28th November 1993

Amman, capital of Jordan. Up and down the hills between the luxurious villas. Everyone of them different! Everyone of them enormous. The people who live here must be very wealthy, it is obviously the place to be for aspiring architects. But where do the poor people live? Are there any? The guide says "yes" but we don't see anything that could be described as poverty.

Monday 29th November 1993 6:00 to 8:30am

It was worth getting up early. The 2nd century Roman theatre, converted around 6th century to a citadel by construction of fortifications and later buried under sand was excavated and renovated in mid 20th century. It is an enormous and, maybe because it was buried in sand, well preserved theatre. The guide is very enthusiastic, giving dimensions and pointing out the various columns and arches. It is certainly a splendid theatre with its tiered seating and it colonnaded stage.

Monday 29th November 1993, 8:30am to 11:00am

Just after 8:30am and we are on the coach heading from Bosra towards Damascus. The road is passing through mainly agricultural land, signs of farming are everywhere which I find surprising given the small amount of rain that falls in this part of the country. In the fields we see plenty of agricultural equipment but few people, maybe because it is still early or maybe because the work in these fields is largely complete for the season. We pass many olive groves, some recently planted, others mature.

Monday 29th November 1993, 11:00am to 1:00pm

We pile off the bus in Damascus and follow the guide. There is little time for dawdling. There is a lot to do and little time. We find ourselves standing looking at the mausoleum of Saladin. Saladin we are told was his title, not his name, which was Joseph son of Job. I don't go in, maybe some of our tour group spend longer at the tomb but I hurry on into the main court yard of the Umayyad Mosque. The Great Mosque.

Monday 29th November 1993, afternoon

When we booked this trip the brochure said it demanded stamina, it warned it was not a holiday for anyone seeking a leisurely break with plenty of free time to relax. Maybe that is true, we are certainly on a packed schedule but it is not the stamina needed for a hike or a long cycle ride, anyone without stamina could rest and nap on the coach. But on this trip the coach doubles as a class room. As the bus leaves the outskirts of Damascus heading for Palyrma the guide continues his enthusiastic presentation of his country. 

Tuesday 30th November 1993 7:30 - 10:00am

A relative lie in this morning. The alarm clock wakes us at 6:45am, just like going to work. We have another busy day ahead. After breakfast we will continue our exploration of ancient Palmyra before hitting the road and undertaking a whistle stop tour of sights on the road to Aleppo.

We have already done so much it seems like ages since we left home but it is still only our second day in Syria, and third day since our arrival in the middle east.