The lost civilization!

Jordan.
The first country of my Middle East visit, Jordan has a population of around five million people, a mix of Palestinians and tribes people (Bedouin). . It has borders with Saudi Arabia, Syria, Israel & the Palestinians Territories and the one and only Iraq. The capital, Amman, is very modern and apart from its ill-tempered and suicidal drivers is a very pleasant city.

What is World Vision doing in Jordan?
The threat of armed conflict in Iraq has prompted World Vision to urgently charter a plane to fly in essential supplies for thousands of refugees expected to flee to neighbouring countries.
The plane is carrying three ten-tonne trucks for the transport of relief items including:
-6,300 blankets, 1,800 plastic sheets for shelter, 10,000 collapsible water containers.
World Vision will work in partnership with other humanitarian organizations to distribute some of the relief goods to refugees at a refugee camp currently being established along the Jordanian border with Iraq. The remainder will be held for relief operations inside Iraq.
World Vision also has plans to assist refugees fleeing to Syria, Iran and to a lesser extent in Turkey.
Of course there is the fate of more than 13 million Iraqi children to consider. Also, right now, Jordan is going through a very cold winter. Click here for more information.

Tuesday 11 March.
I arrived at the port at 10.30am and started the slow process of getting the necessary paper work done. I was charged US$51 for the ferry crossing, including the bike. Then I had to pay some dollars here and there for god knows what, taxes for this and taxes for that, they told me. I actually got on board at 1.30pm, the ship was quite modern and the weather was ideal for a little cruise on the Red Sea. I kept looking at the water to see the red bits but to this day I have absolutely no idea why they call it the Red Sea, the guy that named it must have been colour blind or just blind.
We followed the narrow channel with Egypt on the left and Saudi Arabia on the right until we got to the end where we could now see Israel and Jordan. Once again I was at a point where four different countries met, Egypt, Israel, Saudi and Jordan.
Before disembarking I had to pay US$16 for Jordan entry tax and US$10 for bike insurance. I was giving a 3 days transit visa and assured that I would not have anything more to pay in Jordan if I kept my visit to 3 days (remember that bit).
We were on terra ferma at 7pm and I went straight to a hotel.
I left early the next morning. It was daylight at 5.30am and I was looking forward for a nice ride in Jordan. The sky was all clear and the temperature mild. I decided to make a small detour to Wadi Rum, this region is supposed to have the most spectacular desert scenery in the world. When I got there, the village was deserted and I could see that if I wanted to go farther in that region I would have to go in the sand again as the tarmac road had ended. Thank you but no thank you, I thought, I have had all the sand to last me a lifetime, so I turned around. I noticed that the temperature was dropping, the sky was now overcast, something that I was not used to anymore. I was heading to Petra. The road was climbing and suddenly I found myself on a very foggy road, I could not see more than 20m ahead of me. Then the condition got much worse with strong winds, hailstones and snow. When I arrived in Petra I was so cold that I stopped at the first hotel that I saw to have a hot drink, it happened to be the Sofitel, one if not the most expensive hotel in the town. I was welcomed and taken to the restaurant for a hot cup of coffee. The waiters were very friendly and they told me that usually they have between 200 to 250 guests staying at the hotel but since the trouble with Iraq the business was very slow. They only had 10 guests that day. The BBC news was on and I could feel my body coming back to life again but I could not help worrying about how much that cup of coffee was going to cost me. "The coffee is complimentary" the waiter told me, that was a relief. I got back on the bike to Wadi Musa, the closest village to Petra and found a more appropriate hotel with a good heater. By 1pm I was all set to go and visit Petra.
Petra, the rose-red city they call it, is hidden amongst the ancient canyons of Jordan and is the most mystic and glorious treasure of the country. Carved entirely into the naturally pink rocks, the remains of the once lost Nabataean city of Petra include temples, Roman theatres, monasteries, houses and roads. Petra was lost to the outside world for some 700 years before its rediscovery in the 19th century.

