Your Correspondent In The Middle East

Well, the Middle East has thrown up another debacle. I guess there's always one just around the corner in these parts. I was planning on popping over to Israel but that will have to wait now. They could have at least planned their action a day earlier and saved me £20 on the Lonely Planet!! It will be interesting to see what happens with it all. The interest level over here is predictably high. You walk into any shop and ever single tv has the running news story on it, and we all know how well the media can excite people. Everyone's relaxed now but who knows. I mean, just tonight I had a car load of "hooligans" hang out the windows and yell, "Good morning to Jordan where you now are!!". That be fightin' talk if ever I heard it!

It was time to leave Aqaba this morning and head up the Dead Sea Highway all the way to Amman (it takes about 3hrs if you do it with purpose). Israel is just "there" all the way up, so close you could walk there, and it's frustrating that the problems over here just never find the right and full solution that's required. This stretch of land is The Rift Valley and the section just after Aqaba is the very arid Wadi Araba. Beyond that is a sight I think not dissimilar to the Nile. It's very fertile but only runs a couple of kms either side before the barren desert kicks in. Here you can find the likes of bananas and tomatoes growing (just between you and me, I'm almost tomato and cucumbered out at this stage!). Next we passed Lot's cave (where he hid having escaped the destruction of Sodom). I often wander how Lot made it into The Bible what with having hung out at Sodom and Gomorrah and then getting it on with his daughters. Weirdo. I guess having connections high up (he was the nephew of Abraham) helps. His two sons/grandsons (not sure what you'd call them!) Moab and Ben-Ammi fathered the two big tribes in the area, the Moabites and Ammonites. Although the two evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah have never been found (they may have been swallowed up by seismic activity), the cave seems legit with Lot's name being mentioned on an inscription in the cave.

We passed some big money-earners for Jordan, being potash and magnesium oxide processing plants and by now The Dead Sea was back in sight. Did you know that you never get burnt in the Dead Sea area because the salt haze produces a barrier that blocks UV rays. The water was so blue and being a hot day it was tempting to dive in. You can see all the salt encrusted on the shore and our driver climbed the cliff to bring us rocks of it. Not sure what I'll do with it, but I guess you pay top dollar for things like that! Next we passed through Wadi Mujib which used to be the border between Moab and Ammon. This area boasts a great nature reserve but we could see but just one gorge from the road.

By lunchtime we were back in Amman and took a quick drive around the very wealthy southern suburbs of the city. You could be in any wealthy suburb in the world here, and they really do have some money to play with. The houses are ENORMOUS! The American Embassy is also in this area and the security is out of this world. I like how they have this massive US flag, but it's descreetly tucked away between two buildings, not right out in your face. That's not like them!! ;-) It was at half mast today, so I'm not sure who's died. Probably all those birds and fish from the oil spill courtesy of BP. Seriously BP and US Government. Must try harder!!!!!!!

After lunch it was onto Jebel al-Qala'a (the citadel). There has been a fortress and market place on this site for thousands of years. It's the highest of the seven hills of Amman and hence provides superb views of the whole city. The ruins that remain today include those of a Roman temple believed to be for Hercules. There is also the Umayyad Palace with its reconstructed entrance hall and huge cistern. The museum that features is small but fabulous, being crammed full of 100s of artefacts, including some of the original Dead Sea Scrolls (the others being in Israel). The ones in Jordan are written on leather and copper and were found just up the road at Quamran. Amazing. Oh, and you'll be glad to know that the whole complex was spick and span. Not a black plastic bag in sight!

Next the huge Roman Theatre was in sight. In its heyday it seated 6000 and you can almost feel all those ancient eyes staring down at you as you stand on the stage. The folk museum here is also well put together. Trivia for the day…..during Roman times, Amman was called Philadelphia.

It was then hotel "admin" and food time.

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Yallah, yallah, yallah, jamal!!

Slept outside again last night (same as last night). It's so still and pleasantly warm with a huge full moon watching over. It feels like you're in a big dome, a bit like The Truman Show.

I'm not a crazy breakfast person unless it's a green juice or fruit, but the breakfasts in the Wadi are great……thyme duka, hummus, oil, hava and egg. Everyone was getting a jeep back to Rum Village, but I HAD TO have another go on a camel. I rode it all by myself this time and even got a few trots out of it! I think I may give up the horses and take up camels. I love them. They're really even tempered and fun to deal with. So with a camel under me, my guide singing arabic songs in hushed tones behind and the Wadi Rum spread out all around, I was in heaven.

