Amman

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Between Lisbon and Amman, I spent five nights in and around London catching up with friends old and new. I ventured out to the school I taught at in Essex, catching up with my colleagues and enjoying the hospitality of wonderful friends from there. Either side of this nostalgic excursion, I spent my time exploring parts of London I never saw last time around, such as Brick Lane and Notting Hill. This involved making myself known to a number of cafes, pubs and bars in these areas and it was a most enjoyable time. In fact, I found it difficult to leave, although my liver seemed to like the idea and single-handedly got me to the airport to check-in for my flight to Jordan.

Awaiting me in Amman were my brother and his girlfriend and I was greatly looking forward to seeing them for the first time in months. After a few warm greetings and feasting on breakfast, we headed to a castle in the north-west of Jordan that is a remnant from the days of the Crusades. Ajloun Castle was built by one of Saladin's generals and it was a marvellous construction to wander through. Whilst eartquakes have done substantial damage to the castle, one can still grasp what it was once like in its Medieval heyday.

The following day we were awoken by the stirring call to prayer. This is one of my favourite aspects of being in an Arabic country and it is terrific to have the sound of the singing Immam wash over me as I wander the streets. We were even fortunate enough to visit a mosque and even got to observe hundreds of Muslims attend a prayer service. The mosques seem to be very peaceful places, with those inside sitting silently in reflection or studying the Quran. An interesting scene was watching those who were late for the service, as they came hurtling down the streets before entering the mosque, hastily removing their shoes and then immediately being quieted as they begin to pray with the masses. It was interesting to notice the churches that stand in the same streets as some mosques. Freedom of religion is a statutory right of the Jordanian constitution and the people really do seem to accept everyone. It is a more open and progressive country than I had previously envisaged.

During this day we also took in some of the ancient Roman ruins that date back nearly 2,000 years. This involved wandering through open air theatres, marvelling at the incredible acoustics. For example, from the top tier of a seating area for 3,000 patrons you could hear a piece of paper tearing at the centre of the performance area, some considerable distance below. This theatre was located in Jerash, which must have once been a mighty and grand Roman city. The entrance gates alone are impressive, particually Hadrian's Arch, which was constructed for the arrival of the visiting Emperor. The expansive oval Forum (90m long and 80m wide) is also quite striking, as it is surrounded by 56 Ionic columns and entirely paved with limestone. Leading off from this grand gathering space is a colonnaded street that is hundreds of metres in length, crossing with another major street along the way. This street is lined with 500 Corinthian columns, which are rather impressive to the eye. Added to this, you can even see the ruts worn into the original flagstones of the street by the chariots of the time.

We also visited a citadel back in Amman that dates from the Roman Empire. The real gem of this site, however, is the National Archaeological Museum. Here we saw artifacts dating back to 6,500BC! My mind starts to ache when I try to comprehend that passage of time. What arrested my attention was when I cast my eyes upon original extracts of the Dead Sea Scrolls, including the jars they were found in when they were discovered by a Bedouin in a cave beyond the western shore of the Dead Sea. I won't bore you with the details of the significance of these scrolls, but they provided me with the highlight of my visit thus far.

The food I have enjoyed in Amman and Jerash deserves a mention. I love bread, dips and grilled meat, all of which are in plentiful supply. I have hit the jackpot! I did not expect to leave Jordan with an expanded waistline, however, I can foresee this happening. Tomorrow we leave the friendly people of Amman and head to a couple of Biblical locations before seeing if the Dead Sea will be able to keep my new heavier frame afloat.

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