Diary: 12th August to 30th August

Click here for the photos (31 photos)

Saturday 12^th August
Cappadocia

Off to one of the underground cities first for a look around, the one we chose was 8 levels deep. I tagged along behind a group of Americans and got a free guided tour. We saw the living areas, stables (yes they kept their animals below ground too) the ventilation shaft 100 meters deep, wine cellars, the “millstones” doors they used to seal off different levels in case of attack and also a church. It really was an engrossing place, and I could have spent all day exploring little nooks and crannies.

The advantage of having your own vehicle here can’t be stressed enough. We got away from the main tourist hot-spots and found some wonderful caves off the beaten track. A good pair of walking boots is also a must for scrambling around the caves.

Did a bit of off-roading afterwards, I could tell it was first for Mike as he gripped the dashboard with a “white knuckle” grip as we leaned over a bit.

Back at the backpackers I did some diary work on the PC then off for another sunset photo shoot.

Same restaurant again that night, but tried a different meal this time.

Met a Dutch couple (Marius & Maria) at the backpackers who are, now get this……Cycling from Holland to Bangkok!! Mad or what? We exchanged website addresses and arranged to do a photo session before parting.

Mike is a bit of a Pink Floyd nut, so I introduced him to Roger Water’s “Pros & Cons of hitch hiking”. I left Mike to chill out on the hostel balcony while I had a chat to the owner about places to go the next day. He gave me a few suggestions and a poorly drawn map, I’m in two minds as to whether I should follow his advice as he’s pretty drunk. I saw him have his first drink at 8 o’clock this morning while we were having breakfast!

Sunday 13^th August
Cappadocia

We decided to follow the hostel owners directions, and to his credit we found some wonderfully quiet and unspoilt places, mostly old churches, some with beautifully painted walls and ceilings.

To finish the days sightseeing we went to Zelve, and area famous for the tall conical pillars of “Tufa”, some with boulders balancing precariously on the tops. These boulders are the cause of the strange shapes. The boulders have prevented the elements from eroding the softer “Tufa” below.

The whole area was crawling with other tourists, and we realised how lucky we had been earlier in the day.

Another evening photo shoot at Mike’s request. I think he could tell I wasn’t so keen, so we wrapped up early.

We noticed that evening that it would be a full moon in a couple of days. Mike suggested that we should go to Nemrut Dagi for it. It’s roughly on my route, so why not!

Same Restaurant again!! Mike left the beer out. He’s had a bad stomach all day, I put it down to an unwashed Apricot he ate yesterday. (Thought he would have known better being a “seasoned” traveller, not to eat unwashed fruit and veg) Glad I turned his offer of a bite down!

Monday 14^th August
Goreme-Kahrta

Left Goreme after breakfast and a quick photo session with the mad Dutch cyclists. Not a good start we took the wrong road, and ended up doing an extra 30-40 Km’s But the scenery more than made up for our little mistake.

It was a long, hot days drive to Kahrta. We arrived at 7 o’clock, took one look around Kahrta and headed straight through to find somewhere a little more appealing. It was a good option. We stumbled across a nice little restaurant right next to the river Firat. The restaurant owner let us camp and use his loos for free.

We had a superb meal at the restaurant that evening, Sheesh Kebab, Salad, freshly baked bread and 2 beers all for less than a fiver!

Let the food go down, then into the river for a swim. The water was warm.

There was a very warm wind blowing that night, and I knew it would be a restless and de-hydrating evening.

Tuesday 15^th August
Kharta – Nemrut Dagi

The night watchman at the restaurant gave us a couple of free bottles of water when we left. I think he noticed we were a bit dehydrated after the warm night. (Nice Guy)

Breakfast in Kharta, E-Mail and hunt down the tourist information office, as usual it was closed (11.00 am!)

Onto Nemrut Dagi. Stopped at an old roman bridge and a castle on the way up. By Noon it was roasting in the truck, so we stopped for a swim in the river, nice and cold.

The last 6km’s to the top were very steep, not low ratio, but 1^st gear only. It was blowing a gale at the top, and it was almost impossible to find somewhere flat to park Maggie. We put the tent up, but I was a bit concerned that it wouldn’t be there when we returned after sunset.

