The first sightseeing-proper day started with a big breakfast to give us the energy we need. We met our driver, Ibrihim and realised pretty quickly that he is a bit of a laugh. He has 6 brothers and 4 sisters – he explains that his Dad had no TV!

First stop was Jerash, which was seriously impressive. First up, you see Hadrian’s Arch (see the photo of us to the right)

Karla, Sandra and Neil at Hadrian's Arch

– which was a new entrance to the town built to celebrate the visit of Emperor Hadrian in AD129. Going through the arch, you go along a street to the South Gate (the Amman Gate). Through there you end up in the oval plaza – where the roman columns are still standing. Nearby is the South Theatre, which is the largest and best preserved theatre’s (arguably in the world). The acoustics are outstanding – our guide made us stand on a particular spot and talk – it sounds exactly like you are speaking into a microphone! We got interrupted by a couple of local chaps playing the bagpipes – which kind of ruined it for us – but is apparently quite traditional. Sounds like there is a bit of debate over where the bagpipes really originated from!

After the theatre, we wandered through the rest of the site. Notable for us was the Church of St Cosmos and St Damianus with an amazing mosaic floor 

The mosaic floor at the Church of St Cosmos and St Damianus

 (consecrated in 533) – with the best preserved mosaics in Jerash; the steps leading to the temple of Artemis that has the original columns still standing; the north-south street with the remains of shops; the old mosaic and pottery pieces everywhere on the ground; and the sheer size of the place. There is a lot still to be excavated – so no doubt there will be more to see in coming years!!!

Unfortunately, at the Hippodrome, the chariot racing was cancelled due to the wet track.

From Jerash we went to Umm Qais – which was terribly overgrown. The main feature was the views over the Sea of Gallilee (Lake Tiberius) into Israel. There was a theatre here too – but unfortunately not a patch on what we saw in Jerash. After leaving Umm Qais, we went a different route, and stumbled upon some farmers with a Nubian goat that had just given birth to a kid about half an hour before we got there!

Next, we headed to Ajloun castle (Qala’at Ar-Rabad) – an amazing fortress finished in 1188.

Neil, Sandra and Karla at Aljoun Castle

Then, the highlight of the day – dinner at our driver’s family home in Anjara! We were welcomed by Nefiyah (Ibrihim’s mum), Emman (his wife) and daughters Hyatt and Doonya, as well as his father and a couple of brothers. We had a traditional Jordanian dish called Magloba (sitting around a low table on the floor cross-legged). The dish is baked in a large pan with rice, vegetables and chicken, the turned upside down into a large platter – which we all ate off together along with a salad and yoghurt. The hospitality of the family was sensational – they were not well off – but were still willing to share what they had with some complete strangers. That meal, and the generosity of the family is something we won’t forget in a long time.