After leaving the Dead Sea, we drove to Madaba (MAUD-dah-bah, fun to say aloud) for our last nights in Jordan. It is a jumping-off point for a few more sites of antiquity.
Mount Nebo is the site where Moses was allowed to look out and see the Promised Land after wandering for 40 years. (He should have demanded an upgrade. Costa Rica, Whidbey Island, even California —all much better places to live, if one enjoys non-dead oceans and abundance.) He also might (not) be buried here. What Mt Nebo is also known for, though, is the mosaics in the church. Actually, this was one of the highlights of what was going to be the Ancient Mosaic Hall of Fame. We had seen some in an ancient church in Petra, and Dwayne is already scheming how to incorporate a mosaic into his future chateau.
Jerash has some of “the best-preserved Greco-Roman ruins around”. If I hadn’t woken up with the worst cold in memory, and if it hadn’t been raining, and if my summer shoes hadn’t gotten irreparably soaked as soon as we walked through the gate…this would have been an enjoyable exploration. An intact main gate, two wonderful theaters, a colonnade, churches, more mosaics, even an original butcher stone from the marketplace—if I had had warm feet and a clear head, this probably would have been a highlight. I might have even bought a toga and reenacted my former life as a goddess.
The oldest humans remains found at at Jerash are 7,000 – 9,000 years old, but the architectural ruins aren’t older than 2,000 years. This is the remains of the main entry gate. The area, while certainly “ruined”, is truly well-preserved. 
Those arch-tunnels were actually the supports for arena seating. The inside oval was basically a horse/chariot race track. 
I don’t know how much of the colonnades had to be pieced back together again after 8th century earthquakes, but I’m impressed by how well I can picture what it may have looked like so long ago. 
These columns have not been pieced back together again, but Dwayne looks good surveying his kingdom, yes? 
Alcoves. Might become a new kink. It inspires so many possibilities. 
The mosaics sort of survived by being buried after an earthquake, probably 1300 years ago. 
The South Theater somehow retains some of it’s original colors. There’s an entire complex behind the scenes as well. 
Odd to see flat stones across, as they are significantly weaker than an arch. 
Some of the Roman roads had grooves from carriages taking the same path over many centuries. 
Dwayne drooled. 
You can see the two decorated stones that supported a butcher block in this old market. 
The grounds are extensive–it was an entire city at one time after all. The sun did shine its way out of the morning rain and made for a pretty picture.
But I did not have warm feet and a clear head, so by the time we returned to Madaba and visited St. George’s Church, I was not inclined to be inspired by the sixth-century mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Lands that everyone has heard of but me. The replicas of the map in the visitor center were much more impressive than the original on the church floor; even non-sick, non-wet Dwayne thought so. But we came, we saw, we nodded seriously and soberly, and I bought new shoes and went back to bed.
We stayed another day beyond the tour’s end to accommodate our cheap flight’s schedule to Cyprus. I think we really just spent time eating. On our last official night, our guide arranged for us to have denise fish (also spelled danis on at least one billboard) because eating denise sounded necessary. We over-ordered, as the youngers were not eating fish voluntarily, no matter what it was called.
They were a little more receptive to the donuts the next day, even if they came with the price tag of a walk around town.
A few more rememberances of Jordan, starting with a map of where we explored.
I have struggled to get herbal tea in our last three countries, and usually had to choke down some awful caffenated Lipton whenever I ordered tea. I was excited to find mint tea on a menu in a beautiful restaurant. However, they just put fresh mint leaves…in Lipton tea.
Goodbye, Jordan! I’m not sure I’ll ever be back, but you showed me many wonderful things.
Needopedia 