Days 191 and 192: Day Trips to the Dead Sea, Umm Qays, Ajloun Castle, and Jerash

November 14, 2025

Days 191 and 192: Day Trips to the Dead Sea, Umm Qays, Ajloun Castle, and Jerash

On Tuesday morning, November 11th, Pavle and I walked from The Cabin hostel to the InterContinental Hotel to meet Brendan so that he can rent a car. After we got the car, Brendan drove us out of the busy streets in Amman. I was a little worried about Brendan’s driving since he’s used to driving on the left side of the road in Australia, but he managed very well driving on the right side.

The ride to the Dead Sea was very scenic. I could see hills after hills. The landscape was amazing and very unique. However, there were many flies and they would get in the car whenever we opened the doors, such as the time when we got gasoline.

It took us about an hour and half to get to the Dead Sea. We heard that the government had closed the public beaches so the only way you could get to the beach is through the resorts on the north side of the Dead Sea. However, Brendan was talking to a German girl at his hostel and she told him the Salt Beach is open, but it’s farther down on the south side.

When we arrived at Salt Beach there was one local that provided a makeshift shower station at the top of the hill and two French girls at the beach. Other than them there were no other people except us. When the French girls left we had the beach to ourselves.

The Dead Sea is very fascinating. There is no marine life there since the water is so salty. It’s also the lowest point on Earth at 430 meters below sea level. The beach has no sand, only dried salt. I tried walking barefoot but my feet started to hurt due to the hard uneven surface so I was glad I brought my slippers.

The only thing to do at the Dead Sea is to float on the water. I’m a very poor swimmer and I didn’t trust the science that you can’t sink in the Dead Sea so I stayed cautiously by the shallower part. Pavle and Brendan went farther out into the sea and they enjoyed it very much. Pavle even wanted to stay there for the whole day if we allowed him.

After spending about an hour there, we walked back to the top of the hill and Brendan took a shower at the shower station for 3 JOD. I used the 1.5 liters of water that I brought to rinse myself so I opted out of the shower. It’s a good idea to bring some water if you are going to the Dead Sea, either to rinse yourself after going into the water or to hydrate.

The three of us had a late lunch at a restaurant near the resort. We tried to visit The Baptismal Site of Jesus Christ, but we got there too late and the place was closing. Brendan then drove us back to the city.

That same night, Mohammed contacted me. We met at The Cabin hostel then ended up meeting Victoria, a traveler friend of Mohammed. Victoria is an Australian in her mid-20s and has been in Amman for six weeks. I met two more of Mohammed’s artist friends at another place afterward before finally retiring back to the hostel for the night.

The next morning, I checked out of The Cabin hostel and walked to Battuta Hostel, where Brendan was staying. I had a breakfast at the rooftop of the hostel and met up with Brendan. Kasia came over from her hostel soon after.

The trip to northern Jordan consisted of Umm Qays, Ajloun Castle, and the Archaeological Site of Jerash. Brendan drove over two hours to Umm Qays. The scenery was again very beautiful and full of hills.

When we arrived at the parking lot a local offered us a shot of coffee. I thought it was free so I took it. As it turned out, he wanted 1 JOD for the coffee from each of us. Brendan didn’t want to be scammed, but we ended up paying him anyway. Lesson learned.

From Umm Qays we could see Golan Heights, Sea of Galilee, and Palestine. I felt so fortunate to visit and see the historic places where Jesus once lived.

There is a museum at Umm Qays and some Roman ruins, including a road and a theater. By now, I’m used to seeing Roman ruins so I was not as excited as before.

When we were headed back to the car a group of Arab girls wanted to take photos with Kasia. I thought it was very funny and that Kasia got to be a celebrity for a brief moment.

We had to stop at a checkpoint to show our passports. We didn’t know why since we weren’t crossing the border. The guards just seemed they wanted to show authority.

Brendan drove us through the Jordan Valley to Ajloun. The road had many switchbacks and I was very impressed by Brendan’s driving skills.

We toured the Ajloun Castle for a while before getting some freshly squeezed pomegranate juice for 2 JOD each. We decided not to eat lunch to save on time and none of us were hungry.

Brendan then drove us to our last stop, the Archaeological Site of Jerash. At the site, there is a huge Roman arch/gate at the front. After we entered we walked on the ancient Roman road. I imagined myself as if I was a Roman back in the day, but I’m so glad that I live in the modern age. Maybe one day, a thousand years from now, someone will walk the same steps as me and think about life at this time period.

As I strolled along the path I noticed the columns were decorated differently. Kasia pointed out the floral designs are Corinthian, the swirly designs are Doric, and the more plain looking ones are Ionic. I’m learning so much!

We didn’t get to the end of the Roman road because the museum guards told us the place is closing and we had to leave. But we saw most of the site so I was satisfied.

Brendan drove us back to Amman in the dark of the night. I would not recommend driving in Jordan and definitely not at night in a major city. Kasia and I were so grateful that Brendan drove.

We had dinner at The Corner’s Pub and we talked about politics in the Middle East and the US. At some point on our trip, I had mentioned to Brendan and Kasia that I think Jesus was bipolar because of what I’ve experienced when I was manic. Brendan advised me that I should go to an ashram in India and see if I can control my mania. He thinks that my manic episodes are spiritual awakenings, but in the West they treat it as a psychiatric disorder. I might consider going to an ashram. Also Kasia said that one of her friends is at an ashram in India. It’s the one organized by Sadhguru, whom I was familiar with.

At dinner, I got a message from Mohammed to meet at Dali cafe. After the pub, Kasia and I walked there.

We met Mohammed, Victoria, and another friend of Mohammed whom I forgot his name. It seemed that Mohammed knows a lot of people. He’s the extroverted type and loves to talk and meet new people.

There were so many people at Dali that I felt a bit overwhelmed. Kasia and I ended up leaving the place at midnight. I took an Uber back to Battuta Hostel and stayed there for the night.

I will stay two more nights in Amman at The Cabin hostel before taking the Jett bus to Petra on Saturday morning. I don’t plan to do much in Amman since I’ve seen most of the sights. I guess I will relax and do some administrative work.