After two straight weeks in Amman, I was more than ready to get out this weekend. Not that life here is all that demanding or stressful: all I really do is Arabic; but being part of the group, along with all its little rules and requirements, can be a bit taxing and at times frustrating - like this past week: I had a little run-in with a lady from BYU who had come to evaluate the program here - it was like talking to a wall; but at least I think I made her feel uncomfortable. And so... the thought of striking out on my own again proved too tempting.
I just happened to have a pamphlet of Jerash and its Roman ruins at the house. So after another breakfast with my host/landlady, I made my way to Abdala station. It wasn't long before the mini-bus was speeding down the massive steeping hills to the north of Amman and then slowing down to a painful crawl during the uphill stretches. After about fifty km, I expected each new rise to be covered in ancient ruins. Instead, all I could see in every direction was the same blend of patchwork farms and orchards spotted with phalanxes of sheep-shrubs.
I spent about an hour talking and sharing lunch with some guys I met near the entrance to the ruins. All I had wanted from them was a pack of batteries, but instead I got free schwarma and chocolate. With my Jordanian student card I got in for less than 1/10 the price of other tourists. Walking through the massive Hadrian's Arch, I felt a bit exhilarated at the thought of being alone in Jerash, without a phone, knowing that if our trip's supervisor could have known where I was she might have wet herself just before kicking me off the program. But program and supervisors aside, the place is simply incredible; the excitement came mostly from entering an entire ancient city, much of which was impressively in tact after 2,000 years.
The ruins of Jerash seemed to stretch about a kilometer from the southern entry to the most northerly and my favorite site, the Temple of Artemis. Among other sites I visited the Temple of Zeus, a Byzantine cathedral, three different theaters, the large colonnaded oval plaza, and a Roman Hippodrome, taking tons of photos along the way. By mid-afternoon I walked back through Hadrian's Arch and hopped on a mini-mini-van that was headed to Ajloun, about 40 km to the west.
I talked with the five other guys stuffed in the back of the van as we climbed the largest hill I'd seen in Jordan. They told me that it's actually covered in snow for many months during the winter. Coming down the other side I could see the castle silhouetted on the crest of the next ridge to the west while the town of Ajloun spread out across the hills below. After spending hours wandering the elegant and graceful architecture of Jerash, Ajloun castle (qala'a ar'rabadh) seemed drab and lifeless - like most castles. There was some great climbing along the towers on top, but the best part was the view: Ajloun to the east, Syria not too far to the north, and totally within view to the west was Israel.
When I got back to Ajloun it was evening. Everyone told me there were no buses running to Amman anymore. I managed to jump in the back of a passing truck with a couple boys from a nearby town, who told me that where they were headed I would have better luck finding a way to Amman. Once there, I was told again that the next buses wouldn't leave until the next day. With the help of my two friends, however, I was soon squeezing into the back of yet another truck, this one headed for Amman. The whole day cost me just over 5 JD (about $US7) including travel, food, and entrance fees - not so bad for Jordan. Tomorrow I'll be at Wadi Mujib.
0 comments:
Post a Comment