It’s a 25 min walk to the summit of Nemrut Dagi. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a guide book which covers Nemrut, so this is all I know:- At the top is a 50 meter high Tumulus/Pyramid made of small pebbles. The tomb of a king (I forget his name) is rumoured to be below the Pyramid, but because the stones are so small excavation is impossible (clever guy!) It dates back to 62 B.C.  and is surrounded by three terraces, East, West and North. There are large Sculptures of Kings, Birds, Sun Gods etc on the East and West Terraces.

We spent the hour and a half until sunset trying to find shelter from the wind and munching on some pears Mike had bought earlier. Needless to say I got Mike to peel the Pears this time! It was well worth the wait. Probably one of the most stunning sunsets I’ve seen, the altitude and clear skies helped. The sun seemed to explode like a mushroom as it set.

Back down at the Land Rover it was blowing a real gale now. I didn’t fancy another night with no sleep, so we opted for a bed in the ticket office dormitory. It was a bit steep at 3 quid, but I wanted some sleep.

 I would have been better off in the tent what with the snoring, farting, soft bed and the guy who came into say his prayers for half an hour, he didn’t have a prayer mat, so used a squeaky old board he found propped against the wall. What a racket! I think I finally nodded of at 1.30 a.m.

Wednesday 16^th August
Nemrut Dagi – Kharta

Up at 4.00 am for sunrise (2.5 hours sleep). Back up to the summit again, quite bracing first thing in the morning! East Terrace this time for sunrise. I thought it was even more spectacular than sunset. The Sky was changing colour every 5-10 mins.

On leaving we were chased down the road by one of the guys at the ticket office. We hadn’t paid for the dormitory for the night, to show no ill will was meant I gave him a lift back to the top on the running boards.

It only took 1.5 hours back to Kharta as apposed to 4 on the way up!

Back at the restaurant I tidied Maggie up a bit and gave her a general service (oil, grease etc). I was assisted by our friend the night watchman who passed me spanners etc. I supposed it broke up his boring day a little.

Back into Kharta for post and E-Mail, running the gauntlet of the shoeshine boys all the time. I stumbled across some French Overlanders. They had been to Lebanon and were on their way home.

We spent the rest of the day lounging by the “Firat” reading and updating diaries. Some local boys tried to take our bottles of water, at first I thought they wanted to fill them for us from the river, but we later found that the resourceful chaps where using them as swimming aids. (two bottles strapped round the waist with a belt!)

Mike suddenly decided he wanted to carry on with me to Syria, I told him he wouldn’t get in without a visa, but he said he would get his girlfriend in Germany to call the Syrian Embassy there and see what the score was. In the mean time he said we should head to the Border first thing in the morning and he would get the bus back if turned away. It was half hoping he would get in. It had been nice travelling with him, but I knew the chances were very slim.

Spent the evening on a nearby hill drinking red wine and stargazing.

Point of note: - If, as the Ford motor company like to say “The Transit van is Britain’s Backbone” then to Turkey it must be its heart and lungs, they’re everywhere, and everything moves on them. You name it, and its being moved around in or on a transit van.

Thursday 17^th August
Kharta – Giazatep – Aleppo

Sure enough Mike’s girlfriend called to say there was no chance of entering Syria without a visa, I dropped Mike off at the Bus station in Giazatep, so he could head back towards the Iranian border.

The border formalities at Kilis were straightforward. A policeman on the Turkish side took it upon himself to speed my paperwork on its way and I was through in less than 15 mins.

And on the Syrian side I was immediately made to feel “Welcome” as they kept saying to me. The Passport and customs side of things were a doodle, but it took a little longer to get insurance and pay the “tax” for Diesel. Diesel is so cheap in Syria that they impose a US $100 tax on visitors, I think this is to deter a black market trade in diesel to neighbouring countries.

Having been made to feel so welcome I set off to Aleppo wondering if I would find such hospitality there. I wasn’t’ to be disappointed.

 When I got into town I pulled over to get my bearings and have a look in the guidebook. A man (Fahed) stopped and asked if he could be of any assistance. Well, that was just the start of it.

 He directed me to the town centre, arranged for me to leave Maggie outside the tourist information office during my stay. (24 hour police guard) Found me a nice hotel in the centre of town, haggled the price down from 650 Syrian pounds to 400. Arranged to meet me that night and go out for a meal with his family.

Fahed told me that if I wanted to visit the Souq I had better go today as it would be closed on Friday.

 What a place! And a real treat for the senses, brightly coloured clothes and fabrics stacked to the ceiling, gold and silver jewelry filling shop windows. The smell of spices, tea and coffee filling the air, and the shouts of hawkers and barrow boys coming from every corner.

