Later Diala drove us 48 kilometres north to the town of Jerash, where set in a picturesque valley lies an ancient Roman town.
Northern Jordan is fertile, green, and with steep-sided, cultivated hills, reminded me of Cyprus. In Jerash, we walked ancient streets and marveled at the preservation of the remains, and perfect proportions of the renovated amphitheatres.
I left the two girls talking in the warm sun, and climbing up found myself in the temple of Dionysus, which a perfect listening position for the entire valley. I am sure the siting of the altar here is no coincidence. Here I made my best recording yet of the daily sound of prayer, the huge human clock that regulates the Islamic world, and had something of a personal revelation as I gazed upon the inhabited hillsides opposite, bathed in aural washes of devotion.