Next it was off to Aqaba, passing through very arid, treeless, hilly terrain. We also passed a big truck depot with lots of oil tankers from Saudi and Iraq. Aqaba is a pleasant little seaside town in a somewhat unusual location. It's on the northern point of The Red Sea and shares the scrap of shoreline with Israel and Jordan. Eilat in Israel is so close that it almost merges into Aqaba. Taba in Egypt isn't too far around from that, its buildings clearly visible. If you go the other way, you'll run into the Saudi border just 20km up the road. Aqaba is the most important city in the south of Jordan and is really being groomed for the tourists. Although I think it might have a little way to go to attract your run-of-the-mill tourist, there are some very big and expensive hotels going up including The Saraya, which is costing a cool USD2.5B (yes...that's a "B", not an "M"!) Aqaba's history includes a showing from King Solomon who supposedly put a navy together here. Today there are some not so attractive ports with massive container ships from as far away as Panama.

We jumped on a little glass bottom boat to have a look at some coral. It was a little tedious but there were a few interesting things like coral that looked like lavender and some that even looked like brains. A few tyres, drink cans and even a yogurt container could also be viewed. Jordan's rubbish issue doesn't seem to end at the coastline. There was also a big old container that was basically an artificial reef and also an old tank which King Abdullah had pushed into the sea (I don't know why either). Weird to see something like that at the bottom go the sea though. I think I may introduce a Clean Up Jordan Day....or even the concept of an "eco-friendly shopping bag". Where's Ian Kiernan when you need him? (That's the question of the day, btw). I think a lot of the littering comes down to arrogance. That and laziness, just watching the attitude of some people as they just toss a plastic water bottle into the street though surrounded by bins. You know, that insecurity that says, "Look at me! I'm so big and tough, I can litter!" Weirdos. Anyway...back to the story.......I jumped in for a swim but it only really lasted 5 minutes. Having seen all the weird creatures, coral and other things in there, it was really just to jump in and say I'd swum in the Red Sea, quickly before a shark came and took me away!!

The afternoon was spent wandering around the town, which really seems to be divided between poor and not so poor. Stalls sell everything from nuts to cheap but obviously mass produced (from the number that are around!) valour, man-made fibre blankets. Mmmmmm. You can also get McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and Popyes. Oh dear. The fruit and vegetable souk left a little to be desired, but at least I could get a few bits. I also had a fruit smoothie. Why is it that Jordanians can't leave good food well alone? They have to ruin it with some sort of pollutant, usually of the sugar variety. What could have been a great drink made with fresh fruit then has sickly man-made strawberry syrup poured all down the inside edges. I had to quickly drink it before it mixed in with the drink!! I went into a perfume shop to get directions. They had all the "best" brands such as Lecosta, XY by Hogo Boss, Ioop! and Frerari (whose symbol was a black horse with just one foot off the ground instead of two!). I was about to walk out when I thought he was going to inject me with some big syringe full of sent. Next thing I was completely sprayed with the vile stuff! Coughing and with eyes burning from the "pepper spray" equivalent, I left with my deepest thanks. If nothing else, there's a brilliant bookshop! In there I met an American couple who had been living in Petra for the last three years. They actually live in Marguerite's village and know her. They're begrudgingly moving back Stateside though as their daughter is university age. It was interesting to talk to them about their experiences here. After about a 3hr wander in 42C heat, it was back to the hotel to do some "admin".

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Allah's Garden

Why are people so scared of silence? Why does every second have to be filled with idle monkey chit chat? Wadi Rum is amazing and there are very few places left in the world that are this vast and silent. At least when you spend most of your time in a city, time spent in places like Wadi Rum are a rare and precious gift. So why is it so hard for some folk to just be and enjoy the moment and nature at its grandest? That can be the question of the day. There's a great quote (though I can'y remember who wrote it) about the Sahara being Allah's Garden as it is the only place he can come to to get away from it all. I think the same could apply to this place.

Anyway……today was spent exploring this wonderful desert area. My early disappointment of not being able to ride a horse all day today (nothing like telling your guide days in advance and still not having anything organised!!) or a camel (a bit to expensive) was short lived (I think a dummy spit of about 2 minutes isn't bad at all!). It's just great to be here. Every corner turned introduces a new rock formation and colour. There are jebels (mountains) which seem covered in petrified waterfalls or that runny icing was poured over them and set as it dribbled over. Some have sharp and sheer cliff faces, some are soft and rounded whilst others are cut deep with gorges. We first walked from our "camp" to El Qattar to see a spring. It's always inspiring to see trees and plants thrive in such a harsh landscape. Where there is water, little micro ecosystems develop. As one in our group said, "Plants want to grow", and they really do here, forcing their way through the hardest of rock with no visible soil. Good thing to keep in mind when I start my veggie garden! Next it was a short drive over to Khazali (which means something along the lines of "Suicide Ali"). A bloke called Ali killed someone and the whole tribe wanted him dead. So he ran away up the mountain, as you do. They came after him so he jumped off the cliff. Miraculously he survived so obviously having God on his side, the tribe let him live and named the mountain after him. There is a great gorge in the mountain with 7th century (supposedly) rock carvings on the wall. There's also a very un-temporary looking bedouin tent selling souvenirs….and if you wait a while, jeep loads of Japanese tourists!!! To be fair, this was really the only spot we encountered more than a couple of people though, but last time we saw not a soul except maybe the odd shepherd. Lawrence's House was next. There just remains one wall but it's great to see where he lived and his view….which is nothing to complain about! He supposedly stayed here during the desert revolt. Next it was onto the obligatory sand dune climb. Only a couple of us did it. The sand was soooo scorching by this time. Makes you run up faster as your shoes fill up with sand and get slow cooked. Few things compare with the joy of running up and down (in huge, giant steps!) a dune. Small minds, perhaps?! :-) Next it was on to Anfashieh for some more rock art and then lunch at Siq Burrah. This was a lovely spot but if I knew we were going to be sitting there for over two hours, I would have taken my book! Hummus and tinned tuna for lunch along with sage tea. The locals think we're completely bonkers wanting them to make the tea with no sugar in it, especially when they have about 3-4 spoonfuls per cup themselves!

