Day started off Friday 25th May with a walking tour of Damascus. The Hammideyi souk is very old and shows it but different than previous souks I have seen. Went to see the Umayyad mosque which is really something – had to done the usual sarong to cover up bare legs so very fetching indeed.
Another night at Kaya camping site going to sleep to the sound of gunfire and plenty of loud rythms from a local band practicing. They don’t let the guns bother them as it is normal practice folks shooting each other around here !! Not worried at all!
Up with the birds at 5am to head of to Jordan. Usual read tape to get through the border. About 2hours worth in total. Got our luggage searched and all the usual stuff looking for bribes to speed things up. One of the bribery systems for traders has a metal cupboard at the side of the road. The police guy is approached by Man A who whispers something to him and the police guy walks off, Man A then drops some cigarettes into the metal bin and walks away. The police guy then returns soon after to empty the bin of his stash. Man A then returns and the police guy signs his forms, briefly checks his contraband without really looking at it at all and then waves him on. The police guy whilst we where watching collected three bribes in about half an hour. Great job but not good for his health with al those fags!! He’ll be happy but dead soon. Serves him right.
First stop after escape from Syria was Jerash ruins – don’t they have anything that is still in one piece! A vast site and had one interesting theatre where the layout had one spot where you could stand and speak quietly and the sounds reverberated all around. Move a foot or so on any direction and the sound deadened. Clever engineering for something so old.
When you do get into Jordan, the difference is marked from Syria. Jordan has money, visible in the buildings of Amman, the place we stopped for lunch. A bit like dallas with posh buildings and palm trees. And….wheyhey… Burgerking and Mcdonalds!! They get everywhere don’t they?
The highlight of the day was the journey from Amman to the Dead Sea. Which is 390m below sea level and …er..dead! devoid of life due to its 33% salt content and the immediate willingness to make all things floaty light. Got a lump of salt as a souvenir and floated for a bit. Very weird sensation indeed and a great party piece…look no hands!!
Now that we are opposite the Gaza strip and west bank there are regular stops for armed guard checks of the truck. All part of a day in this area. Fianl resting place of the day was Wadi Musa, a place blessed with a natural spring that supplies all of the area with fresh drinking water. Clean out of the taps here.
Sunday 27th May was another highlight. Early start to get to Petra. Being called the 8th wonder of the world and deservedly so. This place is awesome. You start by riding in on a horse to the main entrance (which you pay for beforehand and then have to pay baksheesh/ a tip to the owner. A couple of Jordanian Dinars does the trick) and then a 1200m walk through the gorge to be confronted by the famous treasury building. It blows you away when you see it, even if you’ve seen pictures before. These folks knew how to handle a chisel! The Nabateans where first to build this place until the Romans decided to annex them like everywhere else. The romans have a lot to answer for. The Nabs started 2200 years ago and the romans moved in in 106AD. They obviously wanted someone else to do the donkey work. One of the remote parts of the site is the Monastery which is a 3hr round trip walk in 35degrees heat. Did it and it was worth it. Lost a stone in weight along the way in sweat though.
Monday 28th May. Off to Wadi Rum today – famed for being home to Lawrence of Arabia. An afternoon jeep safari around Wadi looking at cave inscriptions and odd rock formations which is what the area is all about. Spent the night at the Palm Desert camp in tents. Great meal around the campfire and got smashed. So unlike me so must have needed it. Actually decided to vacate the tent as it was too warm and slept under the stars on mattresses. Fantastic location. Got plagued by bugs so had to return to the sauna later though. The idea was good whilst it lasted.
Tuesday 29th Up at 5am to head for Aqaba and out of Jordan. Aqaba is another nice city but didn’t get any time to look around, only breakfast of mezzes. They do like peculiar things for breakfast. Got on the 11:30 ferry to Nuweiba and chilled for 2hours. Subsequently onto Dahab for a few days, stopping at the 7 heaven hotel. 5 minutes after getting there….power cut and….water cut cos the pumps stop. Typical !!
Evening meal at Al Capone’s on the sea front which is just outside of our hotel entrance. Sea food for a change and fresh as expected. Lots of variety and good price.
Wednesday 30th May….Not a day I want to remember as will become clear…….
I haven’t said much recently about how I have been feeling since being dumped by by ‘partner’. I have been suffering from deeper and deeper depression that has been destroying my enjoyment of the travel and swamping me continually. Not been sleeping and crying a lot (sorry to say this but it is true). I have been struggling to find the motivation to carry on. Lots of conversations have taken place over past days with ex partner and family/ friends that lead me to the conclusion that I had to go home. So, got up this morning and was so depressed that I had to do something to stop it. I made a decision to go home as soon as possible to sort things out. Within a ridiculously short time I had booked a flight from Cairo to Istanbul and then to Heathrow, booked a bus to get the 540km from Dahab to Cairo and organised a pick-up truck to get me to the bus station. Packed in a hurry, signed off the tour I was on and got everything together to say my goodbyes to fellow travellers and ordered a takeaway meal from Al Capone’s to take on the bus for lunch……
Left at lunchtime and got back to the UK the following day, train from Kings cross to Wakefield and then Taxi to what used to be my home to get my car so that I was mobile.
Nothing from that point onwards went to plan. Broke down quite a bit and wont go into detail but the next day was the most painful of my life. Ended up stopping at my mother’s house that night and for about a week whilst sorting things out. Black got blacker unfortunately but don’t want to go into detail. One day maybe?
After a week I started to get this sense that I must not give up and as I no longer have a home in the UK I may as well continue on my travels whilst I sort my head and heart out. Somehow I must decide on the direction I want to take in life…..
Yet another rushed exercise in working out how to piece something together lead me to book myself onto a tour of Morocco that means I have to leave the UK on Sunday 10th June. Flight to Casablanca via Paris booked and all in order. A bit of a struggle to organise it though but such is the life of a traveller. Nothing is easy but you mustn’t give up.
I will fill you in on some more breaking news when I get the chance. Alot of which has been the great support of a growing friend who has helped me through the recent times and for which I owe a massive debt of gratitude. Details will follow…….