You can buy just about anything in the Souq. From gold and silver to rope and string, from handmade shoes to herbs and spices, from wedding dresses to watermelons. Its all in the souq, makes “House of Fraser” look like a local corner shop.

True to his word Fahed turned up with his Family and we went out for a meal at a rooftop restaurant. We discussed work and travel etc then he introduced me to the ‘Hubble Bubble’ pipe, I must admit I quite liked it. Not as harsh as smoking a cigarette. Fahed said if he had time tomorrow night he would show me some other sights and sounds of Aleppo. I’m a bit over awed by the hospitality, I had heard it was good, but this is too much!

Friday 18^th August
Aleppo

Got up early and had breakfast at a local restaurant, it was bloody awful flat dry “Pita” style bread, and a bowl of what I can only describe as “gruel” I ate half a bit of the bread and made a hasty exit. Just around the corner I found a stall selling freshly squeezed fruit juices so I washed breakfast down with a big glass of OJ.

Next stop Aleppo Citadel. Normally I would have found the place fascinating, but a combination of “old ruins” apathy and knowing that I would be visiting “Crac de Chevalier” led to a brief tour of the castle.

I stopped at a café outside the Citadel for a cup of tea where two guys started “chatting “ me up! This was the second time in two days that I had been approached by homosexuals. They were quite open about there homosexuality and invited me back to their shop for a tea etc. Needless to say I made my excuses and set off to find the “Baron Hotel”

The Baron is an old colonial style hotel in the centre of town where my guide book recommend I stop by for a beer on the terrace. It was too hot on the terrace so I retired to the lounge for a drink where I met mike a Canadian guy. He was doing the Istanbul to Cairo overland thing using buses and trains.

I wanted to visit the museum in the centre of town, but it closes from 12-2.30 p.m. I’ve found this a lot recently. Surely they would realise that midday is an ideal time to get out of the sun and wander around a museum, but no they all seem to shut at peak viewing time!

I went back to the hotel to update diary and have a siesta.

In the afternoon I went off to find the post office to mail some cards. On my way I bumped into one of the homosexual guys from earlier in the day. He tried to talk me into going out for something to eat and a few beers at the Baron. I declined which upset him and we had a heated argument, which ended in him muttering something about Oscar Wilde and the secret police! This set me on edge a bit.

I ate at a rooftop restaurant opposite my hotel that night, and retired to bed early.

Saturday 19^th August
Aleppo-Crac de Chevalier

Left Aleppo at 7.30 a.m. to avoid the worst of the traffic. The road to Homs itself was very good, but you have to keep an eye out for service taxis and Tractors coming the wrong way up the motorway.

Got to the Crac at midday and went straight in for some sight seeing. It really is a huge castle, probably the biggest I have ever seen. Apparently it dates from 1150 and was built over a period of approx 100 years. In its hey day it could house a garrison of 4000 men.

I had tea on the roof of the campsite restaurant with some Chec guys and girls, and later a few beers in the restaurant with two Brits, (Ollie and Russell), a Canadian whos name I forget and a Japanese guy whose name I cant even pronounce.

Sunday 20^th August
Crac de Cevalier-Palmyra

Had a slight accident first thing this morning, I wont go into too much detail, but it’s a good job I had planned to do some laundry today. I’ve put it down to some canned food I had for tea last night. Will bin the lot later today.

Left the Crac at 7.30 a.m. and set off towards Homs. Homs didn’t look like a nice place, and my guidebook had nothing to recommend it so I passed straight through. The road from Homs to Palmyra was a wonderful drive through the desert, not a sandy desert but more stones. I picked up an army officer and later a bedoin chap who showed me where to camp in Palmyra.

I drove out to the citadel, but it was too hot to climb to the top at midday.  I returned to the campsite for a snooze in my hammock while I waited for the sun to go down a little. Walked around the ruins for a few hours at sunset, snapping away on both cameras like furry!

I ran into Ollie and Russell again and arranged to meet up for a meal that night.

We met in town, and after a tour of the local restaurants we settled on one right in the centre of town. I had Spag Bol. My stomach was still doing “Somersaults” so I hope I haven’t wasted my money!

I walked back to the campsite with a very strange gaite and headed straight for the loos. I was loosing a lot of fluid so I took some re-hydration salts and went to bed.