The afternoon saw us visit the rock arch at Burdah and then another at Um Fruth. The latter is climbable, though if I hadn't seen others clamber up the sheer face, I would have had my doubts. It was worth a go and I'm happy to report that both Norbert and I successfully made it there and back. Norbert is a bit stinky by now having been sprayed by the bus driver's aftershave yesterday, and today our driver Suliman decided to do the same with his special aftershave bought for him by his cousin from Saudi Arabia. I really do think Norbert will be having a wash tonight!!

The "Wilderness Zone" was next and I remember this section of mostly white sand well, having watched it all pass slowly by on the back of a horse last time. Back to the camp by about 17:00. Time to give Norbert a bath, have a shower and watch another magic sunset before dinner and bed. Tonight I was told I should sleep with my head at the other end of the mattress. Why? Well, it's always best to have your head facing Mecca in case you die in your sleep!

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Tasharrafna, Lawrence of Arabia

Up and out by 08:00. Only two of us decided to go back to Petra and see Al-Madbah (High Place of Sacrifice). Our guide told us that the most adventurous groups were the Israelis and French. He said Aussies and Kiwis were lazy. He said that he's had groups of Israelis over 80yrs old walking and walking for days and doing really intense desert trips. The French visit Petra usually for four days to climbs around the whole site. Shame on us then, huh??!!!

Al-Madbah is basically above and behind the Treasury and affords some glorious views (and a fair few alters if you're into that sort of thing!). From here you can look down on the whole site and the people walking around look like those little computerised images you see in some modern movies. We then saw the Lion Monument where water was drained through a carved lion's mouth into a huge cistern. Near here was also The Soldier's Tomb (named after the Roman soldier carved on the front) and the Garden Trilinium opposite. We next passed a section of old Nabatean wall (though now it is just rubble on the ground). They really did take their wall building seriously in the "olden days". This one used to be about 6m wide. After a couple of hours we were back where we started and made our way back to the hotel ready for the journey to Wadi Rum. Our driver has taken a shine to Norbert. He's been showered with gifts, been brushed so he looks like new and then had aftershave sprayed all over him. Hmmmmm…not sure about the aftershave. Not the nicest one I've ever smelt and now Norbert's stunk everything out with him. He maybe receiving a wash sooner rather than later. Wadi Rum is around 130km from Petra along the Desert Highway, passing some really cool hotels that have been built out of the ruins of really old Bedouin villages. Must try one of these out one day. This is Lawrence of Arabia and Bedouin country. Dry and harsh and nothing but spectacular. The silence is deafening though having said that, in the few years since I've been here, the traffic inside the reserve has increased considerably. Perhaps more and more tourist have found this far-off place or perhaps it's just that we haven't ventured that far in from the village of Rum. Although desolate looking today, the Wadi Rum (once called Iram) used to have a fair few inhabitants and even once entertained vineyards, pine trees and olive groves. It's mostly famous though as the backdrop to TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) and The Arab Revolt in 1917.

After a look at The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (named after Lawrence's book) at the nice and neat little visitor's centre it was up the road to the village of Rum to find some camels for an almost 3hr trek into the wadi to our Bedouin camp. Camels are the best. Nothing seems to bother them. I think that they may be better in the head than horses. The regular rocking motion and the soft pad of feet in the otherwise utter silence of the wadi is quite meditative. I do like camels!

The Bedouin camp was…well…interesting. Don't get me wrong, it was very nice, but being built on besa block foundations and with wooden internal walls, I'm not sure how much of a Bedouin camp it could be classified as. There also seems to be one of these tourist "camps" hidden behind every second rock! Never mind. It's just brilliant to be back out here in the silent vastness, walking barefoot in the sand and along the rocks and watching the sunset. Sigh.

Ahlan wa sahlan Petra!

I love the simplicity of the Bedouin life. Perhaps I only like it from a distance or for short spells. It's easy to observe something and like it. It can be totally different thing to actually live it. The people seem content and happy though, and that is a real blessing in today's world.

I thought I'd camp out under the stars last night. First the mozzies found me (no mozzies, I was told. Someone forgot to tell the mozzies!). Then the wind kicked up. I endured it for a while but it was more stubborn than me. At about 03:30 and covered in sand, I retreated, tail between my legs to the bedouin tent.

