Impression Reports from Trip to Jordan

We had to write impression reports each day for our field trips for our class, Physical Settings of the Bible. These reports were handed in for grading by the professor. It was nothing formal, just making sure we paid attention on our trip.
What follows are my impression reports for the three day field trip to the country of Jordan, and for southern Israel. This post will only cover day one.
(Parenthesis remarks are current day informative comments)

(Written some time in October of 2000)

We woke up bright and early this morning. I actually had to get up at 5:30 because I hadn't done any of my packing! I know I always procrastinate. I bet I won't have my tux on for my wedding until the music is playing. Perhaps one day I will learn and not pull a rabbit out of my hat every time. I was lucky because I got to sit by myself on the long journey to the Jordanian border way up north. I guess it would have been luckier to have been able to sit by a sweet cute looking girl but I don't seem to have attained that kind of luck in my life. (Note: I have now!) We eventually arrived at the border crossing, and I remember we were the last bus to leave because Mark K. forgot his passport but we were the the first bus to cross the border because our bus driver pulled several Dale Earnhardt maneuvers by passing our companion buses, one right at the finish line to capture the checkered flag. This caused a wave of cheering I had never heard for a bus driver before; he smiled.

When we got there I was the first in line to get my passport checked and I took two pictures there and plan on selling them to terrorists who plan on making an illegal transport of dangerous explosives. Wink yelled at me (Another classes field professor) but I didn't care because I was getting a pretty penny for my labor. My Japanese blooded friend, Ryan Ikeda, actually took a picture of me standing by a Jordanian sign with an arrow. I stood in front of it in such a way that the arrow pointed at me. I am sure the terrorists will love that picture and will probably frame it and put it up in their secret lair. (This is definately insensitive pre-911 commentary but eerily clairvoyant)

After the wonderful border crossing it was the consensus of the class that we enjoyed the best bus for Physical Settings. It actually had head rests on the side of your head so you didnt have to lean to one side completely and break your neck.
Our first stop that day was Jerash.
This was a really cool stop and said by some to be the best preserved Roman city in the Middle East and maybe the world.




Hadrian had an influence there because he was known as the traveling Emperor who visited most of his empire. To be honest with you I would have probably stayed in my royal abode and enjoyed the comforts of home, hit up a couple gladiator games, a chariot race and for sure would have relaxed in those hot baths. I would be known as Jordanias the Comfortable. Anyway, Jerash was pretty spectacular. The ruins were magnificent and you could only imagine what the city would have looked like in its day. This was also my first exposure to the Jordanian people. I was already enjoying my view from my lofty bus during the drive because this was a country that was completely Middle Eastern and had less of that westernized look to it. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to a handful of Jordanians, including a couple of policemen. I could already tell they surpassed the Israeli's in terms of friendliness. At the top of the ampitheater I heard some music lofting my way. A group of teenie-boppers Jordanian girls had a radio going and I could hear American pop and I was initially comforted by the sounds of home until I realized it was Brittany Spears. It was also at this time that I decided to go by middle name rather than my first. It seemed to cause some confusion in the ability to start up a conversation, either that or amusement that I was named after their country.
We made a couple more stops that day, including Mt. Nebo, where Moses looked into the Promise land before he died. Mt. Nebo is a huge hill/ridge overlooking the Dead Sea and we were there during a purple and orange sunset which made it feel otherwordly as it reflected on the desert floor. We then made it to our hotel. The next day was our amazing visit to one of the wonders of the world. The ancient city of Petra.