The Jordan valley is rich with produce. Its fruits and vegetables feed all of Amman and points beyond, and the winding and twisting mountain road that connects the valley with Amman is filled with a steady stream of produce trucks headed in both directions. The trip back up the mountain was fairly treacherous, because many of the trucks struggled with the climb and had no taillights!

Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth, and the air at the seashore was much warmer than the air at even the entrance to the resort a few hundred feet above. The place was overrun by flies, but I was told they die off in the summer heat. The water wasn’t bad, but frigid currents kept me from completely relaxing. At least I can say, however, that I’ve floated in the Dead Sea.

We also watched the sun set over the Sea, an event that is solemn and meaningful to Palestinians. The land just beneath the setting sun is Palestine, the territory now called “The West Bank.” Jerusalem lies beyond the mountains. Israeli settlements glisten along the shore after the sun goes down, and the view brings deep sadness and anger to the Palestinian people who view Israel as occupiers of their land and hope one day to return.

We went through two Jordanian army checkpoints on our way through the valley to the Dead Sea. They questioned my son-in-law about who we were and what we were doing there. Since my shiny white skin and blue eyes stood out as “different,” one guard asked where I was from. The stop was cordial, but I wouldn’t call the exchange friendly. Always, there is tension and the sense that one wrong word could bring trouble.

The resort we visited required that we all pass through a metal detector before entering. This is life in the Middle East, and my family takes it for granted. I look at my grandchildren and wonder if they will ever know a time when this isn’t necessary.

We took the children out of school early, so that we could make our trip today. Fortunately, my son-in-law makes a good living, so the kids all go to private schools. Boys are kept separate from girls, and the curriculum is very difficult. Barbed wire and steel bars surround the school, mostly to keep out thieves. Most of the criminals here, I’m told, are poor people looking for ways to help their families. Drugs aren’t the factor that they are in the U.S., but poverty here is severe, so even the windows of nice homes are covered with steel bars.

This land is profoundly beautiful in ways that I find difficult to describe. Western influence is here, but not as much as you might think. We went past McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Burger King this afternoon, and they’re reminders that American franchises are profitable beyond our borders. But for the most part, Amman is a blend of cosmopolitan elegance, Islam, churches, and beautiful people. Construction is everywhere, and the city is remarkably clean for a big urban area.

I am glad I’ve made this trip for many reasons, but learning about life here from outside the bureau of tourism has given me insight that most American visitors don’t get.

I am very grateful for that.

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