As I walked in, a track guided me down to the Siq, the narrow gorge that takes you into Petra. It's 1.2km long and acts as a dramatic entry to the city. The Siq often narrows to about 5m and the walls tower up to 200m overhead. Then it opens on the treasury which is carved out of the solid, iron-laden sandstone (pictured). It was served as a tomb for a Mabataean king. Beyond that is the astonishing monument that dominates Petra. I spent the whole afternoon wandering around this magic place, meeting Bedouin but no tourists. On normal time, the

place can have up to 3000 visitors per day; today only 15 bought a ticket.

Thursday 13 March.
I was not going to take a chance with the weather, so I prepared myself for a very cold ride. Getting dressed took a while, first the thermo underwear then all the clothes that I had in my bag. By the time I was ready I could hardly move and felt like the Michelin blow up man. Making a trip to the toilet once you have got your gloves on is definitely out of the question, or leaving the keys in your jeans pocket for that matter. So I left in the freezing cold, happy that the bike was equipped with heated handgrips.
I was going to make another short detour to the Dead Sea which runs between Israel and Jordan on the West side of the country but I could not see the point since it was already dead, my visit would surely not bring it back to life. So I went straight to the capital, Amman, the weather was starting to warm up again but the cold wind refused to let go. After circling the city a few time trying to find a place to stay for the night, I finally found one that was not going to break my budget. For US$2 I had a room that I had to share with four other local men. I regretted it during the night as a couple of them kept me awake with their snoring.

That evening, as I was checking my email, I learned that Barry Sheene died, that made me very sad. Born in England in 1950, Barry was twice World Motorcycle Champion, first in 1976 then in 1977 in the 5oocc class and the first one to do so on a Suzuki. He was a legend in the motorcycle world. When I was young, Barry was my hero; I used to go to England, Belgium and Germany to watch him race. I even wore an identical leather suit and collected posters of him. Later on, I enjoyed his commentaries of the Grand

Prix in Australia. The world of motorcycle racing will never be the same without you Barry, go in peace my friend.

The next day, I met up with my good German friends, Barbara and Bernd Jacobi who I had spent time with in Khartoum. You can visit their web site www.bernd-jacobi.de (only in German though). I found them in Jerash, 60km north of Amman. We spent the morning visiting the beautiful preserved Roman city of Jerash. The city's main ruins were rediscovered in 1806, but excavations did not begin until the 1920s. While archaeology exploration continues, it is estimated that 90% of the city has yet to be unearthed. After a last "cupper" with my friends it was time for me to keep going as I had to cross over to Syria before the end of the day. My three days were up.
I arrived at the border at 2pm and started with the immigration. I

could not believe the Jordanian officer when he told me that I had overstayed in Jordan and that I had to pay US$16. I explained to him that I had entered Jordan on the 11th at 7pm and today was the 14th, so that was exactly 3 days. His response was that it was 4 days, the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th. I tried to explain to him his mistake but he refused to listen. I know by now that if an officer at a border tells you that snow is black you have to agree with him right or wrong (he probably was the same guy that named the Red Sea), so I paid my $16 and shut up. On the Syrian border, things went very quickly. I was told to pay US$40 and that would cover everything, 30 for insurance and 10 for paper work. I paid without question and was on my way to Damascus.

Syria.
Long run by a hardline regime, the country's image has been softened in recent times by its participation on the allied side on the Gulf War, tentative moves towards peace with Israel and a relaxation of internal political and economical strictures.
It has a population of 17 million people who are well renowned for their hospitality.
Damascus, the capital, is claimed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, there was an urban settlement here as long as 5000BC. I found it a fascinating city, retaining much of the mystery of the oriental bazaars and the gracious, somewhat decayed charm of some of the Islamic world's greatest monuments.

I found a nice enough hotel and started exploring the old city. The old city wall, first erected in grand style by the Romans, has been flattened and rebuilt several times over the past 2000 years. What stands today dates largely from the 13th century.

I was very impressed by the Umayyad Mosque, it is one of the most notable buildings of Islam and certainly the most important structure in Syria. It is unique in its engineering, architecture and decorations; it is considered a school on building and architecture for the world mosques. It inspired the architects for many centuries as they always attempted to build its equals. The history of the site goes back almost 3000 years to the 9th century BC, when the Aramaeans built a temple here to their god Hadad.

