Amman International Hotel

Like I said in an earlier post I'm staying at the Amman International Hotel, which is a first for me because I've always stayed at ACOR (which means I've spent something like a month and a half there over the last few years). This hotel is pretty nice and not terribly expensive - and air-conditioned, which ACOR is not. It also has the coldest pool in the world. I can see why you might want to pump in some cold water in the morning because the weather is so hot, but it's more than that - the water is arctic. Yesterday I thought I'd sit out by the pool, mainly in the shade, read the paper, grab a small amount of sun, and then go swimming. All went well, except that when I jumped in the pool I basically landed and then jumped right out (you could measure the entire immersion in nanoseconds) - it's like Lake Champlain cold. It may well be that the pool is just designed to be mainly ornamental because there is a little bridge over it and I think there may be a wedding here every night - I can hear the Arabic techno dance music blaring through the wall even as I type. While Americans almost universally get married on a Saturday, and while Jordanian would prefer a Thursday or Friday, they will also get married just about any night when they can reserve a good location. I was sitting downstairs tonight having a club sandwich when the wedding erupted - and the weddings here are every bit as big and out of control as weddings in the U.S. This one started, as many do here, with a rental military drum band that greets the wedded couple as they come in the door. It is pretty spectacular. From what the waiter told me there are actually two wedding ceremonies going on here tonight, or at least one wedding reception and one bridal shower, and the hotel just isn't that big. Anyway, it's definitely a good place to stay and the staff (with the exception of a basic inability to sign for UPS packages) is really great.