Monday 21^st August
Palmyra-Damascus

Feeling much better this morning, think the salt solution has done the trick. I had Omelette  for breakfast and then visited the museum. One of the staff offered to show me some Mummies in an area not open to the general public. It cost me US$1 to see them, but was quite interesting. We had to sneak up the stairs while another member of staff distracted the chief curator.

I went on to see the Temple of Bel. The temple stands in a massive courtyard 200 metres square. The courtyard was surrounded by 15m high wall of which only part remains in its original condition, the rest having been re-built later by the Arabs. Even so it was easy to picture it at its prime, must have made for an awesome sight in the middle of the desert.

Outside the Temple a local offered me a blank student card for 500 Syrian pounds. A bit late now! I should have got one in Turkey at the backpackers in Olympus. You can get access to most of the major attractions at very good rates i.e. 15 Syrian pounds as apposed to 300 for the Temple.

Back through the desert to Damascus, stopping halfway for a photo of Maggie in the desert. I was tempted to head off for A spin, but there are a lot of military installations scattered around and I thought it may not be a good idea to stumble into a restricted area!

On my way into Damascus I chanced upon a Land Rover dealer. I thought this might be a good place to give Maggie a look over, I wasn’t wrong.

The owner was a really smashing guy, I also met his friend Ali an airline pilot who showed me to the campsite in town and arranged to take me out later for a tour of Damascus.

Ali picked me up at 5 o’clock and we went off to smoke a bit of apple “Hubble Bubble” and drink a few cokes before my musical (Madonna at full volume) mystery tour of the city. Ali showed me where the souq and citadel were and then we went for a “cruise” around the trendy parts of town to look at the pretty girls!

I met another British overland couple at the campsite (Ollie & Sarah). They’re trying to do India via Iran and Pakistan, and are waiting for an Iranian Visa. I had Omelette and garlic bread with them before going to bed.

Tuesday 22^nd August
Damascus

Took Maggie to Land Rover dealer for an inspection. The front prop shaft and the steering have been showing signs of wear, but I wasn’t overly worried, when he quoted me US$70 to replace the prop shaft I asked how much to replace the oil seal on the transfer gearbox. (It had always leaked). This was a job I had been quoted over 300 quid for in the UK. (It takes a day to remove and replace the gearbox) To cut a long story short I had the following work done:-

New shock absorbers put on the front, a new steering damper, new track rod ends, new “A” frame ball joint, the transfer box seal and bearings replaced, and the rear differential fixed. (also leaking) All the parts were genuine, and the bill, less than 200 quid!!

I took a cab into town while they got started, posted some films back home, (in this heat they’re not going to last long). The only Internet place in the city had connection problems and told me to try again tomorrow. So I amused myself with a walk around the Souq, and far too many ice creams!

Back at the garage the vehicle was not ready, so I was plied with tea and strong Arabic coffee while I waited.

Cooked a Curry for tea and went to bed early.

Wednesday 23^rd August
Damascus

Woken at 3 o’clock by a Disco next door to the campsite, apparently it starts at 2 o’clock and carries on til 6! I spoke to the manager about it later that day. He was just as annoyed, but said the police would do nothing because they were getting backhanders to leave them alone!

Maggie back to garage for gearbox out.

Took service taxi into city. The Internet was working today, though very slowly.

Back into Souq and visited the Mosque in the centre of the old city. I had to wear a skirt to cover my legs, sorry no photographs!

My hair was getting a bit long so I bought some clippers to cut it myself, they were very cheap, so we’ll have to wait and see if it was a good buy. Also got some fruit and veg at the local market.

Back at the garage Maggie was still being worked on. They had found that the front bearing of the transfer box was also shot, so that needed replacing too. (free!)

Whilst staring at my beans on toast. I remembered the clippers and set to on my hair. I must say they did a good job, and all for the price of a trim back home.

Off to bed, but with some earplugs this time!

Thursday 24^th  August
Damascus

Back to garage to settle my bill and get some spare parts I had overlooked, at these prices I may as well. Garage owner not there so will come back later. Drove into city myself today, what a laugh! Just do what ever you want and toot the horn a lot.

Getting to know Damascus centre pretty well now. E-Mail down again, but I found a liquor store so I treated myself to a couple of bottles of beer.

Had to wait an hour at the garage for the owner to arrive, but it was worth it he gave me lots of spare parts for free, along with some drinks mats and key fobs as souvenirs. I took a photo of him and his mechanics for the website, and said my farewells.

