Phil is Unspectacular in Aleppo

But Aleppo is spectacular! Sorry, bad joke: my glasses broke, so I've just been stocking up on spare daily lenses. If I appear breathless, it's because the spacebar isn't working too well. I'm feeling much better, and have regained my appetite. Just spent most of my Syrian dollars in a souk. The haggling is good fun, and they are very civilized and make you drink Arabian tea. (but with not quite as much sugar as they drink it!)

Back to the travelogue. Sat20th Early start from Petra with comical driver called Eri, who claimed to have had only 2 hrs sleep after driving from Amman. Fortunately his mother had made him a flask of coffee. Unfortunately, he couldn't open it. We all tried. Eventually unscrewed bottom. Made with mixture of cow milk and camel milk ("Bedouin viagra") Not convinced. Most ofhis jokes were lost in translation. Stopped at Kerak castle, a Crusader place. Lost track oftime and was late back.

Next we travelled to the Dead Sea, the lowest body of water on Earth. Out came the trunks, and we spent a very pleasant hour bobbing around in the supersalinated water. It's cool: you can even float upright. Das and Liam opted to paint themselves in Dead Sea mud. Come back, black & white minstrels, all is forgiven… If you should ever visit, remember not to shave beforehand! It stings at the slightest opportunity, and you really don't want to taste it!

Our next stop was Mount Nebo, where Moses sighted the Promised Land, and where he is said to have died before entering it. It has a Greek Orthodox chapel where some kind ofservice was going on, and a number of mosaics. It's a good viewpoint (but misty today) and the place has a special, peaceful atmosphere: everyone agreed on this. On to Madaba, and the Mariam hotel.

Sun 21st Feeling brighter this morning, praise God. Joined Liam & Dawn to attend the Orthodox Mass at St George's church, and, hopefully, see their mosaics. Hadn't managed breakfast, and forgot that they stand for most of the service. Doh! They seemed happy enough to have us there Liam & Dawn are used to Catholic services, and were crossing themselves, left, right and centre. I'm a little too protestant for that, but managed a respectful bow everytime they took the Crucifix for a walk around the aisles. When it came time for communion, however, I soon realized I wasn't going to get any bread from the guy with the beard until I kissed his cross. That was ok, I figured. Afterwards they ushered us out of the church so they could roll back the carpets. We came back in and saw the famous mosaic which is also the oldest map of the Holy Land, featuring some of the places we'd been, including Mt Sinai and the Dead Sea, which was shown with one fish struggling to swim away from it, and another drifting blithely towards it (!)

The morning's experience decided me against travelling to Amman, decided to save my energy for Damascus. Had pleasant, chilled day. Bought some cushion covers. Later, things went downhill, healthwise. Called a doctor. He examined me and diagnosed colitis. Prescribed 3-day course of drugs and strict diet. Hotel manager and Dan the Man were stellar in driving me around to find late-opening pharmacies. Sleep.

Mon 22nd Off forSyria, via the Roman City of Jerash. An impressive ruin with many corinthian style pillars well preserved. They actually use their hippodrome for chariot races. Sadly, we didn't have time to watch! Shame. Saw some of Romans warming up. Back on the bus (a funky, Scooby Doo affair with a backward-facing seat between the driver and front passenger) and on the road. Traffic fumes increased as we approached Syria. Listened to Little Creatures on my iPod (working fine now!). Had to fill in more forms at the border. Glad to reach the al-Majed Hotel. Bizarre layout. Sharing with Chris, our rooms are in little buildings adjoined to the hotel, the entrances reached via leafy seated areas where people sit and chat. Inside, I think one wall faced the kitchens, and the other the dining room, judging from the noises. But fridge and TV. Didn't smell too hot, though, and resolved to find air-freshener. Went for orientation walk around city. Amazing colours, riotous smells (foul in places). The old souk is covered with a black fabric roof. Light streams in through holes left by WWII French air-raids. Little boys are laughing and selling spinny-copters, many of which are stuck in the rafters. Amazing variety of goods for sale. THey love their sweets in the Middle East, baklava and every variation thereof. Later, the other guys went to a hamam (Turkish bath). I opted out, due to fragility.