We started walking at 07:00 and entered Petra from the back of the site rather than the Sik like most. It was a long but super walk lending itself to some amazing views of Wadi Araba. There was one "interesting" section where we had to climb over a ledge about 20cm wide with just a sheer drop of nothingness to catch you if you slipped. It's so rough and rocky on these trails the most amazing thing is how the Bedouin donkeys navigate them. The Bedouins live up here in caves and come backwards and forwards on their donkeys. One smart, tough little animal. Our first view of Petra was Al-Deir (The Monastery) and it truly is magnificent. At 50m x 50m it is the biggest monument in the site and it's detail could almost rival that of the famous Treasury. Being set so high up adds to its majesty. If you go a little further up, you'll find an alter. The Nabataeans loved a sacrifice and there are alters everywhere, scattered over the cliffs. After a short break (I was a bit over short breaks by the end of the day. Aren't we here to see things not sit on our rear ends and complain about the heat??), we headed down to the main site and had lunch. The Bedouin have their little tourist stalls perched in the most interesting of places. You turn a corner on a cliff face, and there's a stall waiting for you. The downside of Petra is the rubbish. It's strewn everywhere and really detracts from the place. Surely more pride should be taken in this "Wonder Of The World".

The area of Petra was first inhabited by Neolithic types from about 7000BC. We were able to see the ruins of on of these villages on up walk to the Monastery. It was built about the same time as Jericho. The Nabateans (a nomadic tribe from western Arabia) who are responsible for most of the ruins didn't arrive here until about the 700BC mark. Being located on a main trade route, they made their money by demanding taxes from travellers for safe passage. (Nothing has really changed. It costs JD33 (about GBP30) to get in!!). They were able to keep the Romans at bay for a while, but after a couple of not so successful run-ins with Herod The Great Roman control was the order of the day for a big slice of their territory.

Next it was time to take a wander along the Cordo (the old main street). Although originally Nabatean, the layout of what's left is typically Roman. Here is found Qasr Al-Bint (Castle of the Pharaoh's Daughter) and the Great Temple (which is still being excavated). In here there is still the slight hint of the original art work and a small theatre. By this time I was surrounded by tourists with gaping mouths like goldfish all complaining of the heat (ok..so it was about 40C but it's a dry heat and really not that bad). I mean really.....you came to the Middle East in Summer. What did you expect? Snow??

Surrounding all the monuments and in all the cliffs, there is the constant reminder of the Nabateans' great skill as engineers. Yes with their buildings, but even more so their water system. Drains, often ornate and great cisterns are scattered everywhere. Next it was a climb up to the Byzantine church with it's mosaic floor before heading over to the Royal Tombs. These are terribly impressive, even if you exclude the ornate sculptured rock facades. The colours and swirls of the natural rock is something else. I don't think that any art work could compare. A clamber down to the main road then saw us close to the Theatre, passing little stores…many run by the kiddies at this time of day with school finishing at about 14:00. They are quite entrepreneurial. Having been told that an item was JD1, when I showed interest it suddenly got bargained all the way up to JD3!! No sale, funnily enough! Even though the Theatre looks very Roman, it was built by the Nabateans (they loved the Romans and enjoyed a bit of the culture that came hand-in-hand with them before the little disagreements that followed later). Opposite we hoped to find Marguerite van Geldermalsen, a New Zealand woman who famously married a Bedouin and lived in the caves of Petra back in the 1970s. Her book is well known globally. She wasn't there but we met her son, a good looking chap with a very strong Kiwi accent! We then went to take a daylight view of the very famous Al-Khazneh….. Treasury (the one you see in all the photos of Petra!). Although carved out of the rock face by the Nabateans as a tomb for their king Aretas III, it is Hellenic in design and has both Greek and Roman gods decorating the facade. It received its name The Treasury as there's a story that a Pharaoh being persued by Israelites hid his treasure in the urn at the top. We exited the site via the winding sik. This is not technically a canyon but a large bit of rock ripped apart in one go by tectonic forces (feel free to use that bit of trivia to impress friends at dinner parties!).

By 16:30 it was time to head to the hotel. My next aim was to wander the streets of Wadi Musa in search of fruit, vegetables and nuts. Mission accomplished. Found a great little fruit market. The raw produce is soooooo cheap over here! I love some of the shop names over here…. "Every Thing Supermarket", "Magic Hand Barbers", "Love Lion Shop", "Why Not Shop". Had tea with some locals next then headed back home.

Dinner was at a place called Petra Kitchen. Here you make your dinner and then eat it. Nice idea but it possibly didn't receive the energetic response it deserved seeing we'd been up since 05:30 and had spent all day at an archaeological site in 40C heat. Nice fresh food though and an awful lot of it! The left overs, we were told go to feed someone's family and neighbours. Nice little racket if you ask me. Get some tourists in and charge them to cook a meal. Give them a little bit then take the rest home to feed the clan. Oh well….whatever works. Should take notes.

