May 1, 2006: First day on assignment

6:45am
Today I officially start for the paper. I woke up a full hour and a half before my alarm even went off—excitement, maybe? anxiety? A mixture of both, I think. I’m heading off to the north. First stop is Jerash an ancient Roman city, which is the site of several summertime festivals. From Jerash we head further North to investigate the city of Ajloun, which has been inhabited for over a thousand years, unlike Amman which has only been in existence for the last century. Ajloun has ignited some recent interest as of late due to a large amount of funding that is being diverted to the region without a cent being spent on the city. We’ll make another stop in Dibbeen, one of Jordan’s national and virtually untouristed forests, perhaps also see if we can uncover the mysterious reason Zubia (the other national park) remains closed, and also try to find a couple holy sites in the area, one being a 150 year old wooden statue of the Virgin Mary and the other of the birthplace of the prophet Elijah, significant to both Christians and Muslims alike.

I really hope there’s hot water so I can take a real shower today. I’ll eat my cornflakes while I wait for the diesel (if there’s any left) to heat up the water.

…much later…

What an incredibly long day, it's now close to 10pm. I was accompanied today by Yousef and Mahmoud. Yousef is the driver that the paper has hired for the month to drive me around the country. Nice, huh? I have a loose schedule, but I can basically tell him to stop and can investigate whatever I please. The only problem is he doesn’t speak English so I’m not sure how much I’ll be playing my driving miss daisy card. Mahmoud is a reporter that has recently moved to Amman from Gaza. He’s done freelance work for a number of U.S. newspapers covering the West Bank and although he loved the hard-hitting type journalism he was doing there, it was time for him to incorporate balance and a little less danger in his life.

At Jerash we were denied entry as journalists, which began an hour-long debate with members of the ministry of tourism. Phone calls were made, claims of friends in high places were threateningly uttered, but they were final in their decision—ultimately because I am American and Mahmoud is Palestinian, we would have to pay the non-Jordanian fee. Out of principal we left without seeing the ruins, but we were able to get into the show going on in the hippodrome, which featured menacing gladiators and fierce Roman soldiers, comprised mostly of ex-policemen.

I can’t believe I wrote earlier in the day that Dibbeen was untouristed. I guess that would be true if you ignore the used cups, soda cans, chip bags, shoes, pants, shirts, etc. that litter the forest floor. I have never seen so much litter in a place that is supposedly a national reserve. I see a story hatching…