Thursday, April 4 - Jerash

Jerash is a place of beautifully preserved Roman ruins (Hank, eat your heart out) about 50 km north of Amman.  Although they have been excavating for more than 85 years, they estimate that 90 % of the city is still underground.  In its heyday, it is estimated that it had a population of about 15,000 people.  It was settled as a town during the reign of Alexander the Great (about 300 B.C.), but was conquered by Pompey in 64 B.C. and became part of the Roman province of Syria. 

....our Amman driver mugging with Trish...

Above is Hadrian's Arch, built in honour of his visit.  Boy, that Hadrian sure did get around!

This is where the romans raced chariots and horses....

a large amphitheater....

The main road....

and the smaller amphitheater...

Our guide was hugely knowlegeable, and open, and we talked of lots of things, from honour crimes (which are apparently as common here as they are in other Arab countries), to the Palestinian refugee camp we passed on the way up here from Amman, and now holds over 900, 000 Palestinians, who now hold Jordanian citizenship.  The current joke is that Obama didn't have a lot of time to travel in the middle east, so he just came to Jordan, where he could see the Palestiniansm the Egyptians (here to work), the Syrians (more refugees) and everyone else!


Trish annd I were most impressed, but tired after a hard day os touristing, so we decided to brave the turkish baths.  (Sorry, guys, no pictures). There are separate times for men and women, and, in spite of Lonley Planet's advice about needing modest swim gear, we actually need nothing but our undies, and 40 Jordinan Dinars (or JD's, as they are fondly called.  By the way, their crrency is the strongest in the Middle East, each JD being worth about $1.40 U.S.).  So we got soaked and steamed and scrubbed with salt and washed and oiled and massaged, and generally felt pampered.  Luckily, it was only a 5 minute walk back to the hotel - I don't think we could have managed any more! 

The end of another successful day in Jordon.