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Silence Is Golden

Wed: Today it was time to walk the cliff side trail that lead around to the Rummana Campsite. It was a fairly easy walk but lent itself to magnificent views of the canyon and reserve. We had a very funny guide who made an impromptu fire and of course tea. I wish the Arabs would look harder at their diet sometimes though and cut back on the sugar. Seriously…you guys totally overdo it!! It was then time to head down to Petra. Today we went to an old Nabatean cistern calved into a cliff (these guys are famous for their water and drainage systems. They really had it going on) and then to Little Petra (Siq Al-Barid). Here one finds a temple and four triclinia (big rooms carved into the side of the cliffs which have three benches in them and believed to be dining halls). One still has a small but nevertheless very impressive patch of painting high in detail. Next it was of to the Ammarin Bedouin Camp. It looks quite impressive but don't camp there at night when there's a wind and definitely not out in the open as you'll have to drag all your bedding back indoors at about 3am as you haven't slept a wink and then have to contend it a constantly banging door which will only be stopped when you stuff all your bedding in the doorway (shoes and towels done't work!). It's also good if you like a cold shower.

After a very good dinner at a fairly new restaurant (Al Qantarah), it was off to the Petra by Night show. Mum was right….it was kind of pathetic. That might be a bit harsh, but 12JD for 20min of music is a bit steep. Ok, so you get the ambiance of the candle-lit Siq and The Tresury at night, but cut the price in half or something! Sorting out the type of tourist that turns up might be a positive too. Why would you come to any performance, not stop talking the whole way through and use your flash camera (no guys, the flash won't work here, so stop trying!!!) to make the place feel like you're at a disco with strobe lighting (don't go if you're epileptic. Seriously!!) People just seem to have no ability to sit still and keep their mouths closed for longer than a few seconds. Has modern society created this monster? Get a grip, people! It could have been quite nice if you knew what you were up for, but the ending came as a bit of a shock….it just wasn't expected that soon into the performance!! Sorry if I sound negative today. I'm really not. It's fabulous to be back in this very special part of the world. And it really is special with the huge cliffs and sandy wadis. It's impossible to absorb enough this landscape with your eyes. You want it to soak into your very being more and more. It's powerful. It's wise. And if you listen in silence long enough, those wise, old rocks will talk to you.

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In The Steps Of The Religious

Tuesday: I often sit there in amazement of myself. About what goes on in my head. My weird habits. Why is it that I try to say thank you to people in every possible language except their own? So far people have received a "merci", "grazie" and "thank you". Is "Shukran" really that difficult, Rebecca??

Amman is an Arab capital that you could imagine yourself living in. It doesn't have the "bling overkill" that Dubai has or the "try hard" factor of Doha. Amman is its own being. Confident and comfortable in itself. It's easy and safe to walk around, even late at night and everybody is friendly. "Welcome to Jordan!" is heard everywhere. No one's in your face to sell you something. The city sits on seven hills (like Rome!) and is accessed via eight roundabouts which work their way west to east, conveniently named circle eight in the west to circle one where the citadel, built about 1800BC is located (yet to be visited!)

Today it was time to leave Amman and head south, stopping at Mt Nebo on the way. The ironic thing is that despite peace agreements in place with Israel, Jordan still has a big, old MiG pointing in that general direction. Just a friendly reminder to the Israelis, I guess! Mt Nebo is the spot where Moses supposedly stood and viewed the Promised Land. He also died here. You can still stand on the spot and see Jericho and Jerusalem and Bethlehem. You have to wonder though as Moses said he could see to Galilee which is nowhere near this spot. Yeah…nice one, Moses. I think he just said he could see that far to get a bit of extra land. No one had the heart to tell the poor, old bloke the truth.

It seems "God" has been telling a lot of people to do a lot of things over the years in this part of the world. He still does today. The history books from over here I'm sure will say that God told Saddam to do the things he did. It was happening 1000s of years ago too. Just look at Moses. Perhaps he was just after a bit of territory (nothing new there…that's just human nature) and miraculously he could see to Galilee. Guess what. You can't.

The problem with Israel is that it encompasses people's ideas and interpretations. Is it a geographical location? Perhaps. Or is it a state of being (Is=Isis/female/moon, Ra=Ra/male/sun, el=Elohim/god state in balance). Maybe. Anyway, it's all just perception. We are living here and now. That's all that we have. Not past. Not future. So based on that, peace is required now. Not ownership. That's all way too materialistic for my liking. Isn't that what's got us into the mess we're in globally right now? Besides…none of us really own anything anyway. We should learn to detach a little more. From places and ideas. And then there is talk of "God's chosen people". Aren't we all supposed to be special in God's (or Allah's or Spirit or the universal consciousness..….whatever name works for you) eyes? In those day's, the big religion was Judaism. Christianity and Islam didn't even exist. They are both an offshoot of Judaism, so who's to say they're not part of the "chosen" group? I think we should all concentrate on our own faults and issues a bit more (Jihad should be a personal struggle perhaps rather than against "them out there". Anyway…..daily rant now over. At the end of the day, it really probably doesn't matter what I think. There are lots of sites over here with lots of wonderful stories attached…and they fascinate me.

