wanted to start singing. Because I was by myself... I COULD! So for about an hour or two I sat down on a comfy looking rock; I sang hymns, prayed out loud, and just pondered about where I'm at right now in life vs. where I want to be. As always, things are a-changin' and it was good to sit down and have some alone chill time. I can't say that I had some huge epiphany or that my life was changed forever, but it was a great recharge.

After getting back and resting for a few hours, our guide took us on a hike to a "waterfall" where we "might be able to swim". Psht. It was an experience full of broken promises. So first off, given the shoe situation, I asked our guide before we left what the trail was like. He said it was mostly level. Psht. We departed on what started off as a chill hike. Roughly five minutes into it we reached a ridiculous uphill stretch through shifty sand that required me to use my hands for balance and climbing. Level huh? Psht. Then we got to the "waterfall" which was actually a small square of stagnant water perhaps 3-4 inches deep and 2 or 3 square feet. STAGNANT! Double psht. Then when we were thoroughly through with out disappointing waterfall experience (although the kids were cute) we headed back down to the hotel on the PAVED ROAD! Yes, my friends, rather than taking the scary hike, we could've walked up the paved road. PSHT!!! After that we went to a small shop where I bought cheapo sandals, which permanently replaced the demon shoes. And let me tell you, these flip-flops are quite the find! They're covered in random English phrases such as: 'Order Now', 'Getting Things Done', 'One Thing Leads to Another', 'Good Sport', and 'Police Force'. Oh yeah! After dinner it was fun to just hang out with our group. We just chatted for a while and played some games. Then my body gave me a much-appreciated two-minute warning that screamed "GET TO A BATHROOM NOW!", which I quickly complied with. I'll try to leave most of it to y'alls vivid imaginations, but needless to say I was through for the night.

Saturday morning we dillydallied about Dana, just checking out some of the local color. Then we went to check out a caste, which was actually pretty fun but only mildly interesting. However, I acknowledge that those suffering from digestion issues are often prone to disinterest in big old things made out of rock.  So, you should go sometime; maybe it's your kinda thing! At any rate, we eventually ended up at home, where I relaxed both physically and emotionally for the evening.

As I write this, I'm still in Amman, but I should be heading back to Sab'ha sometime soon. I'm recharged and ready to go back out and get to work. I miss you guys, and would love to hear from ya. Love y'all!!!

يرمي