Jordan - Jerash/Dead Sea

On our final full day of sightseeing in Jordan, we went to Jerash and to the Dead Sea, so that will be the topic of this entry.

Jerash is an ancient Roman town that is located in northern Jordan, about 45 minutes (according to my guide) from the Syrian border. I’d like to say that the site is well-preserved, but it would be more accurate to say that the site is well-restored. To be honest, however, I prefer that the city be restored to give us a better idea of how it once appeared than to be left in tatters for the sake of preservation.

Anyway, with all of the restoration, Jerash is a fascinating site. At the time I’m writing this entry, it has been about three days since I visited the town. The feature that struck me the most, and that I remember best, is the outdoor, stone theater, which seats around 6,000 people. While we were there, a band comprised of retired Jordanian soldiers gave us a brief musical performance, which gave us an idea of how good the acoustics are in the theater. It also was interesting to see how organized the theater was, with numbered reserved seats dating back a few millennia.

Of course, as with any ancient Roman city, there were columns and temples and other great stone monuments. While we were touring the site, our guide kept telling us about several earthquakes that damaged this temple or that monument. By the end, I think that everybody in the group was convinced that the earth was shaking and that the columns were going to come down on us.

After Jerash, we took a two-hour bus ride to the Dead Sea. We were all excited about getting in the water and testing the buoyancy that we had all heard about. The only thing that our guide told us was that we shouldn’t drink the water. Umm . . thanks for that, I guess.

Before I tell you about my experience, let me start off by saying that I can’t swim. I have never been able to. Normally, I don’t let this dissuade me from going into the water; I just don’t go in very deep.

After lunch at a Dead Sea resort, we went to the Sea. It is winter in Jordan, but the day was about 65 F, so it was pretty comfortable. I stepped in and found the water to be a tad cold, but not bad at all. My friend, who was already floating, told me to just sit down. She told me it was impossible to sink, so I gave it a try. After floundering for about 15 seconds, I finally found by balance point and floated.

Let me tell you about floating in the Dead Sea, which is around 1/3 salt. I swear it was like sitting in an adjustable, reclining lawn chair. I sat back, stuck my legs out and my head, chest and legs stayed above water. To move in our out, it was just a matter of pushing out with my arms. When I got tired, I could put my hands together under my bent knees and just rest. It required no work at all to lounge in the water. Despite not being able to swim, I paddled my way out as far from the shore as was permissible because there really wasn’t any reason to fear drowning (provided I didn’t drink the water – thanks again for that one, guide).

After about thirty-five minutes, I paddled back to the shore, showered and my trip in the Dead Sea was over. I have to say that it was an experience that I’m not likely to forget. We ended up going back to the Dead Sea in Israel the next day, but I didn’t want to go in two days in a row, so I’m left with my one experience that will end up being one of the highlights of the trip for me.