syria and jordan

The Mijali Family.. Saved us from being blown into the desert!!
Had a bit of a hang over this day!!... that non alcoholic beer can get to you after a few weeks on the road!!
Saying good bye after the 2 nights in the monestary.. Mainly french speaking (couldnt understand a word) Typical Syrian desert weather...cold,wet and impoddibly nuddy off road.
The Monestary at dawn..(I was the only one tomanage to get up in time for it)
This is what the Syrian kids do instead of school!!! After scrambling up the really steep sides they slide down on their arses and become human pinballs off the stone bollards in the lower section!


sorry for recentbreak in transmission,but internet rare here in these araby countries. Been having lots of adventures though,;hard to know where to start.Backwards is easier for the aged memory !
InPetra in jordan now...been a bit of a battle against constant headwind to get here.Can only hope it carries on so that going back north will be a doodle. Have not had any easy cyling since leaving turkey !After here hoping to go to wadi rum,then to sea near aqaba for snorkeling......ha ha...then plan to get blown back north by dead sea.!(watch lawrence of arabia for general background!).
shall leave jon to relate adventures...interesting nights spent in strange places. (our guardian angels have been working very hard to make things always turn out for the best !]
We keep on finding interesting places to stay.. sometimes they are found for us!!
First there was the Monestary in the mountains of syria.. we heard that it was free to stay (how could we turn thet offer down?) We arrived with our new cycling freinds Davide and Latica.. two cyclists from Switserland who we met a few days before. The place was fantastic and we were lucky to see rain in the desert!! (flooding etc!!)
The next was when we had been cycling through a military zone all day....whe we asked about camping.. we were sent to the police...Problem!!!!... they didnt really want anything to do with us so off to the Army... Problem!!.. but they didnt really want anything todo with us.. so off tho the Mosque.. No Problem.. and a good night
Got into Jordan ok.. and the weather was better b(thank god) warmer and less windy.. We were enjoying the scenery and making good progress south untill the end of our 2nd full day.. the wind was picking up and we had been warned of rain and the possibility of snow..
In the end we had a desperate camp on the side of the road.. building walls arround the tent.. waiting for it to blow down... Then there was a crash on the road!! a pick up drove into a pile of gravel.... all ok but a bit of a fuss.. we were stuck in the tent holding it up!!
The car was moved and all went quiet (except for the wind) untill 10 mins later when there was a constant beep beep beep from the road... Oh no, we thought,, we have been found!! Go out Jon and see what they want.. Out I go and there is an Arab man in a car with hid wife... come with us.. come with us...etc.. no way out.... so down with the tent and off to the Mijali Family house... food.. warmth..and a safe place to sleep...
They were the most fantastic people.. met most of the family.. They didnt want us to go.. "stay another day!!" so we will see them on the way back north..
We think someone is looking after us...
Any way.... as nic said we are at Petra now.. so I will have to do my best Indiana Jones impression, get my whip out anf find the treasure here.....