Rambling in Green Ajloun

Wed, 24 May 2006 16:15:00 GMT

Photos by Tala & Rakan

By Ahmad Hallak

It was 9pm on a cold Thursday night and I was at my sister's house about to be served dinner when my phone rang. It was Tala, suggesting...no...ordering me to go home and pack my things because we were going to the green hills of 'Anjara - Ajloun to stay at an Eco-Lodge for the night and go hiking the next morning. She wanted us to check it out along with the local hiking trails for especially during this time of year when the weather would be wonderful! To make a long story short, Rakan, Tala and couple of friends and I arrived at the Ajloun Eco-Lodge at 11pm that night and I must admit I was pleasantly surprised.

The Eco-Lodge was designed to blend in with the natural environment and it did that perfectly. There were several wood and canvas cabins facing each other on a plain in a heavily wooded area and what added to the allure was that no landscaping whatsoever had been done. It was like walking through a forest and stumbling upon a long ago forgotten settlement reclaimed by nature. Every cabin had four comfortable beds and the Lodge staff supplied us with warm blankets.

The next morning we got up bright and early, washed up in the communal bathrooms and trooped of to get something to eat. Breakfast was a very Spartan affair with Labneh (a kind of yoghurt spread), jam, boiled eggs and lots of tea!

Then we went hiking which was wonderful! Walking along well-trodden trails we walked through past densely packed trees, bushes and boulders on the hillside just below the Lodge. The weather was perfect, the scenery beautiful and the local wildlife fascinating. All kinds of strange little insects and birds flew about busy at work while I saw flowers and plants I had never before seen sporting magnificent colours. It was an exhilarating experience and I was now truly glad that Tala had called me when she had!

Treks and Trails of Jordan: Ajloun

Rambling in Green Ajloun