Tue 23rd Struggled to keep my pills down last night, so staying in as an experiment. Frozen water bottle helpful. Started to appreciate the inane distractions of Western civilization, watching the BBCWorld Service and 'Elf' on satellite. Venturedout at teatime, light-headed but grateful to be here. Haggled in the souk for damask roses, frankincense and amber. Treated to coffee with cardamon (yuck! Sorry, Tim…). He had other dubious charms forsale, including what appeared tobe baby crocodiles with starfish on their heads (for potency?) I was heading for the Street Called Straight, where St Paul hadbeen. Stopped at a cool cafe (Tche Tche), but feeling effete and appetite-free. Left and followed the sound of music nearby. Ran into the others, walking the other way. They were suprprised at the coincidence, but God knows I need His help(!) We went to what is probably the most beautiful resturant I've ever seen. Set in an old Damascene house, our gallery seats gave a commanding view of the wedding party (…music…) in the hall below. I ate half a plate of delicious rice, yoghurt and meatball-like things. Later, convinced the others to help me find the House of Ananias (Bet Hanania) where Paul stayed. We did. There were some statues in the courtyard. Long walk back!

Wed 24th Lunchtime, travelled to Palmyra (ancient Tadmor-in-the-Desert), city of Palms. Watched sunset from the castle. Pleasant evening shopping at many stalls near hotel.

Thu25th Early start for tour of Palmyra. Our guide is Salim, a pleasant academic type. Very impressive and well-preserved. The Temple of Bel is fascinating. Huge channels for the blood sacrifices. The holy of holies still has intact ceiling carvings: a sun lotus in Bel's shrine, and a zodiac circle in the shrine of the Sun & Moon. The most famous ruler of Palmyra was the warrior-queen, Zenobia, whose husband mysteriously died (Romans say she didit), then she opposed Rome, even launching an attack. She only ruled for6 years, but she changed a lot, then the Romans put her down, and Palmyra's fortunes (Silk Road nerve centre) changed. You can clearly see her name on one of the Greek-inscribed pillars. Later haggled to have some jewellry made by Khaled, the brother of the hotel owner, after we had enjoyed a cup of tea together. This is all good fun. Back on the jalopy for Homs, then a bus to Krak des Chevaliers.

Fri 26th In the country, so a good night's sleep. Up early to see the sun winking above the Krak, the great crusader castle just across the valley. Amazing place. Managed to eat breakfast. Walked across for the tour. Lawrence of Arabia called this the finest castle in the world. Easy to see why. We were early, but any number of teenage boys will soon be here, which makes perfect sense, as it has more crenellations, arrow-slits and secret underground passages than is decent. It has a moat, too. It started as a Kurdish fort, then Prince Tancred of Antioch started building, then the Frankish Crusaders, and, eventually, the Arabs. But it was never taken entirely by force: only by a siege of attrition and waiting for the Crusaders to get hungry and lose hope. It is nigh-impregnable. Then to Aleppo, and we (very quickly!) catch up with the present.
ttfn

Greetings from Damascus! Right, I appreciate that I'm behind, but I've been a little under the weather with a poorly tum. (Sympathy, please.)

I'll try and bring you up to date in the 10 minutes I have before we leave for Palmyra…

Thu 18th Felt pretty crummy, emerging late fom my tent. Glad to be transported to the Petra Moon Hotel. Decided to make the effort and walk into Petra with Liam and Dawn. (Chris elected to sleep: wise man.)

Well, what can I say? It's probably more commercialized than you might think: Indiana Jones Cafe, and loads of touts trying to sell rides on donkeys, camels & pony-traps, but that's par for the course, really. Nothing can detract from the sheer geological splendour of the Siq, over 1km long, as you wander towards the famous Treasury. There are ancient water-chanels carved into the shady stone walls (cunning: these guys knew how to move water). The colours are breathtaking, and seem to shift with the light. Then, of course, comes the moment you've been waiting for, when you turn the corner and catch your first gimpse of the rose-red pillars of the Treasury. It really is worth it. It's a huge site, and there's plenty more to see, but I was pretty pooped, and waited at a cafe while the others couted ahead. More than enough for one day.