I was very surprised with Damascus climate as I found myself back in my tee-shirt, no shorts though, not because it's too cold but because I don't think that it would be acceptable.
My bike was due for an oil change and other minor services. Also my rear sprocket had as many teeth left on it than a new born baby. After 23,000km I suppose it's normal and I am sure that all the sand and dust did not prolonged its natural life. So I also put a new chain and new sprockets. I am very happy with the bike, the riding is very comfortable, the fuel economy first-class and the reliability excellent, so far. So if you are looking for a new bike I would highly recommend this one. Go and see my friend David Killeen at 130 City Road Southbank Victoria Australia.
Tel. 613 96861999. Email: southbankmc@bigpond.com
He will definitely give you the best deal if you mention that I sent you.

For the people who know me well I am happy to report that I was back on my normal diet of pastries, cakes and ice creams, while in Damascus anyway. There, you can find the finest oriental pastries in the world; I also came across an ice cream shop that makes what they call Arabic ice cream. It is basically a milk ice cream without any flavour. They serve it in a cone and cover it with fresh roasted pistachio for only 50c. I had to restrain myself from eating them for breakfast, lunch and dinner
An absolute delight after what I have been eating lately. .

Wednesday 19 March.
It rained all night and I was not looking forward for today ride. I left at 8am and it was kind of fine but that did not last, after one hour it started to rain again and the wind got worse. I got very wet and decided to stop for the day in Hama, a small town 130km from the Turkish border. I got a very nice room for a couple of dollars with clean sheets and a TV. I was able to watch the BBC news which told me all the latest news from the eminent war, inevitable I'm afraid. So, with only a few hours before the dateline, I will sign off. If the rain eases off tomorrow I will cross into Turkey, if not then the next day.
More photos.

Le long sanglot des Musulmanes.

La Jordanie est un pays de 5 millions d'habitants, un mélange de Palestiniens et de tribus de Bedouin. Elle est entourée par l'Arabie Séoudite, de la Syrie, de l'Israël et de l'Iraq. Sa capitale, Amman est trés moderne et aussi plaisante.

Que fait World Vision en Jordanie ?
En vue de la guerre éminante avec l'Iraq, World Vision a déjà envoyée un avion avec des couvertures, des tôles en plastiques (protection contre le froid) et aussi des seaux. Ils attendent

plusieurs milliers de réfugés dans les prochaines semaines et ont déja établis des camps le long de la frontière avec la Jordanie. Ils vont aussi organisés d'autres camps en Syrie et en Iran.
Bien-sur il y a aussi le futur de 13 millions d'enfants à considerer.

