Goodbye Thailand. Hello Jordan.

Thailand was great, don't get me wrong. But there were things I didn't like so much, nearly being mugged on my first day in Bangkok (don't worry he didn't get anything as he was a tiny man and I stood my ground), the spiders also, not a fan. However, the islands were beautiful (Thanks Jim Carrey for helping me to always spell that correctly). I met some great people and had some amazing food but now it was time for some history, it was time to head to the Middle East.

Flying from anywhere in Bangkok airport is like any other flight, but getting there from the islands was always interesting. The little island airport didn't have walls, it was just little wooden huts with leaves for a roof, even the baggage conveyor was made of bamboo canes... 

The journey from Bangkok started as ever with an 8 hour wait for my flight which was helped along swiftly by music, I boarded my plane and was ready to go. The flight was fine nothing to note on except the landing where everyone starting standing up and getting their bags from the overhead compartments while still on decent and all the hostesses began shouting for everyone to remain seated (to no avail).

We touched down, I grabbed a quick visa stamp (which if you've read my USA travel blog you may know the trouble that got me into) and was waiting for the taxi arranged by my hostel. I was late. Nice early landing at 5:40am and somehow I was late! Another taxi driver came to meet me instead and drove me from the airport, down highways that were incredibly stereotypical for the Middle East. The driver then stopped. We were sat in the middle of nowhere, sand blowing around and only a run down hut next to the lay by. He grabbed his phone and began a loud conversation sounding very angry. Another taxi came screeching up and I was asked to get out and change cars. At this point I began to feel a little suspicious, the way the media shows the Middle East really sticks in your mind. Eventually I climbed in looking for anything I could use to protect myself in case of any such event. The driver reached to the compartment next to him roughly and pulled out... a kitkat and a mars bar. "Here you must be hungry," he said in a thick accent. "Sorry about the change in taxi, he needed to take his children to school."

I felt guilty for even thinking I was in danger. And this event stayed with me to prove a lot about the people of Jordan.