Fri 19th Decided against the 14km hike to the monastery. Shame, but I need to rest. Relaxed, caught up on journal, and started to really appreciate the inane distractions of western culture: watched The Island, Lawrence of Arabia and, of course, Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade :^) There was really cute cat with 2 kittens playing in the lobby. One had markings that made him look like Hitler. Ah. Right, Sorry, but time's up! Love to all ;^)

Hi again, chaps. I'm in Jordan right now, blogging from a little room in the Petra Moon Hotel. I visited Petra yesterday, but more of that later. Where did I leave you? Ah yes, Mt Sinai, back in Egypt. On Mon 15th, the day after we climbed the Mount, we had the chance to visit St Katharine's Monastery, a Greek Orthodox institution which has been staffed continuously for longer than any other monastery. At 9 am there was a huge crowd waiting to enter via a single, little archway. The British concept of queuing evaporates in the Middle East! The monastery is founded on the supposed site of the burning bush from which the Lord spoke to Moses. And yes, the old broom bush is still there, mysteriously suspended above head-height. A particularly nice touch is the fire extinguisher in the corner (for unwanted theophanies?) Moses' Well is also there, where he met his wife, but that seems to be stretching it a bit.

The chapel is very Greek orthodox: plenty of gold leaf, and ornamentation. Dragonesque candelabras, icons and crucifixes aplenty. The chapel also houses a prized relic of their patron, St Catherine (she of the wheel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_of_Alexandria) Which is said to be a couple of her fingers. Looks rather like a dried-up chicken drumstick. The highlight, however, was the museum of icons, manuscripts and other treasures. Over the centuries, the monks have received gifts from pious rulers all over the world. The icon paintings are especially striking, with the saints' expressions of deep anguish, or holy serenity, being very affecting. The glittering treasures are nothing compared to the priceless manuscripts, including early copies of Plato and Homer, the Syriac New Testament, and, most important of all, the Codex Sinaiticus, present in facsimile. A real privilege to walk around.

Then by minibus to Nuweiba on the Red Sea, where we stayed in grass huts on the beach. Simply wonderful :^) Had the chance to chill, and went snorkelling. Other than swallowing a couple of pints of seawater, it was wonderful to swim out onto the reef and see pufferfish, sea cucumbers, black urchins, butterfly fish, brain coral, and much more. A really tranquil spot, with fruit cocktails aplenty. In evening we had a Bedouin style meal of Maghrouba: a big pile of rice with chicken, aubergines, etc. A good day.

On Tue 16th we had a lazy morning. Haggled with some old Bedouin women for trinkets. I'm starting to realize that the Arabic in the Berlitz phrasebook only loosely relates to what is actually spoken(!) In the afternoon we travelled to the port for the expected delays in boarding the ferry. One really starts to appreciate the way things work back home. We had to board a coach to be driven 30m to the ferry. That took about half an hour. Disembarking was even more like a Marx Bros movie. The officials seemed entirely clueless, and the crowds just pushed in wherever they could. Our guide, Dan, was a star. On the other side, we witnessed the Jordanians attitude towards the Egyptian workers. They were all forced to sit on the ground while a register was called, and they were manhanled, where necessary, onto a bus. Jordan has a huge percentage of Egyptian workers, and methinks they feel a little threatened. Arriving in Aqaba, one starts to appreciate its strategic and economic importance. You can see Israel across the River, and Egypt and the West Bank are just a stone's throw away. We enjoyed a plenteous feast of mezze dips, kofta and kebabs, then retired.

On Wed 17th, we travelled to WadiRum for a dessert safari by jeep. The landscape is breathtaking. This is Lawrence of Arabia country, and we climbed up the slope to his spring, which still provides water today. Kharazeh canyon has ancient Thamudic pictograms. And we had great fun climbing the red sand dunes. If the sky were pink, you could be on Mars. In the evening we camped at Al-Maghrar, a Bedouin camp led by a lovable nutcase called Muhammed. An elderly English couple and and English and Aussie girl were also staying. They are nurses working in Saudi. Doesn't sound like a lot of fun for the ladies. Our meal was cooked in an undergroun oven which was dug up with great ceremony, accompanied by steaming cups of sweet sage tea from the campfire. Mohammed entertained us with Arabic dancing and stick-balancing. What he lacked in skill, he made up for with enthusiasm. Right, my hour is up! ttfn

Ok, well that seemed to work.

We paid our 25LE (I think) to go inside the 2nd Pyramid (that of Khefren). The slope down was steep and the headspace limited. Inside, it grows extremely stuffy and airless, and is not for claustrophobes. You ascend again (with everyone else) to enter the burial chamber in the heart of the pyramid. Inside is the empty stone sarcophagus of Khefren, in a chapel-like room with a triangular ceiling. On the wall is a sign written by Giovanni Belzoni, the Italian circus-strongman-cum-Egyptologist who first rediscovered the place.