Mardi 11 mars 03.
Je suis arrivé au port à 10.30 et tout de suite j'ai commencé les démarches nécessaire pour organiser mon passage. J'ai du d'abord payer 50 Euros pour le bateau, cela inclus aussi le passage de la moto. Ensuite j'ai payé des Euros par-ci par-là pour les taxes douanières. A 13.30 tout était réglé et je m'installais sur ce bateau plutot moderne et par un temps spendide, pour une petite croisière sur la Mer Rouge. J`avais beau regardé la mer dans tout les sens en espérant y voir des petits points rouges, rien à faire, je ne comprend toujours pas pourquoi ils l'appellent la Mer Rouge.
Nous avons suivi la cote de l'Arabie Séoudite d'un coté et celle de l'Egypte de l'autre pendant 3 heures jusqu'au bout. Là ou, encore une fois, quatre pays se rencontrent (La Jordanie, l'Israël, l'Egypte et l'Arabie Séoudite).
Avant de débarquer j'ai encore du payer 16 Euros pour les taxes de Jordanie et aussi 10 Euros pour l'assurance de la moto. Ils me donnaient un visa de transit pour 3 jours et m'assurer que je n'aurais rien d'autre à payer en Jordanie. A 19 heures j'étais enfin sur la terre ferme et je trouvais un hotel à Aqaba pour passer la nuit.
A 5.30 il faisait déjà jour et j'en profitais pour partir de bonne heure, le ciel était tout bleu et la journée s'annonçait magnifique. Je décidais de faire un petit détour par Wadi Rum, une région réputé d'avoir des paysages désertiques les plus beaux du monde. Le village de Wadi Rum était plutot déserté et comme la route goudronnée s'arrêtait içi je devais continuer dans le sable. Comme du sable j'en ai eu plus que j'en voulais, je faisais demi-tour sans demander mon reste.
Je remarquais que la température baissée plutot dramatiquement et que le ciel se couvrait de nuages menaçant, quelques chose dont j'avais perdu l'habitude. J'allais vers Pétra, une ancienne cité. La route montait de plus en plus et soudainement j'étais dans un brouillard épais, je n'y voyais pas à plus de 20m, je roulais au pas car la route était devenu trés sinueuse. Cet alors que les conditions ont empirés, je faisais face à un vent violent, de la grêle et mème de la neige. Quand je suis arrivé à Pétra j'étais mort de froid, je m'arrêtais au premier hotel venu, le Sofitel, un des plus chers hotels du pays et je demandais un café. Les serveurs étaient trés accueillant et aussi content d'avoir un client car depuis les problèmes avec l'Iraq il n'y a plus de touristes dans la région. Cet hotel peut loger jusqu'à 250 personnes et ce jour là ils avaient 10 clients. Je me réchauffais bien vite, les serveurs m'avaient allumés la télévision, TV5 s'il vous plait. En bref le grand confort mais je m'inquiètais quand mème à l'approche de l'addition. Quand le moment fut venu de partir les serveurs, mes amis maintenant, me disaient que le café était sur le compte de la maison. Ouf !
Je reprenais la route jusqu'à Wadi Musa, petit village tout prés de Pétra et y trouvais un petit hotel plus approprier avec un bon chauffage.
A 13 heures j'étais d'attaque pour aller visiter Pétra.

Pétra est cachée parmi les anciens canyons du sud de la Jordanie et c'est un des plus glorieux et mystique des trésors de ce pays. Pétra est aussi un tribut éternel à une civilisation perdue. Sculptées entièrement dans des roches de teinte naturelle rosâtre, les ruines de ce que fut jadis la cité Nabatéenne perdue de Pétra comprennent des temples, des théatres romains, des monastères, des logements et des routes. De l'entrée, un sentier nous conduit au siq, l'étroite gorge qui permet d'accéder á l'ancienne ville. Cette gorge, longue de 1,2km est des fois pas plus large de 2 m et à des montants de plus de 200m. Et soudainement la gorge s'élargit et on débouche sur la ville. La première vision que j'ai eu en atteignant l'extrémité du Siq est à vous en coupait le souffle, si grandiose qu'aucun mot ne saurait lui rendre justice, le mieux c'est

d'en faire l'expérience vous-même. J'y ai passé l'aprés-midi, explorant cette place magique et en rencontrant des Bédouins. Quelle retour dans le passé ! En tant normal, Pétra accueille jusqu'à 3000 visiteurs par jour, ce jour là ils avaient vendu 15 billets.

Jeudi 13 Mars.
Avec un froid pareil je n'hésitais pas à mettre tout les habits que j'avais dans mon sac pour continuer ma route. Une fois habillé, je pouvais à peine bouger, je me sentais comme la poupée gonflante de chez Michelin. En plus, une fois les gants mis pas question de réaliser que l'on a oublié d'aller au toilette ou que l'on a laissé la clé de contact dans la poche du jeans. Toujours est-il que je partais vers la capital content d'avoir des poignées chauffantes. Le plus je m'approchais d' Amman le plus la température montée car je descendais. Je tournais plusieurs fois en rond dans cette ville inconnue pour finalement y trouver un petit hotel pas cher mais ou je devais partager la chambre avec trois gars du coin. Plutard je regrettais car leurs ronflements me faisait passer une nuit blanche.

