Today I crossed the border from the socialist totalitarian society of Syria into the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. I've replaced my Syrian Pounds for Jordanian Dinars and photos of father and son Assad for photos of father and son kings Hussien and Abdullah. I'm not sure what to expect, although I understand Jordan is much more "westernized", I also hear that during Ramadan it is illegal to eat, drink, or smoke in public, punishable by imprisonment for the duration of Ramadan (30 days). We'll see how it goes. I'll try to restrain from eating within sight of the well-dressed Jordanian Guard.
We finished up in Syria by visiting two fabulous sites in Palmyra and Bosra. Palmyra is an ancient oasis on the Persian caravan routes across the Syrian desert. Natural springs provided the necessary refreshment for camels and men alike. This location was perfect for the ancient Palmyrians to build their rose colored colonnades, temples, and tombs. After more than five weeks of ruins, ruins, ruins, Palmyra was still an amazing site and experience. The combination of the desert setting, the scale, and the colors provided an overall atmosphere that was unforgettable.
To finish my Syrian experience, I visited the small town of Bosra in southern Syria not far from the Jordanian border and I suppose not too far from the Golan Heights. Bosra resembles a war torn village due to its mandated vacancy of crumbling black basalt dwellings sitting atop the ancient city. The villagers over the centuries have taken the ancient carved stone and built houses on top of houses in this historic walled city. Now, the Syrian government is slowly moving the squatters out and beginning the process of excavation and restoration. As the squatters slowly leave and various digs occur, the old houses begin to fall and the bombed out appearance spreads. The columns, mosque, and spectacular Roman theater were amazing and provided a perfect last impression as I left Syria. Syria was an excellent place to visit and while the government does not make one feel comfortable from maybe a human-rights perspective, the people and deep history more than compensate. Let's hope at some point Syria adopts a more democratic government and maybe turns toward better environmental policy before it's too late.
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