Day Trip to the North

On Friday, June 7th, we took a road trip to the north of Jordan, to the ruins at Umm Qais (north of Irbid on the above map) and to the castle at Ajloun (northwest of Jurash). 

Along with the four of us there were five or six Brits who were in the military and also going to our school for Arabic; they spent eight hours a day in class and were fairly fluent. 

On the way...lovely countryside with rolling hills scattered with pines.

 

Umm Qais is the name for the ruins of the ancient city of Garada
which, under the Romans (63BC), became one of the great cities of the era.The town was rebuilt during the Ottoman empire. The site juxtaposes Roman ruins with an Ottoman-era village

According to the bible, this is the
 place where Jesus performed one 
of his greatest miracles: casting the demons from two men into pigs. (Matthew 8:28-32)

                                   

Two Views from the Hillside

A pomegranate tree thrives amid the ruins. 

Bougainvillea

The Jordanian flag.

The Brits doing their thing.

And then the view...looking north...

Across the Sea of Galilee: the Golan Heights.

 

Syria in the distance.

This restaurant sits rights in the middle of the ruins. It offered alcohol and shisha (flavored tobacco smoked in a hookah). I had a beer.

The women's women's washroom facing an outside wall.

On the road again we headed south for Jurash to the Artemis restaurant.  Food was buffet style and I had the first couscous (semolina) that didn't taste (and feel) like gritty oatmeal.  Also some kind of meat (not pork) in an interesting (lemony) white sauce.

A group of tourists arrived as we were eating. (We don't consider ourselves tourists - we're here for longer than two days. We are loaded with cameras, however.)  I don't know if they were American, but one rotund fellow was wearing Bermuda shorts, an Hawaiian shirt, sneakers and an Arab headdress...  

These familiar plants lined the restaurant's walkway.

Plumbago

Canna lilies with lantana in the background

Off again to the castle at Ajloun.

The Castle

The town of Ajloun

Street work in Ajloun

The castle was built by one of Saladin's generals (c.1184) and because of its position overlooking the Jordan valley was an important link in the defense against the Crusaders.

Views of the Jordan Valley from the castle wall

This gentleman was selling coffee.

She was delighted to smile for my camera.

A couple having their picture taken - by me.

And my best experience so far:  I didn't climb up the stairs to the  castle, but decided to have a sit down instead.  

An Arab woman wearing a hijab and black cloak, about my age, was already sitting on the bench and after an initial "what should we say" pause, she asked me, in Arabic, why I wasn't going up into the castle. Of course, I didn't understand her words, but her gestures were clear. I told her I was tired, in Arabic, and to my surprise, she understood.  She then told me, with motions rather than words, that she had a bad back.

We were both pretty proud of ourselves by this time. She then asked me something which I didn't understand, but I decided to answer that I was a student (in Arabic, again - I was so excited).  She asked if I was at the University of Jordan and I told her that I was at a school beside (how in the hell I remembered the Arabic word for "beside???") the University.  I also sort of drew a map with my finger on the bench. University, here;  school, next door.

It was really something. I think she was as tickled as I was that we managed to exchange information.

Then a younger woman (obviously a relative) approached with a tiny baby. I was given the baby (omigod) which squirmed and smirked and then started to cry. Mom took the baby, turned around on the bench facing a wall and proceeded to breastfeed the child.  (Mind you, no one could see anything, but I was surprised to see public feeding in Jordan.)

Then more family arrived-- children (the woman had seven) and their children, until I was surrounded by this enormous family with grandmother, my new friend grinning all over her face and introducing me to everyone. I just kept saying "Ismee Penny. Ma ismuka?"(My name is Penny.  What is your name?)

When it was time for her to leave, the woman's husband helped her down the steps and across the courtyard. Apparently she was in real pain. I don't know why I was surprised to see how solicitous he was of her. I guess I need to be reminded that men  and women love each other all over the world.

A great trip for me and so much more.