Amman is full of surprises. It’s a regular love fest here. American music plays everywhere: classic rock at dinner, more recent stuff at the mall. Kids shout across the street to welcome me to Jordan. There’s McDonald’s and Starbucks and Cinabunn and Papa John’s, six story malls and pedestrian centers. And there’s also history.


The small local Archaeological Museum at the Citadel contained 8,000 years of Middle Eastern history including three of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Brazil’s President Lula is in town and his wife stopped by to see the museum. There was security detail. But she walked around with the rest of us. She walked right past me like just another tourist - amazing. When Hilary came for a visit they closed down the whole damn town.

Today’s biggest surprise was the wild flowers. Spring in Amman is like spring in California, except the poppies are red instead of golden. And here, the flowers are spread amongst Jerash, one of the best preserved Roman era cities in the Middle East. Today’s chariot races and other Roman-style sporting events were performed in the Hippodrome along a 4th Century A.D. wall. They were both hokey and fun at the same time.