Ollie and Sarah have been refused Iranian visas in Syria, and are wondering what to do next, They have made noises about Africa, but I’ll wait and see.

While I was cooking tea an overland truck full of Aussies arrived, they’re sober at the moment we’ll have to see how the night goes on!

Friday 25^th August
Damascus

Aussies were very quiet, which is more than can be said for the disco. Ollie and Sarah have decided to go back to Turkey and re-apply for Visas there. We said our goodbyes after the compulsory photo shoot. I don’t think it’s the last I’ll see of them some how.

Spent most of day doing chores and updating diary on the PC.

Another overland truck arrived on its way down south. Had a chat with the driver (Duncan a Scotsman) as a result of our chat I have been left in a bit of quandary.

 I  wanted enter Africa via Egypt, but the current insurance required for a carnet to cover Egypt is 500% of the vehicles value. (24k pounds) I wasn’t able to secure a bank guarantee for this in the UK and had been hoping there may be a way around it. I had heard stories of other overlanders getting into Egypt without a carnet, and was hoping against hope that I would be able to do the same. Ollie and Sarah had a carnet for Egypt (their vehicle is a little less valuable) but even they gave it a miss after hearing how much hassle and expense is involved in taking a vehicle in. They left their Truck in Aqaba and backpacked around the sights. I’m going to have to do some investigation into alternative routes.

Had Tuna Pasta for Tea, and another chat with Duncan about Southern Africa. He’s travelled extensively through Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia etc

Saturday 26^th August
Damascus

Up early and into town to do some e-mailing and investigation into alternatives to Egypt. Couldn’t access Hotmail or Yahoo, so E-Mail will have to wait untill Jordan tomorrow. I did manage to check out some overland travel sites though. I’m now looking at five options:-

1 - See if there is a remote chance of getting into Egypt without a carnet (I think not!)

2  -Try and get a transit visa for Saudi Arabia and ship from Jhedda to Port Sudan

3 -  Ship from Aquaba to Mombassa (as Richard and Jo did with Maggie previously)

4 - Ship from Aquaba to Djbouti.

5  - Ship from Aquaba to Port Sudan

 Option 2 I know is possible, and I will pursue it, but I’m rather keen on the last one myself. Whilst Maggie is being shipped I could enter Egypt, and still travel overland (all be it by train, bus and boat) to Port Sudan. My guidebook shows various ways of travelling from Cairo to Port Sudan. I really wanted to sail a bit of the Nile on a felucca, and also travel on a Wagon Lit train, this would be a great opportunity. I don’t think I would have done any of these if I had the responsibility of looking after Maggie.

 This plan revolves around a few critical points:-

1 -  I’ve heard about the boat from Aquaba to Port Sudan, does it actually exist?

2  - I can’t ship Maggie until I have secured a Sudanese Visa, and I know to stand any chance of getting one I need to apply in Cairo.

3  - Will she be safe in Port Sudan if she arrives before me?

4  - A friend is meeting me in Cairo, what if one of us is refused a Sudanese visa?

 Plan of attack:-

1 -  Get to Aquaba ASAP

2 - See if the boat exists, if it does when does it sail, and how much.

3  - Enquire about the chances of getting a Sudanese visa in Aquaba or Amman. (If no go to Egypt and apply)

4  - Apply for a Saudi transit visa.

5  - E-Mail Richard and ask him what he did about shipping Maggie to Mombassa.

6  - Put out a general enquiry to see if anyone has done this before.

A Dutch couple (Mike & Peggy) arrived that evening in a Mitsubishi Pajero. I had spotted them before in a campsite in Palmyra, but didn’t chat as I wasn’t feeling on top of the world. It turns out they wanted to do India as well, but couldn’t afford the carnet, so they’re now planning on shipping to Mombassa. I arranged to go into town with them tomorrow and get Jordanian visas. I want a multiple entry visa so I can go to Cairo and back again. I’m told you cant get these at the border, so I might as well apply for one now It only takes a few hours, so I’m told!

Just before I went to bed I realised my wallet was missing from my backpack. I’m sure it was lost/stolen whilst I was in town. I phoned to cancel my credit card immediately. I only had US$40 in the wallet, so it’s more of an inconvenience than anything else. I have two other credit cards stashed away safely in the vehicle. I didn’t sleep to well, wondering what someone had been spending my money on between the time I reported the card missing and when I blocked it.