The Sphinx is nearby, next to a temple, and has a commanding view of the local KFC. Nice. The statue itself is suitably timeless and impressive, although one can't get too close b/c of erosion fears. They can't seem to say 'Sphinx' around here, and call it the "Sphincid" (or "Sphincter", as some wag had it). It was the name the Greeks gave it, as it reflected their own mythology, and was probably snappier than Re-Harakhte, Horus-of-the-Horizon.

We grabbed lunch, a local dish called koshary, made up of macaroni, rice, spaghetti, chickpeas, onion, herbs, and a spicy tomato sauce. Very tasty :^q

The Cairo Antiquities Museum is something else. It would take a few days to do it justice, so huge is their collection. The entire upper floor is dedicated to King Tut. The famed golden mask is, of course, breathtaking, but there are plenty of other fascinating exhibits, including his golden sandals and toe-'tectors. There was so much to see, I had to sit down and rest a couple of times (and, to be fair, it was pretty warm!). Recommended.

That evening, I joined Anna, the Romanian-Canadian girl I'd met in the taxi, and her guide Sharif for a Nile cruise. This wasn't on a traditional fellucca, but a bog-standard cruise boat. We had a buffet and some seriously cheesy-but-ace Egyptian entertainment, including a belly dancer and some whirling-dervish style 'sufi dancers', (one a dwarf) who did amazing things with twirling, mushrooming skirt-like spinning-top outfits. (I'll post photos at some point!)

On Sat 13th, I took a taxi out to the Khan-el-Khalili market area, to try my hand at getting ripped off by the marketeers. Interestingly, while people will try it on, the hard sell is easily limited by a polite refusal, and there is virtually no petty crime in Cairo, as the penalties and social stigma are so harsh. I haggled for some Karkady, and was reasonably pleased with the price I got (I guess that's the idea). The streets there are highly uneven and strewn with rubbish, and kids running off giggling as cap-bombs explode beneath tourists' feet. It's mostly tat, to be fair, but then I didn't have time to explore the whole area. I was persuaded by one young chap to enter his store, where I eventually bought… [Mum will have to wait to find out ;^) ]

Back at the Victoria, I discovered that our team was meeting an hour earlier than I thought (good thing I decided to leave myself some time). Our leader is Dan, an Aussie (who also goes by Mustafa since his conversion to Islam). He's a top bloke, and looks a bit like a younger version of Locke from Lost. Karen and Jeff are (also) from Perth, as is Dawn (originally from Singapore) who's going out with Liam, from Sligo, Ireland. Chris is from Toronto, and Das lives in Orange County, LA, but is from Calcutta. They're all good folks (so far…)

Our first outing was to the Coptic Quarter, to see some of the churches of the ancient Coptic Christians. Their tradition dates back to the earliest Christians, including St Mark (the Disciple and Evangelist), who was martyred in Egypt (tied to a horse from a noose around his neck, and dragged until his head was parted from his body). Olla told us many wonderful tales about some of the early Christians, and their relationship with the Romans, then the Muslims, which eventually came to a mutual acceptance and respect. The Hanging Church is suspended, as it were, above the ruins of an old Roman fort ( I think) and has many icons. St Sergius church is built above the crypt where Mary, Joseph and Jesus are said to have taken refuge when fleeing from Herod.

We also visited a very old mosque, and Olla explained the fundamentals of her faith, which was very helpful, and touching as she described how she came to her decision about taking the veil at the age of 25 after a pilgrimage to Mecca. The removal of the shoes from the feet, apparently, is not so much about 'holy ground' , as a point of hygiene in a place where hundreds of believers regularly kiss the carpet. Most illuminating.

On Sun 14th, we arose early for our long trip to the Sinai. I slept poorly, as the horns were blaring, and Das rivals by good mate Stu in the snoring department. No matter, clutching our breakfast boxes we were soon away in a good-sized, air-conditioned minibus. We stopped at a roadhouse cafe by the Suez Canal. Turkish coffee (strong, sweet & chewy). Too many flies. Back on bus. Tried out my travel pillow. Not bad. Read a little of The Mystical Theology of the East, by a Russian author. Excellent so far. Coincidentally, I came to the part describing how Dionysius the Areopagite uses Moses' ascent of Mt Sinai as a metaphor for the soul's apophatic progression towards the Godhead (it's actually a lot more riveting than it sounds!)