Next it was on to the obligatory workshop. A mosaic one this time. I always dread these visits but always get sucked in. You'll be glad to know I didn't buy anything. The piece I wanted was approx. AUD6000, so I thought best give it a miss! Lunch was next after a visit to Madaba. This is a market town located on the Kings Highway and is famous for its Byzantine church on whose floor was discovered a mosaic of a 500AD map of the region. It's interesting that a third of the population in this town is Christian and the town has been inhabited for about 4500 years. It's funny when you try to find a supermarket over here. It isn't really what you and I may have in mind, e.g.: Sainsbury's, Coles. Over here it's a tiny, grubby little shop that sells maybe water, chocolates and a couple of shelves of tinned food/chips or biscuits. Don't believe the sign out the front when it says that they sell, "Every Thing".

Next we continues down the King's Highway to Dana. This highway links Madaba to Petra and has been used for about 3000 years. It has been traversed by Israelites, Nabataeans, Christian Crusaders and Muslim pilgrims..…and me! Passing Wadi Mujib, we had a photo stop at the Crusader Castle of Karak before arriving at the spectacular Wadi Dana. This is the largest reserve in Jordan and is basically their version of The Grand Canyon. So huge and vast, it really is nature putting you in your place. Most of Dana village is a ghost town now and hanging off the side of a cliff, it makes for good exploring and photo opportunities. The odd local and a couple of rundown but quaint hotels still operate, but we stayed at the guest house. It's the perfect location for a sunset!

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An FA18 or an A321??

It's not the first time I've flown in a plane with an Arab pilot. They seem to have one thing in common. They fly like they didn't make Top Gun and have something to prove. Calm down, cowboys! Aside from that, the flight to Amman was uneventful. Actually, one might even call it inspirational having the opportunity to watch Invictus. Very good, by the way. Arrived in Amman at about 01:00am and it was the fastest I had ever been trough any airport ever. I actually mean that. I'm not being sarcastic. It was then up at about 06:45 (ouch) to head off up to Jerash. Jerash (or Gerasa, to give it its Greco-Roman name) is an enormous archaeological site in the north of Jordan. Although there are signs of inhabitance during neolithic times, a major settlement was first established during Alexander The Great's day. During it's peak during its Roman phase the population rose to 20,000. The town was supported by the very fertile agricultural belt it finds itself in. There are still many buildings to wander through and with the help of your imagination, the whole, magnificent city comes back to life. Temples, collonnades, amphitheatres, hippodrome, baths, alters, shops. All there for one to stroll around. And that's just with half of the city unearthed. The other half remains buried under modern Jerash.

Next it was onto the Dead Sea. This is located in very picturesque country. Mountainous desert. Just my cup of tea. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth at 408m below sea level. It's probably the hottest place on earth too and this is causing the water to evaporate very quickly. At the moment it is dropping a metre/year and hence the salinity is at a staggering 35%! Despite this, UV rays are supposedly very low. So they say. Swimming in it is a bit like swimming in an oil slick. Very silky, a bit thick and obviously very buoyant. The other thing to do is to smother yourself in Dead Sea mud, let it dry then wash it off in the water. It leaves your skin baby bottom smooth. It's quite surreal to be swimming around with Israel on one side of you and Jordan on the other. You can even see the towers of Jerusalem and the city of Jericho.

Sorry this post is quick, but I'm sitting in a stinky internet cafe writing this. They still love to smoke EVERYWHERE over here!

Question of the day: Why do old people make such a fuss about things (just chill, guys) and have to give you a running account of what is going on in front of you (I actually do have two eyes that work!)

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Lazy Days.....

Friday: Relaxed day today as I strolled around Oxford with Alasdair in the morning and then it was back to the craziness that is London (well....Kensington, to be precise!) to restock and then head down to Scott and Selina's. Scott taught me how to make a brew and I think it's safe to say that I'm quite an expert now. Nothing like learning from a master in his field. Just think witches, couldrons and big wooden spoons (and the scent of something along the lines of porridge) and you get the picture.

Glorious Gloucestershire!

Well, I have to say today and yesterday were the first time that I've been warm in about three weeks! It really does feel like Summer has arrived. And I can't think of a prettier place than Gloucestershire in Summer. Warm sun (it was just t-shirts at 8am!!!........and actually achieved that hard earned result of a farmer's tan by the end of the day!), the heady scent of wild flowers and pretty houses make it a very nice place indeed. Off to ride Scooby again with Jayne and then it was over to Lower Slaughter in the Cotswolds. An old favourite and so close to where I was, that I couldn't resist a visit. In these parts you feel compelled to find big shady tree and sit there with a stack of Jane Austen novels and be transported back into an other time of big dresses, estate houses and Summer picnics with Mr Darcy. Swoon. Oh, the good and genteel folk of Gloucester! Lots of very friendly Japanese tourists too, falling over themselves to say "hello" to you. Strange. It does feel like you've been transported back in time with the little, organic looking stone houses that seem to have just sprouted out of the ground of their own accord. The fields at this time are picture postcard too....all full of yellow rape and little lambs.