The credit card firm asked me to try and get a police report if possible, that and the visa application should make for an entertaining day in downtown Damascus tomorrow.

Apart from the North Pole, or the depths of the Amazon, Syria has to be one of the better places to have a credit card lifted. There aren’t any ATM’s (cashpoint machines) and the number of stores that accept Visa or MasterCard you could count on one hand!

Sunday 27^th August
Damascus (Still!)

Into the city with Mike and Peggy to try and find the Jordanian Embassy. Mike led the way in his truck. I followed Mike for about 30min, (he doesn’t seem to have any sense of direction!). We kept doubling back on ourselves. I had a good general idea where the Embassy was and diplomatically persuaded them to let me lead the way. Sure enough we found it at the second attempt.

We only had 30min now to apply for our visas before they closed. They didn’t accept US$ so I had to run into town to change some money. Could I find a moneychanger? Normally they’re on every corner, but not when I really needed one. I was running towards one of the banks when I heard the magic words “change money sir, good price”

Back to Embassy with 10 mins to spare. We were told to come back at 1.30 p.m.

I now knew downtown Damascus pretty well, so I gave Mike and Peggy a guided tour. Mike was expecting a replacement part for his cooker to be mailed to the post restante in Damascus so I took them there first. Sure enough the part was there. (Great system!)

Mike & Peggy also wanted a “Hubble Bubble” pipe. During my forays into the Souq I had spotted a stall selling nothing but pipes. I had toyed with the idea of getting one myself, and thought this would be a good time as we might get a better price if we buy in “bulk”!

There a 3 main parts to a pipe, the main “stem” (which on the better quality ones is solid brass) the glass bottle and the flexible tube you “suck” on. After an hour of trying various combinations of stem, bottle and tube we both had what we thought were two very classy looking Pipes. We haggled the price down from 1,600 Syrian pounds each to 1,150 and got a bag of charcoal and some cleaning kit thrown in for free. I’m not sure if it’s going to survive the journey. I think with some careful packing it stands a better chance than trusting it to the postal service. The glass bottle is the main concern, but its very thick glass.

Back to Embassy to collect our passports. I got a multiple entry visa, but found out it was only valid to two entries, not really what I’d call “multiple!”

As soon as we got back to the campsite Mike put his pipe together.  We spent 3 hours puffing away and discussing various route options for Africa. Had a joint meal in the evening. I say joint all I supplied was garlic bread and fruit salad, I think they were a little alarmed at the speed I put my food away. When you’ve been dining alone for two months you forget that there’s a social side to eating!

Monday 28^th August
Damascus-Amman-Jerash

Left Damascus Camping having negotiated a better price for the “Disco Nights”. (I realised later that they also forgot about my laundry bill) Back into Damascus again. I should have stopped at Bosra, but I’d had a fill of ancient ruins for a while and I would be going to Jerash tomorrow anyway. (you’ve got to leave something to come back for!)

Topped up with cheap fuel before leaving Syria. Petrol pump attendant spoke best English I’ve heard yet. Conversation went something like this:-

“Good day sir, will you be requiring petrol or Diesel?”

“Hmm, I think I’ll give the Diesel a go today”

“Right you are sir, and how much would you like?”

“Oh just keep going til the cup runeth over!”

“Eh!” (Gotcha!)

“Fill her up, both tanks”

“Going far then sir?”

“Cape Town I hope”

“There you go sir, 85 litres that’ll be seven pounds and sixty pence please” (Yup that’s right less than 9 pence a litre!!)

“Keep the change”

It was all a bit sureal, a bit like a Monty Python Sketch. I half expected Micheal Palin to appear brandishing a dead parrot.

The border was a stroll, I avoided paying an extra US$100 diesel tax by putting on my “little lost sheep face” and claiming I had been told it was for two weeks not one. I think they realize it’s a little unfair. You’d have to drive 24 hours a day 7 days a week to get your money back! That was Mike and Peggy’s logic, but you’re just spending more money.

On the Jordanian side I was ushered to the front of every queue and greeted with the customary “Welcome to Syria” Best make the most of it while it lasts!

I gave an off duty police officer a lift from the border to Amman, he didn’t speak a word of English, so it was a quiet drive for an hour. I dropped him off in the centre of Amman and tried to get him to point me in the direction of sport’s city junction. (there’s a Safeway’s supermarket there) After 10 mins of pointing at maps and a quick game of charades I realized it was a futile exercise and set off using the GPS to point me in what I thought was the general direction. More by luck than anything else I stumbled across it.