Arriving at the Daniela 'hotel' in the Sinai foothills, we had a good meal. A few tummy troubles, but Immodium seems to be doing the trick. The way up Mount Sinai is the 3,750 stairs of Repentance. I kid you not. It's pretty tough going (especially with irregular bowels, but I found a blessed litle shack on the way…), but the mountains are magnificent, with warm colours of brown and pink, shifting with the evening sun.

The summit is really worth it, albeit marred by rubbish left by a recent tour party (of 3,000!). The sunset was a fine moment. This may or may not be Gebel Musa (Moses' Mount), but you can really believe it.

Right, it's getting late… ttfn! xxx

Greetings from Jordan! Sorry if I haven't replied to my GoogleMail, but the browser keeps crashing.

Well, I'm having the best time, it must be said. Where did I leave you? Ah yes, Cairo. Before I left on my trip I had a conversation with Emad, and Egyptian friend from church. Emad is a consultant psychiatrist by trade, with a wicked sense of humour, but has MS, and is now wheelchair-bound. I asked him what Cairo is like, and, as I leaned in close to make out his laboured speech, he said, "Cairo… is… Chaos." He's not wrong. The traffic is insane. Horns are in constant use as four lanes of traffic weave in and out along a road designed for three. Pedestrians and donkey-carts are narrowly avoided, and exuberant oaths fill the air. Crossing the road is a real experience.

If Cairo is chaos then Cairo in the evenings towards the end of Ramadan is doubly so. After sundown, people start to appear on the streets, and food-sellers materialize, selling barbecued corn, or a refreshing tea called karkady made from hibiscus flowers. The noise and crowds in Downtown Cairo are a sight to behold. All the shops open and the teenage alds are out, strutting their stuff. Especially by Eid, when they were all decked out in their posh new togs, rather frisky, and happy to utter any English they happen to know, however random or inappropriate.

Back to the tour. On Friday 12th, I got up early to tag along on a tour of the Pyramids and Cairo Museum. Our guide was Olla, a local Muslim woman. We took a minibus across the Nile and within half an hour or so were hurtling down Pyramid rd into Giza District. Olla urged us to look out on the left for the Pyramids, but the morning mist made them near-invisible(!) Suitably amused, we tumbled out of the bus into the tourist zoo that surrounds the only surviving Ancient Wonder of the World. The pyramids are pretty big. It's hard to get a real sense of perspective, and their shape belies their mass. Olla warned us about the hawkers and touts and, while I spent a good quarter of an hour fending them off with a polite la shukaran (no thanks), I was, of course, eventually kidnapped by an enterprising cameleer. One moment he was offering to take my photo, the next I was wearing a tea-towel on my head and was sitting on the back of Moses, his hefty pride and joy. He kept leading the beast further and further away "to get a better picture". At this point, I became slightly nervous and refused to go on. He took some ok photos, to be fair (and too many of my English pounds), but hey, that's his job ;^)

Right I'm just going to check the Posting works, and I'll be with you again…

Cairo

After my usual frantic last-minute dash down to Gloucestershire, my folks were, as ever, unflaggingly wonderful, and ferried me to Heathrow. The first flight of the morning, to Milan.

Approaching Milan at dawn afforded a wonderful view of the Alps emerging from a cloud-drift landscape, lit in a warm, heavenly light. A fine start, it must be said…

The transfer to Cairo was smooth, and gave me a chance to swot up on my Arabic numerals. A nice meal, too, but it felt a little awkward as the businessman next to me was obviously fasting.

Was met by the Intrepid contacts at Arrivals and pointed in the right direction for Visas, etc. Bumped into Anna, another Intrepid adventurer, who was also expecting a car to the hotel.

Our driver, Aiman, appeared to have forgotten his licence or something, and after a lot of circuitous journeying and loud Arabic mobile conversations, he took me on my way. (Anna had to go with another driver, apparently.) As my friend Imad ensured me before I came, Cairo is indeed Chaos. It was a break-neck thrill-ride all the way to the hotel, on the way glimpsing fabulous mosques, and a lot of construction work, and narrowly avoiding numerous other vehicles, including a donkey-and-cart.

The Victoria Hotel is a pleasing, 1930s building. Not luxurious but everything you could reasonably want (including this handy Internet cafe).

