The Hills of Ajlun are Alive with Americans

    I didn't realize how oppressive city living had become until I had the chance to escape last weekend to the northern hills of Jordan and the beautiful village of Ajlun. To put you in context you must picture the hills and valleys of California wine country. A picturesque jumble of geology and climate that when nurtured in the right hands results in dozens of small farms, olive orchards, and flocks of goats grazing to either side of the sole highway. Ajlun is renowned for its castle which I did not see and for its peaceful countryside which I did.
    I traveled to Ajlun with a group of my CIEE peers to volunteer with the Abraham's Path Initiative which is working to bring sustainable eco-tourism to the area. They help locals renovate and improve their houses to make them accommodating as guest houses. The initiative is also developing hiking in the area to display the region at its best. We were joined for a morning hike by two experienced British hikers and climbers who had "discovered" Wadi Rum (setting of Lawrence in Arabia) in the 1980s.
    Our day began at the Ajlun Soap house and excited meetings and introductions with the project managers and the local head of the Soap House who gave us a well rehearsed tour in her blossoming English. We were shown the beautiful bath and hand soaps crafted from local olive oil and herbs that village women then cure and cook into highly priced but worthy pieces of value-added souvenirs.
    I did my rich American's duty and purchased several cakes of soap and a small jar of fig jam for the Mother's day that occurs in Jordan on March 21st. For my little bounty I parted with close to $11 dollars, a far cry from the pittance that such goods would cost a local "hypermarket", but well worth the price hike for the knowledge of what went into their elegant manufacture. The following Monday I was able to surprise all the women of the household with my unlooked for gifts that meant I didn't have to cling to Darcy's roses as my co-idea as a poor second. Mother's day in the Twal home was a truly international affair with Skype and phones ringing off the hook from all the corners of the world wishing the best to Munah, our sturdy matriarch.

    From the Soap House we set out into the valleys of Ajlun for a brief hike before lunch and a welcome round of litter pick-up, seeking to combat the rampant culture of throw it where you stand that is practiced by almost all Jordanians. We arrived in the village and were shown to the village meeting room and an old church that Abraham's Path is hoping to renovate. From there we repaired to the home of Eissah, our local guide for a feast.

    Lunch was fabulous, a full spread on the floor affair with all the students perched around the edges of the room on low cushions. A welcome change from the western chairs and tables that dominate the capital. The combination of cuisine and quarters were a revelation. The centerpiece consisted of twin towering platters of Maqlouba or "Upside Down" which is a mass of rice, nuts, vegetables, and of course meat which is baked in a pan and then flipped onto the serving tray.

    After that fantastic repast we rumbled off in our bus to the local school which was our official objective for the day. We were set the task of painting classrooms and hallways on two floors with a mess of watery whitewash and assorted rollers and brushes. We were greeted by the principal, several students, and a thoroughly coated worker that was more white than I am for his fresh latex hide.
    We went to with a will and enjoyed ourselves as the grime and graffiti disappeared beneath our repeated assaults. After two hours we had covered the halls, staircases, and rooms with a respectable showing of enthusiasm and whitewash. The work was praised all around and as we returned by bus to Amman the day rang true as one of my best in a long time.

    The expedition was providential as well for the opportunity it may afford me this summer. As the morning and afternoon wore on an exciting three party conversation was underway with Abraham's Path on one side, the American students on the other, and our CIEE coordinator fielding questions from both sides about a return to stay for part of the summer. Living without pay at a local household, building a new economy for the people of Ajlun, and receiving the 24 hour Arabic immersion that is impossible in Amman were all enticing details that emerged in the course of the day. For now the respective parties have retreated to their camps to work out details and discuss possibilities, but for me at least the air is ripe with potential and a truly incredible summer experience.