Monday 22 September
Went for a walk down to the beach where we met Kamel - a local boy. We had tea (they all ask you to sit and have teas) and met some of his friends. Onw (rather ugly god bless him) had a Belgian girlfriend and had asked a friend to translate and write a love letter to her which he asked Aisling to read out loud. Andrea and myself were nearly crying trying to stop bursting laughter as Ais read I really miss you touch, I kiss everything that you touched...I love your body, you're sexy body, I want to make love to your body again..... I cried after I talked to you on the phone...... and similar stuff but all incorrect grammar and spelling. All the while he was smiling and saying "it is good yes?" It was hard. He then took us out in his glass-bottomed boat and we glimpsed the mostly dead coral of Aqaba/Eilat Bay where huge tankers were stationed in the middle of the bay (and some in graveyards at the bottom of he shallow bay). Kamel then took us to the tourist Bedouin village and the local castle which we explored by lighter-light. At one stage while Kamel was hovering over a hole in the deep dark tower he nearly feel when the bats flew out at him - we, being ever brave, ran shrieking..... leaving him there. Having recovered we went to his friend's souvenir shop.. Mohammed a very educated young lad who taught us Backgammon and about Bedouin antiques... Ais got her head shaved again in the local barbers and then that night we went back for a sing-song in the Bedouin camp. The young cotton-wooled 6 month old camel befriended us but managed to push over Aisling by prodding her with his head in her stomach and she took two wobbly steps backwards and collapsed on her bum and looked like a 4 year old about to cry. Needless to say Andrea and myself cracked up laughing. A VERY GOOD DAY

Tuesday 23 September
Got an early bus to the desert based WADI RUM. We organised a jeep for 7 of us - a Dutch couple, us 3, Beth, the American back from working in Pakistan and a Jap. Our driver was a smiley Bedouin and made us tea in a make-shift fires every time we stopped. We climbed the rock bridge (me shaking at the top but I loved climbing), trekked up the red sand dune (every difficult on the legs) and played there for a while, saw Laurence of Arabia's house in the desert, his well and then watched the sun set over the desert on the rocks while our guide hummed a traditional song, we sang Danny Boy and Beth shouted new York, New York. 13km back through the darkened desert to rest on the roof under the stars again - only 1 shooter this time. A few of our old friends arrived from Dahab and we chatted again.

Wednesday 24 September
Got to Petra and stayed at the Musa Spring Hotel. Went to Petra - highly priced but worth every penny/piastre. After the long 2 km walk through the rocks we saw what everyone knows about Petra - the treasury appearing through the crack in the narrow Siq. Wonderful in the afternoon light. We hiked up to the High Place of Sacrifice, viewed the whole panorama and made our way down the back of the hill. The cliffs, caves and everything have fantastic colours - all natural yellow/rusty red/blue...... whose curves due to faults make a superb natural interior decor for the caves/homes/temples carved out in the rock-face. I can't describe in words how amazing it was - MY FAVOURITE PLACE SO FAR - by a long shot!!! We got back to the hotel and feasted on a buffet and watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with it's views (incorrectly shown) of Petra which has been playing every night in the hotel for the last 4 years.

Thursday 25 September
Got up early and met up with the other Aussie guys, Tim (originally met on the train from Cairo and ever since), Grant and Skip, Beth and Kate. We climbed up to the high monastery and sat in the shade by a cave (similar to the caves in the Flintstones) and laughed - a great time. After 2 hours we made our way down through the colonnaded street, other temples etc... and the amphitheatre of course. Tired, and having nearly lost Andrea, we got on the Jet bus to Amman. Stayed in the FILTHY Veniys hotel full of cockroaches - one which I found in my boot the next morning (after tying it so I was in agony for 3 minutes (seemed like 1 hour) The big mxxxthxxxxer was about the size of my index finger and wriggled.

Friday 26 September
Went to check out the Farah Hotel - the best - like the Hilton on comparison. We went to Jerash - fantastic ruins that day, then treated my nerves to McDs and then found the Irish Bar - guess what - had a few and returned home to our lovely hotel.

Saturday 27 September
Andrea was a bit ill so Ais and myself went to change our flights and get a letter of recommendation from he Irish Consulate for a visa into Syria. Had beautiful chicken schwermas and visited the fruit and veg soup to stock up on good fruit to revive us. That night it rained - while we were on the roof - we got saturated - first time it has rained since we have been here.

Sunday 28 September
Went to the Syrian embassy, went to the huge Roman amphitheatre, and browsed. Treated ourselves to the cinema - "My best friends Wedding".

Monday 29 September
Got our visas. Went to Madaba - famous for mosaics for the day. We also visited Mt. Nebo with a view into Israel and over the Dead Sea, and the tomb of Moses.

Tuesday 30 September
Had a local and very cheap brunch and left for the Dead Sea. It was so weird - you could stand out of you depth and you just could not sink. So we played for a bit - stingy eyes. We collected the famous black mud from the bottom - with the help of a few locals and then donned the black stuff, took a few snaps of us black from head to toes except for the eyes, let it dry and then washed it off - Our whole skin was soft as a baby's bum... Met a few people that night - out for something to eat and a cup of tea.

Syria and Israel