By now it was cold and dark. The light from the locomotive cast a stark glare over the rocks as the lowing behemoth climbed the hills toward Amman. We had traveled about 240 kilometers between two cities of the ancient Decapolis. These two capital cities and countries are strikingly different. Most of Amman's populace are from somewhere else - from places where they were either driven out by military force or political expediency.
Damascenes know who they are.
Amman is a new city with clean streets and undisciplined traffic. In contrast, Damascus streets may not be as clean but are safer for vehicles and pedestrians. Syria has a diverse population of religions and ethnic groups, Jordan is more uniform. Syria claims some of the oldest cities in the world. True, Jordan has numerous ancient cities and archeological sites but the nation itself is the design of colonial powers.