This was the first, what I’d call  “supermarket” I’d seen since Greece. I had a field day stocking up on goodies. Apart from Marmite I got all I wanted. There was also an Internet café and a KFC here so I did some mailing and treated myself to some proper junk food.

Headed back up north again in search of a campsite Sarah and Ollie had told me about near Jerash. It was in the grounds of a Hotel, and as they had said the view over the Jordan Valley was breathtaking. Well worth 5 JD’s for the view alone.

I’d bought a bottle of Brandy with my remaining Syrian pounds at the border duty free shop. This was a good opportunity to have a “sundowner” sat on the hotel terrace.

Tuesday 29^th August
Jerash-Amman-Ajlun

Had a look around the roman ruins at Jerash. I got there early and had the place to myself. It’s an incredible site. Large forum, beautiful paved streets and two amphitheatres. They’re still excavating some parts. I had a chat with the workmen. One was a college lecturer and the rest hard up labourers. They get just JD3 for a days work! Had the usual blokes conversation about football and women!

I went back to Safeway’s again to see if I had any replies to some of my E-Mails. I’ve been trying to meet up with an Australian guy called Gordon, but without any success. It appears I have just missed him again, but he has advised me that there’s a Sudanese Embassy in Amman. I’ve been told that Cairo is my best bet. But if I can one here it’d be one less trip to Cairo (Can’t ship Maggie without a Sudanese Visa, that means one trip to Cairo, back to Aquaba to ship vehicle, then Cairo again to meet friend and set off overland to Sudan)

Gordon says he thinks the Embassy is near what they call the “seventh circle” or large roundabout. My Amman A-Z (Thanks Richard & Jo) shows it near the “third circle”. I’ll go with the A-Z for now.

After 3 hours of fruitless searching I gave up. Only the first and second circles are signed, you have to count junctions from there on, and some of what they call “Circles” aren’t circles they’re crossroads or flyovers.

I was going to go back to the hotel at Jerash for the evening, but spotted a sign for camping a little further up the road at Ajlun. There’s a crusader castle at Ajlun which I wanted to have a look at.

 I should have stayed in Jerash as there’s no camping, the castle is nothing to write home about and it’s too dark now to drive the poor mountain road back to Jerash. I camped in a restaurant carpark for the night.

Wednesday 30^th August
Ajlun-Amman-Kerak

The night was cold and damp and I think I’ve got a cold coming on.

Determined to find the Sudanese Embassy today. It took me 2 hours, but eventually I found the “third circle” and after a little wandering around the building, which used to house the Embassy, Yup it moved a year ago! (Bloody annoyed)  Gordon was right- it’s now near the “seventh circle"

Found the “seventh circle” relatively quickly, only lost my way once when I pulled up outside the gates of the royal palace! Hid the GPS sharply before too many questions were asked. The palace guards were very helpful and pointed me in the right direction.

I walked around the “seventh circle” for an hour to no avail. Was getting a bit desperate when a taxi driver pulled over and asked if I wanted a lift. Bingo! He knew where the Embassy was. It cost me JD3 for the privilege of finding out. It was tucked away in a housing estate 10 mins walk from the “seventh circle”

At the Embassy they said I may be able to get a visa, but they would want my passport for a week, and it would help if I had a “sponsor” in Sudan. (Fat Chance!). Took an Application form and went back to try and find Maggie.

I drove back past the Embassy and took a note of its position on the GPS. I may be back, not too keen on being without my passport for so long.

Quick E-Mail check and KFC again before heading of to Kerak.

Took the King’s Highway to Kerak. Not the quickest of roads but the scenery was great.

Definitely got a cold coming on. I think a few nights in a cheap hotel may not be a bad idea. Just so happens I took the GPS location of a hotel from an overland website I had been looking at earlier.

Driving towards a GPS waypoint in open country is a little different to doing the same in a town, and as a result I went the wrong way up a one-way street! But the Hotel was exactly where the GPS said.

My Luck just keeps getting better and better. The Hotel owner is a Sudanese guy. (Hussien). He has offered to let me use his family in Khartoum as “sponsors” for my visa application. He also has a friend at the Embassy in Amman who he is going to speak to on my behalf!

Hussien took me to the Chemists to get something for my cold, and then sent me to bed with a nice hot lemon and honey drink.