Met up with Anna and Sharif, an Intrepid guide, and went out to explore. Sampled Turkish coffee, a sheesha pipe (don't worry Mum, only apple-flavoured), and v. nice meat shawarma in an air-conditioned cafe. Have organized to tag along with another Intrepid tour tomorrow to visit the Pyramids and the Museum. Nile cruise in the evening. Right, I haven't slept for some while, so I'll say TTFN.

Phil x

Email

I still have lots of fiddly bits & bobs to do, but tomorrow is my last day, so I'm starting to realize that only the vital ones will get done. Probably a good thing, anyhow.

One thing I have to do is to give you my new web-based email address:

Hopefully I'll be able to check it sometimes. Of course, you can leave comments on the blog, too :^) ttfn

Itinerary

Ahoy chaps. Not knowing how regular my updates will be, I thought I’d better provide an itinerary ahead of time, so here you go:

Thu 11th Oct

06.00 After being transported to Heathrow by his wonderful parents (thank you in advance, M&D!), Phil departs for Cairo, via Milan.

09.00 Arrive Milan. Dove reprendo my luggage, por favor? …er… per favore?

10.20 Depart Milan.

14.10 Arrive Cairo. Attempt to find nice chap who’s supposed to meet me.

Taxi to Victoria Hotel. Find feet, and head for the …er… Pyramids?

Fri 12th Oct

Full day in Cairo on me tod. Not sure what I’ll be doing yet, but the Cairo Museum, and possibly a fellucca trip, may well feature strongly. Ramadan will be ending around now, so it could be an interesting time as Eid festivities kick in.

Sat 13th Oct

Last morning before joining party. Still plenty to see. Islamic Cairo, if I haven’t got that far yet.

13.00 Meet the Intrepid party at Victoria Hotel. Orientation walk. Then a trip to Coptic Cairo, featuring , hopefully, the Hanging Church, and other highlights of Egypt’s ancient Coptic Christian tradition. This has been recommended by Imad, an Egyptian friend from church.

Sun 14th Oct

We arise early to begin the nine-hour trip through desert sands to Sinai. We’ll be following in the footsteps of Moses, no less, and ascending the sacred mountain (although the jury’s out on whether Mt Sinai is actually Moses’ Mount or not, it’s certainly hiding around these parts somewhere…). We’ll also have an opportunity to visit St Katherine’s Monastery, an ancient Greek Orthodox monastery that has been continuously occupied by monks for over 1,400 years. Legend says it was founded on the site of the Burning Bush. It has one of the most amazing libraries in the world, which will definitely not be on the tour, as it houses some of the world’s most important ancient manuscripts, including part of the Codex Sinaiticus, the most ancient and complete text upon which the New Testament is based. Whoah.

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/themes/asianafricanman/codex.html

Mon 15th Oct

Today we head for Nuweiba, on the Red Sea coast. Yes – I have packed my trunks. If I remember my contacts, I may even get to do some snorkelling. Tonight, we dine with the Bedouin (cue the sheep’s eyeballs for the idiot tourist…)

Tue 16th Oct

In the afternoon, we’ll take the four-hour ferry journey up to the ancient port of Aqaba, in Jordan, where we’ll spend the night. And yes, this is where we start to enter Lawrence of Arabia territory. It’s very close to the Israeli border, so you can see across the Jordan valley from here.

Wed 17th Oct

Following in Lawrence’s footsteps we head into the amazing desert landscape of Wadi Rum, by jeep. Tonight we’ll be staying in a Bedouin encampment. Good thing I’ve bought a sleeping bag.

Thu 18th – Fri 19th Oct

Catch the bus to Petra (very Indiana Jones). A chance to explore that ‘rose-red city, half as old as time’, the capital of the ancient Kingdom of the Nabateans. Good thing I charged up my camera at the Bedouin camp. Er…

We’ll be staying nearby in Wadi Musa, the Valley of Moses, where the prophet is supposed to have struck the rock with his staff, bringing forth water for the thirsty Israelites.

Sat 20th – Sun 21st Oct

Now we travel up an ancient trade route known as the King’s Highway (see e.g. Numbers 20:17). Along the way, we’ll be visiting al-Karak, an old Crusader castle, doing the obligatory floating-in-the-Dead-Sea, and visiting Mount Nebo, from where Moses first glimpsed the Promised Land. He’s also reputed to be buried in the area, tho’ the site of his grave is a mystery.