Next it was back on the road and off to Oxford to catch up with Alasdair. :-)

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Where Are Those Ichthyosaurs Then?

Time to put on my Mary Anning hat today and go looking for buried dinosaurs! After being told off by an old man for having the audacity to park on a public road (why do old people think they own the whole darn world?????), it was time for a quick look around Lyme Regis (a favourite also with Jane Austen and the setting for her Persuasion.

It was in the neighbouring town of Charmouth that I began my walk which took me up to the highest point in Dorset, Golden Cap. It was a fairly steep assent but worth the effort for the views that were waiting at the top. Across rolling green hills across the the rugged coast. I came across some more cows today (oh nooooo!!) but you'll be glad to know that they were all friendly and docile. Just as cows should be. A very steep set of stairs took me down to the beach along which I walked back to Charmouth. It is along this coastline that mud slides occur frequently, thus revealing fossils, mostly of marine animals as this part of England was once on the bottom of an ocean. I even found some fossils myself. Ok, so the most impressive was probably smaller than a tic tac, but I'm sure you'd agree it was an impressive feat all the same. Word of warning though...from a great height, don't mistake a peddle beach below for sand. Those pebbles are not easy to walk on!

Next it was off to find Jayne and Scooby up near Cirencester. Already being a member of the "I Love Scooby" facebook page, my joy of being reunited with an old mate was no surprise. Even better to have a ride on him again for old time sake. Jayne's yard is simply lovely. An intimate little setup, all her hard work has paid off. Next it was off to Jayne's friend Becky's place for a BBQ and overnight.

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Mission: (Almost!) Impossible

It was up early for the adventurous day I had planned. Rugged coastlines, as many ancient sites as I could squeeze in, picturesque old ghost mines tumbling into the sea and then a relaxing time at St Ives.

Well...it was more like, thick grey fog that kept visibility to about 10 feet, soaking wet shoes and socks and stampeding cattle. Adventurous, but not what I had planned!

First stop was Cape Cornwall. At least I think it was Cape Cornwall. I couldn't see it or the ocean. The fog was so thick. This was once also called Land's End (a bit like Lizard Point and Old Lizard Point, isn't it??!!). Anyway, today it is Cape Cornwall and is supposedly very pretty. I guess I'll just buy the postcard. Never mind....there were ancient neolithic sites to be seen. And lots of them. So, the best known of them, Men-an-Tol was only a couple of miles away. Now I know I'm not the best with a map, but seriously, I need a sign or an indication or something, National Trust!! Just give me a bit of a clue!! The Men-an-Tol is a circular stone flanked by two upright stones. It is believed to have been a healing stone with people and babies etc being passed through the hole in the centre stone to cure them of all sorts of ills. Well....it was worth a try. No one was looking! Next it was off to find another standing stone supposedly just up the track of this cattle farm I was on. I could vaguely see it's shape in the distance (no signs and thick thick fog....it was just a guess). There was cattle in this field but with no "Caution. Bull" signs anywhere and the lovely little cows just grazing, it all looked good to me. I mean, how vicious could a cow be, anyway?!?!? One started to walk towards me. How cute....it was coming to say hello. It had a bi of a spring in its step though. Whatever...just walk with purpose and they won't annoy you. Then a few more joined in. Ok...not so good. I'll just wave my arms a bit. Now the whole lot decided to join in, picking up pace the whole time. Yelling, attack pose, throwing around of backpack. Surely that was scary. Apparently not. Just more of a reason to charge. PANIC!!!!!!! I knew I couldn't run but I also know they were about to catch up to me. I bolted the last little bit and just made it to the stile. OH MY GOODNESS!!!! I will NEVER get into a field with cows again!!!!

So, with that unneeded event over with (and no upright stone seen), it was time to find the Nine Maidens. Well, if the others proved tough to find, this one was impossible. Literally. Completely out of character, I had to give up and head back to the car. Having driven up the hill a bit and with a couple of false stops on the way, I found Lanyon Quoit, a big capstone on three upright stones. To be fair though, this one isn't entirely original, having been re-errected in Victorian times, but it is rather impressive.

By now I was wet and frustrated, but couldn't resist one more stop.... Chun Castle and Quoit. The old man said it was beautiful up there at dusk, watching he sunset over the ocean. Nice to know. I was lucky to even find the stones!! But, find them I did and it was worth the effort.

With that adventure (sort of) complete, it was off to St Ives to see the bloke and his seven wives. Was he a Mormon or something?? St Ives is utterly pretty with it's tiny lane ways and small harbour. They do love an art and craft shop down in Cornwall, and St Ives is no exception. So lovely to wander around though.

