Amazing City of Jerash in Jordan




Throwback to a time when DSLR, Blackberry and digital cameras were the big thing. When mobile phone cameras were still pixelized.  This is a travel recap to a memorable time when a company I used to work for gave an incentive trip to all of its employees to go to Jordan for the weekend. 

It was an all expense paid trip to celebrate excellent efforts put in by the entire office for the year. A reward for exceeding our sales targets while building an even greater team work. 



It was a wonderful trip getting to know my colleagues and superiors that I've always admired and respected. That weekend, we all met at the airport, loosened up, and felt like kids on a field trip as soon as we crossed the immigration counter. 

The Greco-Roman City of Jerash

It was an organized trip. Aboard the bus, I remember lots of laughter and singing. We checked in at Kempinski Hotel in Amman (Haha, so posh, right?). That afternoon, we went straight to the city of Jerash for an archeaological stroll. 

Temple of Zeus
J.D. stands for Jordanian Dinar. Entrance fee now is 10 J.D. for foreigners



The Ancient City of Jerash comes second to Petra when it comes to list of favorite destinations in Jordan.  It's located 48 kilometers North of Amman and its existence goes way back 3rd Century B.C. more than 6,500 years. This impressively well preserved city of antiquity was hidden for centuries in sand until it was re-discovered in 1806 by a German orientalist, Ulrich Jasper Seetzen. The excavation and restoration carried on since the 1920s.



The Arch of Hadrian
Performances of Roman Army Battle Tactics and Gladiators Fighting  twice daily at the Hippodrome
Jerash Hippodrome
The Oval Forum
Jerash Ruins
Welcome to Jerash
Inside Jerash
Jerash Nymphaeum
The City of 1000 Columns
The Intricate Well Preserved Ruins
Roman Bath Ruins
Dubbed the Pompeii of the East
Columns of Jerash
My younger self 
The North Theatre

The South Theatre

While standing on the mounds of the north and south gate, the strong contrast of the modern and ancient city of Jerash can be admired.  The Jerash Festival is held each year for 2 weeks in July which features theatrical performances, concerts, poetry reading and other forms of arts.

There was a lot of walking. Despite the blazing sun, we all had a wonderful time exploring Jerash in a relaxed atmosphere together away from the corporate environment we were so used to. Writing this post made me miss my former colleagues. If I had the chance to re-live those moments, I would seize it in a heartbeat. 

 Love & light,
Arni

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8 comments

  1. sounds like a wonderful adventure!

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    1. Yes it was. It's a country so rich in culture, art and history. It was nice being able to spend time with bosses and office mates from other departments in an informal setting. Trips like these definitely improve relationships and communication inside the work place.

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  2. You worked for a company that sends its people to an incentive trip? Wow! I think that bit impressed me more than the fact that you went to Jordan. I haven't been in a company that does such a thing. Anyway, all your photos are wonderful and of the same tone huh. I hope to go to Jordan someday. Whenever I see pictures of a country on another continent, I always say this. I mean who knows, I might just go there one way or another! As they say keep the faith.

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  3. Yes, I am really grateful, I was lucky to work for a company in Dubai who took care of its people and was so generous to treat the team for an office overseas trip on a yearly basis. I was sent to Austria during my first month with them for a product training and they believed that employees are their assets so they invest in them. There were lots of business trips, often combined with leisure. The company culture was really amazing and everything was really organized. I stayed with them for more than 5 years and I must say it was a pretty hard decision to leave. Another company in the Middle East that I know, where my husband previously worked for, once sent their best performers of the year for a 5-day adventurous expedition to Malaysia. A close friend was sent to Paris for a one-week training working for a French Luxury brand. These are the perks in working in the Middle East. The power of words, You'll always be surprised how often your wishes get granted at the most unexpected time.

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  4. I was in Jordan a few months ago. It's a very safe country, and probably the most Instagrammable place in the world! Send my love to your company for taking all of you to Jordan! Xx

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    1. I totally agree. Everywhere we went, we couldn't resist taking photos even inside the tour bus. :)

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  5. My girlfriend and I are actually in the process of debating whether we should move to Jordan or not and while tourist spots shouldn't really factor into the decision too heavily, it's difficult not to think of places like Petra. Certainly, it really is one of the most humbling places in the world and you did a greaat job of capturing it with your pictures

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    1. Thank you, despite the short trip there, we all had a great time. It's definitely worth it.

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