Our destination is the ancient city of Madaba, where we’ll be staying. It has many archeological treasures, including a mosaic which is the oldest map of the Holy Land (6th Century).

On Sunday, there’ll hopefully be chance to attend an early mass at the Greek Orthodox Church of St George. Later, we’ll visit Jordan’s capital, Amman, with its ancient Roman theatre, and Citadel. I may seem to be using the word ‘ancient’ a lot, but it’s not inappropriate for Amman, which, by all accounts has been inhabited continuously since, well, the Stone Age.

(There may also be chance to visit a Palestinian refugee camp, but that’s not definite.)

Mon 22nd Oct

Another early start, to travel to Jerash, site of the Graeco-Roman city of Gerasa. Well-preserved ruins. (Why does that make me think of Oil of Ulay?). Then it’s Jordanian public transport over the border into Syria, where we arrive at its (yes) ancient capital, Damascus. ‘Ancient alleyways and bustling bazaars’ says the tour guide. A highlight is bound to be the great Umayyad Mosque, one of the wonders of the Islamic world.

Tue 23rd Oct

Staying in Damascus, with plenty of opportunity to explore. Somewhere around here is the Street called Straight, where St Paul (or Saul of Tarsus as he then was) visited Ananias after his conversion. And I must check out the Mausoleum of Saladin…

Wed 24th Oct

Today we visit Palmyra, another unbelievably old city. It was also known as Tadmor (see II Chronicles 8:4) and is said to have been built by King Solomon. One of its most famous rulers was Queen Zenobia, a descendant of Cleopatra. There are also the ruins of a temple to Bel.

In the evening, another chance to enjoy the hospitality of the Bedouin.

Thu 25th Oct

We head west for the Med coast, and the crusader castle of Krak des Chevaliers, which Lawrence of Arabia described as the ‘most wholly admirable castle in the world.’ It has outer walls 100ft thick, and stands 700m above sea level, affording a commanding view over the valley between Homs and Tripoli. Ah, right. Yes. A good time to cure myself of my vertigo…

Fri 26th – Sat 27th Oct

Off to Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city. Its local name is Halab, meaning ‘milk’, after a tradition that the Patriarch Abraham gave out milk to passing travellers in this region. Well-known for its covered souq (market), it also has an impressive Citadel, a very fancy bath-house, and the Great Mosque. Lots to see.

Sun 28th Oct

Into Turkey, and Antakya, known in ancient times as Antioch. It was one of the wealthiest cities in the Roman Empire, and also the place where the followers of Jesus were first called ‘Christians’ (as an insult, of course). It later became one of the centres of the Early Church. Nice mosaics, too.

Mon 29th Oct

Mostly a travel day, we should arrive at the Ihlara Valley in the afternoon. On the way, we stop at the small town of Nigde. We spend the night in Selime, where apparently the locals are friendly and the trout is very good. Opportunity for scenic walks and seeking out the hidden churches of the Early Christians.

Tue 30th Oct

Onto Cappadocia, land of bizarre fairy-chimneys and surreal limestone landscapes. Also the home of some of the most important early Church Fathers, such as Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory Nazianzen, who showed key insight into the Trinity at a formative time in Church history. We’re staying at Goreme. Oh, and did I mention the underground cities?

Wed 31st Oct

Happy Birthday Mum! (in case I can’t reach a phone or PC). Still in Goreme. Cool.

Thu 1st Nov

This afternoon, we catch the bus to Ankara, the bustling, cosmopolitan face of modern Turkey.

Later, we’ll catch an overnnight train for the 9½ hour journey to Istanbul.

Fri 2nd – Sun 4th Nov

The train should pull in early to Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, formerly Byzantium. I have a book about this city as thick as you like [cheers Bill ;^)] and I won’t have time to read it til’ my return. Even then, I doubt I’ll scratch the surface, but I’m glad of the opportunity just to go.

Our hotel is near the Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia), but that amazing place of worship is just the tip of the wonders of Istanbul. I still can’t fully believe the photos I’ve seen of the Blue Mosque, so that’s also high on the list. Then there’s the Topkapi Palace, and not forgetting the Grand Bazaar…

I return home with BA (direct flight, woo!) on the 4th, and will, God willing, touch down in London at 11.20. Whew, I’m exhausted, and I haven’t even gone yet.

xXx