Jerash, etc.
Trip Start
Jan 24, 2010
1
8
16
Trip End
Jun 16, 2010
Amman, Jordan
Monday, February 15, 2010
However, between my 600pages of readings and hours of Arabic homework I made some time for a day trip to Jerash. Like the citadel, it's another area of roman ruins, except this one is about an hour away from the center of Amman. It's really beautiful and the ruins are huge. It's really amazing. The only issue I had with the whole thing was allllll the tourists. The citadel was much less touristy and wandering through all of the rocks was more surreal than anything. At Jerash this was much less the case. It seemed like at every corner I was faced with some old people with fanny packs, large hats, and a tour guide or by some obnoxious CIEE students smoking cigarettes. Maybe I'm just a jerk (or completely immature), but preferred to jump from column to column completely uninterrupted--except by the few lizards squirming between cracks. But either way, it was still really cool, especially when my friend Ariel and I climbed farther away from the main ruins to the places where the old men and women were to fragile to climb to...and before the other CIEE kids were done taking pictures with the Roman gladiators (who obviously hated their jobs). Although, the reenactments of chariot races and gladiator fights were the best part of the whole day. Not because they were exceptionally cool or good or anything. But because they were so terrible that it was hilarious. I've never seen less enthusiastic actors in my life. it was worth the 5jd. I highly suggest paying the extra money to see these reenactments...mostly because they deserve the money....for the sake of saving their dignity.
Overall the trip was a success.
I then spent the rest of the weekend doing homework and running. Oh and all this running and gym-going isn't for any vanity reasons, by the way. From March 4th-6th me and a team of 9 others will be running a relay race from the dead sea to the red sea (relay website here). I've only got two more weeks to prepare myself for the 150mile relay that will be completed in 24 straight hours. Luckily, we're teams of 10 so each person only runs 15miles. We'll see if I'm still alive on the 6th.
On a happier note, I got an internship! I'm officially an intern for International Solutions Group (website seen here), which is an international development organization. This internship will take the place of one of my area studies. However, this is a 10hour time commitment per week, instead of 3.
Yeah, I hope I survive this semester. No promises.
I suppose that last statement wasn't the happiest (for some, at least). So I'll leave you with some pictures of Jerash!
