Petra

Once back in Jordan we wasted no time in getting out of the cold and dull Anman and down to Petra, a famous site you might know from the 3rd Indiana jones Moive. Spectacular site with loads of ruins, beautiful desert mountains and friendly Beduoin people offering chai. The little girl in the picture is listening Amon Tobin. It makes her Smile. The Donkey wishes he was listening to him.

Jerusalem

Amigos. After Tel Aviv we were back in Jerusalem for a while. Visited the Dead sea in which Mori floated, and to Bethlehem, birth places of the baby Jesus, and now a place where they have one big buggin wall. Youve seen it on the news, although maybe not the cool Grafitti.

Crocs

Tomoko and I both bought crocs from Canada! (Mori, white. Me, light brown.) 175 Sheckles! Dror says its a good deal. They are lighter than moths. Isreali Chapal, but not. http://www.crocs.com/home.jsp

Tel Aviv

We were in Amman. Twas cold and some what bereft of a certain sparkle. That wasnt our game of soldiers so we headed west, to Isreal. Jeruslaem, so it is a full place, all dem types, bowing there heads and chanting their chants in a whole swirl of different ways and colours. Jesus' Rose smelling stone, the bowing wall of the zionites, and the Golden petrusion, muscled in with more and more. Taken away by my Isreali connections, Dror and Lior turn up in the rasta van and have us away to Tel Aviv. Beach, herbs, soul food, acupuncture, Friends with India memories. Hare. Photo shows Leor, Dror, Tami, Sush, Kibutz Fags and Leors home grown.

The Ciders

After wandering the Kadisha valley I met a nice bunch of chaps in a jeep who gave me a lift up to the ciders ski resort. Demonstrating both Lebanese hospitality and crazy driving to the full, as the guy kept crashing into snow drifts for the fun of it. It was fun, oh yes. Spoke no English, Thankfully one guy (Mohammed)(no, really)(you'd never have guessed would you) spoke some French so communication was possible, albeit stilted by my flimsy grasp on the Galic tongue, but we muddled along, good language practice for me.

Father Dario

A Columbian monk living in a hermitage I met whilst walking through the Spectacular Kadisha Valley in northern Lebanon. Lovely chap, lived in Brighton foir a while.
Follower of the Desert fathers who were big on living in caves or on top of Pillars etc. A more intersting side of Christianity for me....

Balabekk

From Beirut we took a few day trips around the country, as you can reach everywhere in hours, being such a wee place. ONe was to the maginificent roman ruin at Balabek in the Bakaa Valley. HUge great Pillars, Jupiter temples and the like. Nice stuff.

Lebanon

We spent 2 weeks in Lebanon based in Talal's Guest house in Beirut. Great place to stay as they have good cooking and laundry facilities. The owner Zahir is a good guy as well, Generous and full of info, if sometimes rather too much info about his sexual history.... We enjoyed being able to buy nice wines and cheese and enjoyed the shopping. Bought myself a new pair of shoes as my old ones were on their last legs. Photo shoes us near Beirut's one natural landmark, the Pigeon Rocks. Spent New Year getting very drunk with friends we had met at the monestary at Christmas. one of them, a Canadian named Spencer, has a flat in Beirut as he's working there as a Journalist. So overall a relaxing time, loved the warmer weather and ther people. Think its the type of town we could settle in for a year or so, they have all the facilities we need and theres work there for a teacher. Still, now is not the time for sitting, its time to move on....