NXNW

2 April -- Country Roads: Ajloun and Mar Elias

I was cornered in my drowsy Saturday state-of-mind with the proposition of a northward drive with my roommates. I make a habit of saying "Yes" to adventure or at least half-heartedly mumbling it with the understanding I never regret weekend outings but I nearly always regret sleeping-in.

A Qasr with a view

Once you leave Amman towards the North the Earth opens up to reveal the country's green underbelly (again, Springtime has skewed my vision of Jordan in the most pleasant of ways). The drive takes you through Jerash, which houses a wealth of history and ruins that we drove right past (time was a-tickin!). Near Jerash sits Ajloun Castle or Qala'at Ar-Rabad is a 12th Century gem built by an Islamic military general 'Izz ad-Din Usama bin Munqidh mainly to keep those pesky Crusaders out. Also, it served as a meeting point for messenger pigeons on their morning flights from Damscus to Cairo (right? I didn't know pigeons were good for anything either).

Mar Elias -- ancient church apse

Next on the whirlwind tour of the North was Mar Elias, the birthplace of the Prophet Elijah (a significant site for both Muslims and Christians as he's down with both hood teams). It's a beautiful place that sits atop a hill where early 7th Century churches peak through excavated Earth. Although it is unclear as to whether this was previously a village, the residence of the mid-wife, or if Elijah's mother just decided to pop one out on a hill because she enjoyed the view. At any rate, I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be discussing this so precariously.

My roommates saving the life of a turtle/delaying his inevitable violent death via car

After Mar Elias, we returned to Jerash to eat at the famous Lebanon House (we were reminded several times Richard Gere ate here and now that I think about it, he does strike me as a man with good taste). I'm a huge fan of food though I'm not a critic -- I think a prerequisite for this is that one be discerning -- with an extensive food vocabulary but I think the only way to express how positively delicious our meal was is through a series of expletives (I'll let you fill this in). Food here is just damn good.

Lebanon House mezze lunch (space reserved for Shish Tawouk)