Waking Up
I woke up around 9:30 expecting the guys to swing by around 10am. I had packed up my things and was ready to go by 10am when Yasser, the English speaking friend, called saying they'd be by around 10:30am. I head downstairs and waited in the lobby of the hotel. Since it was after 10:30am breakfast was finished. Not knowing what the game plan was for my arrangements I packed my bags and had them with me.
Jerash
After the guys arrived we made our way to Jerash via bus. I was surprised to see the guy were on foot, without a car. I had my bags with me, so I wasn't sure what to do with them. Yasaar insisted he carry them, but I insisted I simply check them at the hotel lobby. Ibrahim had mentioned the day earlier he had given them money to rent a car, but for some reason they couldn't get one so we took a taxi to the bus station. Buses do not leave on a firm schedule - they leave when full or close to full. There was only one seat left on the bus and the guys insist I take it. The bus was a long distances style couch bus and fairly comfortable. Thankfully, this time around no one on the bus was smoking. The bus made a few stops - riders would tap a coin on the window to request the driver to stop. It was unclear to me whether or not there were official stops en route, or if people just could request to get off wherever they wanted. We arrived a few blocks away from the site - there were many bus loads of students outside the site on field trips to the site.
The ruins of the ancient Roman city of Jerash were found in the early 1800s. Earthquakes brought down most of the structures and they were buried before excavation. The city was inhabited during the bronze age (3200 - 1200 BC). There are numerous columns throughout the grounds, but the jewel of the site was the two amphitheaters.
Entry to Jerash site
Large theater
Dinner
Around 3-4pm we got a call from Ibrahim saying he was off work and coming to get us. We had already left the site and were walking around the town. We walked in and of a couple of restaurants, deciding we should wait for Ibrahim before eating.
Around 5pm Ibrahim arrived and we left for Irbid. We grabbed some food and the guys enjoyed some sheesha. Shortly after dinner would get some sweets and walk around downtown Irbid. The guys would keep the car so we could head to the Ajlun Castle the next day. After dropping off Ibrahim the original plan was for them to take me to the hotel for some rest so we could start early, we'd have other plans though.
I got the feeling Ibrahim was acting as somewhat of a mentor to Yasaar. Both are in their early 20s and studying to finish the Jordanian high school exams. I'm told that all high school students are required to complete a set of exams before graduating. The exam can be taken twice a year and is very difficult. Yasaar and Eyad are still working to pass the exam. Yasaar has family in the US and is hoping to head to the US one day to study. Yasaar and Eyad have been best friends from childhood, so they are very close. Both would treat me as if I was their friend of many years.
Night in Jordan
After we dropped of Ibrahim Yasaar asked if I wanted to go back to the hotel or tour the town a bit more. I needed to stop by the hotel to at least confirm they had space since I had checked out. When we got to the hotel they were able to give me the same room I had before. After dumping my bags in the room I was out with the guys. I wasn't too tired, so I opted for the latter. He was anxious to show me his home and neighborhood. Within a short time we were driving around his neighborhood and he was showing me local sites and telling me about his day to day life. A short time thereafter he received a call from his friend Evo. Evo lives in the Irbid Palestinian refugee camps (there are 10 such camps scattered throughout Jordan). The camps were created after the 1948 Arab Israeli war. To my surprise, the camps are comprised of buildings, not tents. When I asked if the areas were dangerous or crime infested, I got a mixed answer from Yasaar. I suspect Yasaar's inconsistent response was a language translation issue. As we drove around the camp we approached a group of Eyad's friends. I heard Eyad say something about an American - I assumed he was telling the group I was an American and they were driving me around. I asked Yasaar if the two could keep my nationality under wraps. "You are our brother, there is no need to worry", Yasaar insisted. I have no doubts the overwhelming majority of Palestinians are kind people - every Palestinian I've ever encountered in my life has been extremely kind to me. The first time I went to Europe was in 2002 for work. A Palestinian friend from work put me in touch with her brother, Ihab, who was finishing up college at the time in London. I spent several nights around the town with Ihad and his friends - almost all of whom were Palestinian. I'm still amazed at the hospitality shown to me by Ihad. I had no issue with them telling their friends about me or where I was from. However, announcing to a group of people, some of whom they didn't know, was simply unnecessary. There were bound to be some anti-American Palestinians in the camps. I'm not sure my point got across though, as Eyad asked for permission before telling his friend Evo where I was from. We drove around both the Syrian and Palestinian refugee camps. The camps looked nothing like I expected - they did not contain tents and were comprised of buildings.
Sometime later Yasaar brought up my earlier request to go to the Syrian border. I was curious to see what the other side was like from a safe distance. The Jordan side of the border is safe - it's guarded by the military of several nations. A lot of the roads we went through to get to the border were incomplete or made of gravel. With the help of some UN workers (who probably thought we were crazy) we found our way to the border. I knew the border would be closed because of the ongoing civil war, but still wanted to see it and view Syria. Yasaar had mentioned it's common to hear military operations from the top of a mountain near the border, so we head in that direction after leaving the border. The border and viewing Syria was relatively uneventful - which I guess if fortunate for the people of Syria.. There were no lines or people pleading to cross the border into Jordan, nor were there any air strikes or explosions across the border.
Jordan/Syria border crossing
Tomorrow
Ibrahim suggested we start early the next morning, around 8am. We were to head to the Ajlun Castle and had a lot to see. I knew the guys would be out late, likely hanging out with their friends, so I told them to pick me up from the hotel around 10am. I appreciated the local tour Yasaar and Eyad had given me. It was a unique experience following around two locals from Jordan.
