Yes, it was all Pat's fault. She was the one who told me to lighten up and I almost did until I opened the paper this morning...that is!
The headline caught my eye...JORDAN ON ALERT FOR SHOP ATTACKS...in the capitol city AMMAN.
I knew it! As soon as I read previously about the Jordan pilot being burnt alive by the neighbours (ISIS, Iraq, Iran or was it Syria) and the Jordanese deciding to retaliate I could see our Archaeological tour of Jordan disappear before our eyes. No, only in my eyes! My partner is a perpetual believer of the positive and has never heard of anything negative. But me? I'm very concerned.
We always joke when we tell people of our tour destination: 'oh we don't mind if we don't come back...we had a good life!' Oh yeah? All of a sudden I do mind.
I remember London in 1982...an around the world trip for my 12yrd-old...why not pop in to one of the restaurants...we'll be alright...and we were. But the next morning when we opened the paper we found that the door from which we had left the restaurant blown to pieces along with a number of tourists who had enjoyed their meal there that evening. Yes the Irish were bombing London not caring about who or what... and we had been very lucky. My 12yr-old has grown up to lead a charmed life with her family in America...But!
Yes, the world has not changed for the positive and the word 'terrorism' has progressed to be felt in all corners of the world. This time the threat is in the shopping centers of Amman.( I hope the idea won't include the wonderful hotels we are planning to use.) The al-Qaida-linked Alshabab group has also threatened Canada's massive West Edmonton Mall, London's famous Oxford Street and two malls in France: Le Forum des Halles and Les Quatre Temps.
But what else is news? Jordan occupies a pivotal position at the crossroads of the Near East, set between Asia and the Mediterranean, and Egypt and Africa, embracing a mighty continent in each arm. Throughout history, Jordan has borne witness to some of Mankind's greatest innovations and felt the might of its empires. So?
Over a century of Archaeological excavations all over Palestine, most famously at ancient Jericho in the northern highlands, have yielded contenders for the oldest complex cities on earth. And so the field notes issued by Andante Travels...of Jordan, Petra and the Desert Fortresses succeed in whetting our appetites. But what if?....Watch this space! I intend to fill it with amazing photographs. Only 4 weeks to wait...but what if?
I do hope these threatening individuals aren't planning to destroy the ancient mementos...these can't be replaced in Jordan but shopping malls? That's another thing.
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