Ce soir là en consultant mon E-mail j'apprenais que Barry Sheene était mort dernièrement d'un cancer de la gorge et de l'estomac. Pilote britannique, il avait été sacré champion du monde catégorie 500 cm3 en 1976 et 1977 et avait enlevé dix-neuf grands prix en 500 cm3 et trois en 125 cm3. Il avait effectué l'essentiel de sa carrière chez Suzuki, à l'exception de trois années passées chez Yamaha, et s'était retiré en Australie en 1990. Ces derniers temps il commentait des courses sur la télévision Australienne. Cela m'a beaucoup attristé car lorsque j'étais jeune

Barry Sheene c'était mon héros. J'avais mème acheté une combinaison en cuir identique à la sienne et je collectionnais ses posters. Les week ends de Grand Prix on allait le voir en Angleterre, en Belgique ou encore en France. Il est mort à 52 ans et il va me manquer, le monde de la moto ne sera jamais plus ce qu'il était sans toi Barry, repose en paix mon ami.

Vendredi 14 Mars.
Je décidais de passer par Jerash pour y visiter une autre ancienne ville Romaine. Là j'y rencontrais mes amis Allemands Bernd et Barbara Jacobi que j'avais rencontré à Khartoum. Je passais la matinée à visiter ce site avec eux puis je me dirigeais vers la frontière Syrienne en début d'aprés-midi. A la douane, je commençais par l'immigration. Quand l'officier m'a dit que mon visa transit n'était plus valable et que je devais payer 16 Euros. Je lui expliquais que ce n'était pas possible car cela ne faisait que trois jours que j'étais en Jordanie ayant entrer le 11 à 19 heures, il m'a répondu que non, que cela faisait quatre jours, le 11, le 12, le 13 et le 14. Pas question de contredire un douanier, s'il dit que la neige est noir et bien la neige est noir. J'ai payé sans demander mon reste. Du coté Syrien les choses ont été beaucoup plus rapide, le douanier m'a dit de payer 40 Euros, 30 pour l'assurance de la moto et 10 pour les taxes. J'ai payé sans commentaires et reprenais la route vers Damas.

La Syrie
La Syrie compte 18 millions d'habitants et ils sont renommées pour leurs hospitalitées. Damas, la capital, est supposé être la plus ancienne ville du monde.
Il y a la vielle ville dont la Mosquée des Omayades qui est la plus cèlébre des mosques de l'Islame. Elle est unique dans son architecture, dans sa construction et dans ses ornements. Elle est considérée comme une école de construction et d'architecture des mosquées au monde.
Le temps était beaucoup plus agréable et je resortais mon tee-shirt mais pas de shorts, cela ne serait pas acceptable.
J'en profitais pour faire une révision à la moto, changer l'huile, nettoyer le filtre à air et comme mon pignon arrière avait autant de dent qu'un nouveau née j'en profitais pour le changer ainsi que la chaine et le pignon avant. J'en suis bien content de cette moto, elle est trés confortable, trés économique et je peus compter dessus.
Aprés quelques jours de repos, à déguster les délicieuses pâtisseries orientale sans oublier les glaces Arabiques, je repartais vers la Turquie.

Mercredi 19 Mars.
Il a plu toute la nuit et la fraicheur est revenue. Je n'avais pas du tout envie de prendre la route mais il fallait continuer. Je partais à 8 heures, la pluie avait cessée mais aprés une heure de route elle réapparaissait, je me faisais tremper et décidais de faire alte pour la journée à Hama, petite ville à une centaine de km de la frontière Turque.
Voila, si la pluie continue demain je partirai aprés-demain et si il pleut encore aprés-demain....
Aurevoir.

Looking at Israel and Egypt from Jordan.
Regardant l'Israël et l'Egypte de la Jordanie.

Just like in the "Indiana Jones" movie.
Comme dans le film "Indiana Jones"

The lost city of Petra.
La cité perdue de Pétra.

The beautifully preserved Roman city of Jerash.
La belle ville Romaine de Jerash.

Jerash once more.
Jerash encore une fois.

What can I say?
Bon appétit!

Taxis and private cars in Syria.
Taxis et voiture privée en Syrie.

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JOURNAL 16.
20/03/03 . Jordan, Syria. Total mileage so far 23,400km .
(Pour la version française du journal, allez au bas de la page ou cliquez içi.
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