greetings from Jordan!

Well, my first week in Jordan is almost complete. While I may have
left the States seven days ago, it took me three days to get here, so
Sunday will be a week.

I had a long layover in Frankfurt, and had every good intention to
make the most of it by stowing my hand baggage and taking the train
into the city.

After clearing customs, checking my bags in with Lufthansa, and
enjoying a light breakfast in the business lounge, I planned to take
a short nap then venture out. Seven hours later I woke up to a grey
drizzle and a day that was nearing its end. Oh well, best laid plans.
As a recent victim of the mumps (the end of my Uganda story that
hasn't been told...), i probably needed the rest.

Jordan has been non-stop since I arrived at the "Jordan Valley
Marriott Dead Sea Resort & Spa" at 5am last Sunday. I met with my
contact here, Lama Nimr, at 10am for a tour of the spa and a late
lunch. The next day I took a car to Amman for a day of prop shopping
with Lama.

Drivers here have a penchant for forced shopping. You have to be
almost uncivil to convince them that you don't want to go to any
shops along the way, no matter how reasonably priced they may be. On
the way to Amman, I was force-shopped at a tourist mecca called Black
Iris. On the way back, despite a car full, FULL of bags, the driver
gleefully told me there were wonderful places we could shop on my way
back to the hotel. Peering over the bags crowding me in the back, I
kindly said no thank you, I had done enough for one day. Not good
enough. 20 minutes into the journey he slowed to turn into the
tourist mecca called Black Iris. Gee, I had already stopped there
earlier in the day, I informed him. He was crestfallen. Not giving
up, he pulled over at the Dead Sea sign which points out that we are
exactly at sea level, and the descent we were about to begin would be
taking us to the lowest dry point on earth where a person can stand
on land without breathing apparatus.

(I would keep it short and just say "lowest point," but Paul, the
photographer here with me, is totally convinced it's misleading and
insists that the trenches deep beneath the Atlantic have GOT to be
lower).

I was equally determined not to be waylaid by this driver and told
him that I was already shown the very nice sign by another driver.
Yesterday. At 4:30am. With headlights.

As this was to be an opportunity for him to have a smoke, he was
thoroughly bummed now. I offered him a stick of gum and thanked him
for just getting me to the hotel. I mean, really. It's not even an
hour drive from Amman!

Now, a few days later we've scouted the spa and the entire hotel for
locations. We have a day of reprieve, and then Sunday it's back to
Amman for more prop gathering and a model call. Shooting starts on
Monday for the spa portion.

I will be in Jordan until at least mid-late March. After the shooting
the spa and hotel here, we will do a shoot at the Petra Marriott.
There is an amazing camping/trekking area near Petra called Wadi Rum.
Paul's assignment is to arrange for an overnight camping trip
[fingers crossed]. After that, we will head to Amman for a Marriott
shoot there.

My return date isn't until 2 April, as there's a chance a property or
two in Egypt will need photography after Jordan. If they are not
ready, I'm hoping to meet up with Megan somewhere as she is back on
her island in the Indian Ocean for her final semester abroad. Right
now we're only 2 hours apart (well, time-zone-wise!). It makes Skype
and MSN Messenger a whole lot easier!!

Frankly, I may not write a lot more, as photoshoot days tend to run
long. But as we will have some time off here and there, and we're
hoping to get out to the surrounding areas for some hiking and
sightseeing, I hope to get some photos processed and up for everyone
to see.

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Uganda note: I've put some images up at http://www.cherylnemazie.com

from my trip there. Murchison Falls is still the big mystery. Plenty
of images, but none up yet! Please be patient. As I alluded earlier,
I contracted the mumps somewhere along my journey and I finally
started feeling better in time for this season's photoshoots. I'm
happy just to have all the images posted that are currently there!

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