I woke up around 9:30 expecting the guys to swing by around 10am. I had packed up my things and was ready to go by 10am when Yasser, the English speaking friend, called saying they'd be by around 10:30am. I head downstairs and waited in the lobby of the hotel. Since it was after 10:30am breakfast was finished. Not knowing what the game plan was for my arrangements I packed my bags and had them with me.
Jerash
After the guys arrived we made our way to Jerash via bus. I was surprised to see the guy were on foot, without a car. I had my bags with me, so I wasn't sure what to do with them. Yasaar insisted he carry them, but I insisted I simply check them at the hotel lobby. Ibrahim had mentioned the day earlier he had given them money to rent a car, but for some reason they couldn't get one so we took a taxi to the bus station. Buses do not leave on a firm schedule - they leave when full or close to full. There was only one seat left on the bus and the guys insist I take it. The bus was a long distances style couch bus and fairly comfortable. Thankfully, this time around no one on the bus was smoking. The bus made a few stops - riders would tap a coin on the window to request the driver to stop. It was unclear to me whether or not there were official stops en route, or if people just could request to get off wherever they wanted. We arrived a few blocks away from the site - there were many bus loads of students outside the site on field trips to the site.
The ruins of the ancient Roman city of Jerash were found in the early 1800s. Earthquakes brought down most of the structures and they were buried before excavation. The city was inhabited during the bronze age (3200 - 1200 BC). There are numerous columns throughout the grounds, but the jewel of the site was the two amphitheaters.
Entry to Jerash site
Large theater
Roman Columns
Me, Yassar, and Eyad atop the Roman Amphitheater
Me and two local Bedouins at the theater
Around 3-4pm we got a call from Ibrahim saying he was off work and coming to get us. We had already left the site and were walking around the town. We walked in and of a couple of restaurants, deciding we should wait for Ibrahim before eating.
Around 5pm Ibrahim arrived and we left for Irbid. We grabbed some food and the guys enjoyed some sheesha. Shortly after dinner would get some sweets and walk around downtown Irbid. The guys would keep the car so we could head to the Ajlun Castle the next day. After dropping off Ibrahim the original plan was for them to take me to the hotel for some rest so we could start early, we'd have other plans though.
I got the feeling Ibrahim was acting as somewhat of a mentor to Yasaar. Both are in their early 20s and studying to finish the Jordanian high school exams. I'm told that all high school students are required to complete a set of exams before graduating. The exam can be taken twice a year and is very difficult. Yasaar and Eyad are still working to pass the exam. Yasaar has family in the US and is hoping to head to the US one day to study. Yasaar and Eyad have been best friends from childhood, so they are very close. Both would treat me as if I was their friend of many years.
Yasaar, Ibrahim, and me. Empty chair is Eyad's.
Night in Jordan
After we dropped of Ibrahim Yasaar asked if I wanted to go back to the hotel or tour the town a bit more. I needed to stop by the hotel to at least confirm they had space since I had checked out. When we got to the hotel they were able to give me the same room I had before. After dumping my bags in the room I was out with the guys. I wasn't too tired, so I opted for the latter. He was anxious to show me his home and neighborhood. Within a short time we were driving around his neighborhood and he was showing me local sites and telling me about his day to day life. A short time thereafter he received a call from his friend Evo. Evo lives in the Irbid Palestinian refugee camps (there are 10 such camps scattered throughout Jordan). The camps were created after the 1948 Arab Israeli war. To my surprise, the camps are comprised of buildings, not tents. When I asked if the areas were dangerous or crime infested, I got a mixed answer from Yasaar. I suspect Yasaar's inconsistent response was a language translation issue. As we drove around the camp we approached a group of Eyad's friends. I heard Eyad say something about an American - I assumed he was telling the group I was an American and they were driving me around. I asked Yasaar if the two could keep my nationality under wraps. "You are our brother, there is no need to worry", Yasaar insisted. I have no doubts the overwhelming majority of Palestinians are kind people - every Palestinian I've ever encountered in my life has been extremely kind to me. The first time I went to Europe was in 2002 for work. A Palestinian friend from work put me in touch with her brother, Ihab, who was finishing up college at the time in London. I spent several nights around the town with Ihad and his friends - almost all of whom were Palestinian. I'm still amazed at the hospitality shown to me by Ihad. I had no issue with them telling their friends about me or where I was from. However, announcing to a group of people, some of whom they didn't know, was simply unnecessary. There were bound to be some anti-American Palestinians in the camps. I'm not sure my point got across though, as Eyad asked for permission before telling his friend Evo where I was from. We drove around both the Syrian and Palestinian refugee camps. The camps looked nothing like I expected - they did not contain tents and were comprised of buildings.
Sometime later Yasaar brought up my earlier request to go to the Syrian border. I was curious to see what the other side was like from a safe distance. The Jordan side of the border is safe - it's guarded by the military of several nations. A lot of the roads we went through to get to the border were incomplete or made of gravel. With the help of some UN workers (who probably thought we were crazy) we found our way to the border. I knew the border would be closed because of the ongoing civil war, but still wanted to see it and view Syria. Yasaar had mentioned it's common to hear military operations from the top of a mountain near the border, so we head in that direction after leaving the border. The border and viewing Syria was relatively uneventful - which I guess if fortunate for the people of Syria.. There were no lines or people pleading to cross the border into Jordan, nor were there any air strikes or explosions across the border.
Jordan/Syria border crossing 
Syrian houses
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Ibrahim suggested we start early the next morning, around 8am. We were to head to the Ajlun Castle and had a lot to see. I knew the guys would be out late, likely hanging out with their friends, so I told them to pick me up from the hotel around 10am. I appreciated the local tour Yasaar and Eyad had given me. It was a unique experience following around two locals from Jordan.
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