KENYA; A LAND OF DIVERSITY

                         K  E  N  Y  A



Kenya's beauty and diversity has drawn thousands of tourists to view its wonders. Covering an area of 224,960 square miles on the eastern coast of Africa Kenya's main attraction is its remarkable abundance of wildlife.

More than six million acres of Kenya's land have been set aside by the government for game reserves and parks. Tsavo National Park in southern Kenya is home to buffalo, cheetah, elephants, leopards, lions, and rhinoceroses. Not to be missed is Amboseli National Park with the stunning Mt Kilimanjaro as its backdrop.

Although there are countless things to do and see in Kenya's it's the world famous safari
that captivates people from far and near. A typical safari includes time on the plains, the highlands, around the mountains, and beautiful Lake Victoria. Some people prefer comfortable lodging while on a safari while others prefer roughing it as campers. Either way a safari experience is truly a way to immerse in African life. There's no saying what kind of animals will enter your life from day to day on a safari.


                                                                   Shutterstock.com (image)

                     
Kenya's capital is Nairobi

The official languages are English and Swahili

The population of Kenya is around 28.2 million

Currency is the Kenyan shilling

Kenya's founding father who served as president and prime minister was Jumo Kenyatta.
He had much love for Kenya.

J O R D A N

                                              image by: 123RF
                                
  
I'll be honest I've never been to JORDAN but I know two people who were born and raised in JORDAN and thanks to them I can share a bit about the country of JORDAN.

Jordan's Prime Minister is: Abdullah Ensour

Jordan lies between the Arabian Peninsula and the Mediterranean Sea. Its neighbors are Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Syria. Jordan is an Arab country and its official language is Arabic.
The Jordanian landscape consists of deserts, mountains, valleys, the Dead Sea and a small portion of the Red Sea.

The Dead Sea has a high salt content and a soapy feel. No life can survive in the Dead Sea so there are no fish or plants. In fact it's impossible for a person to sink in the waters of the Dead Sea. Most people just float in the clean waters of the Dead Sea.

Amman the capital city of Jordan has a population of 1.5 million people. Amman is situated in a hilly area of northwestern Jordan. It was originally built on seven hills. Popular sights in Amman include; The Citadel, The Roman Theatre, The Roman Forum, The Jordan Museum, and The Grand Hussein Mosque.

Family and home life is close knit in Jordan. Very few people live alone in Jordan. The Jordanian family is more than just parents and children living together. Often a Jordanian man's children, grandchildren, and brothers with their families share the same house together or have another house adjoining.

The Jordanian currency is the dinar. Jordan's economy revolves around natural resources
(phosphate and petroleum) and agricultural products (cucumbers, grapes, olives, tomatoes and oranges). The main industries of Jordan are fishing, manufacturing, mining, and tourism.

Business hours in Jordan start at 8:00 in the morning. The working day is six days long running from Saturday to Thursday but office days are short. Shops open in the early 
morning and stay open until late at night in the city centers however in more remote areas shop owners like to keep their shops closed for a few hours in the afternoon.

W H A T   D O   J O R D A N I A N S   E A T ?

                                                         Zatar Bread with Labne

                                                      Tasty Salads
                                                              

                                                         Various Filled Breads                                                           



Breakfast is often a flat Arab bread topped with hummus or a mixture of spices called 
Zatar.

Lunch is the main meal which consists of rice with chicken or lamb, stuffed vegetables,     and a range of Arabic salads.

Supper is usually bread and salads.


This JORDANIAN SALAD recipe goes well with a meal:

4 cucumbers, 3 tomatoes, a handful of fresh mint leaves, 1 teaspoon sumac, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil and the juice of one lemon.

Dice the tomatoes and cucumbers, add the mint leaves, sumac, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. Toss together and serve.

Jordanian food is delicious!!!

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Below are some pictures from a Jordanian Bakery located in an Arabic neighborhood in Michigan where I'm currently living. I come to this neighborhood twice a week to stock up on Arabic food and eat the delicious breads from Princess Bakery (pictured below).

J O R D A N