The final part of the day saw the long(ish) drive up to Lyme Regis and the Jurassic Coast. Watch out, Dr Alan Grant et al....here I come!

Question of the day: Who is Dr Alan Grant?

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To Be Or Not To Be.......

Tuesday: Sennen Cove is about as close to Land's End as you can get, so It was a bit of a novelty to spend the night here. The morning had me walk just up and over the cliff to Land's End proper. I thought it would be desolate and lonely, but I was met by a multitude of shops and even the "Dr Who Experience" What's that all about???? However, it's in places like this with the unforgiving coastline, that you realise how easily all those shipwrecks I mentioned earlier could have taken place. It's a really rough environment.

Next it was onto the Minack Theatre. This is a wonderful theatre built in the side of the cliff and would not have looked out of place in any Roman town. The twist is, is that it was built by Rowena Cade, and English woman in the 1930s. It's always inspiring when someone has a dream and pursues it to its conclusion. This is what Rowena did, actively involved in it's construction and the performances held there until her death at 89 years of age. I think Orthello, Loves Labours Lost and The Tempest are the best seats in the house (the seats are inscribed with past performances and their dates). The granite cliff here at Manick is wonderful and good for a walk down to the sandy beaches below. Again, I thought I was back in Aus with red and yellow flags sticking out of the sand and a life saving board nearby.

Next it was onto Prussia Cove, another pretty site with rugged rocks tumbling into the sea and then inland and over to St Just. On the way I paid a visit to Carn Euny. This is the remains of an ancient village believed to have existed since neolithic times. The remains there today are from the Iron Age. These consist mainly of the remains of round houses, but also an intriguing fogou (cave....underground passage). The use of this is still unknown, so you're free to let your imagination run wild. I think I'll stick to some ritualist significance!! The Penwith Peninsula in Cornwell has so many ancient sites. Someone told me that it was the highest concentration in Europe. It's quite amazing and unless you're looking for them, you'd never even know they were there as they're not talked about and most don't even have a sign. Seems a shame really. I just happened upon another one earlier in the day, The Merry Maidens. This is a stone circle which is quite amazing and complete, but it seems the Cornish folk wish to keep them all to themselves!

St Just is a beautiful little cliffside town which enjoyed its boom time during the 1800s when the mining of copper and tin in the area was at it's peak. The ghostly silhouettes of old mine chimneys are scattered all around the horizon in this area and the ground still pocked with shafts, ready to swallow up any unsuspecting passer-by! The town is tiny but I counted about five pubs located around the central market square. Such original and forward-thinking retailers here!!

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I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General

Up quite early today and off for a two hour walk from Lizard Point around past Old Lizard Point. Go Figure. Did the old one get so eroded that they had to change the most southerly point?? There's an old lifeboat house in between the two points and a lighthouse above. The cliffs are made mainly out of serpentine stone and the grey rock is still carefully and beautifully worked by local masons in the village. It was also from this point that the Spanish Armada was first seen from British shores in 1588. The origins of the name Lizard are still not known for sure. Was it the shape of the cliffs? Or, the more accepted version that it was from an old Cornish word meaning "high court". Whichever is correct, the coastal walks here are beautiful.

Next it was off to St Michael's Mount. Didn't I see that in France years ago? Apparently it was the thing to have and the monks got involved in both around about the same time (8th century or so) so it's hard to say who's was the original. The Cornish one was "possibly" mentioned by Pliny The Elder and it is the backdrop of the lovely Cornish legend of Jack and the Giant, so it has a lot going for it even if it isn't quite so spectacular. Having said that, it's nothing to sneeze at and as a still lived in private house (although owned by the National Trust), you'd be quite happy to call the majestic and stately mansion home. Next I walked over to Penzance to find pirates. I think Gilbert and Sullivan took some poetic licence when they wrote that musical. I couldn't find one pirate. Not one! The town is nothing to look at from the shore but wander up the hill and into the high street, and it's lovely. Back then across the wide stretch of beach (which had shrunk as the tide came in......it took a boat to get over to St Michael's Mount now) to my car and onto Land's End.

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Taking Photos Of Flowers....Am I Getting Old Or Is It Just A Phase?

Up and on the road down to the famous Lost Gardens of Heligan. Now, what I can't understand is how you can just conveniently forget that you have 1000 acres of amazing gardens surrounding your home and have it become lost. What were you doing, Tremaynes? Counting your money? Anyway, somehow this happened and the gardens which were in their prime from the mid 1700s to the early 1900s just disappeared! The manor was built in the 1200s and was purchased by the Tremayne family in 1569. It seemed WWI proved a bit of a distraction, wounded soldiers moved in, then the American military moved in during WWII and so on and so forth. It wasn't until 1990 that Tim Smit (yes, you've heard his name before....Eden Project) and John Willis rediscovered the gardens and the enormous effort to bring them back to their former glory began. And glorious they are! Rhododendrons whose seeds came from India (ENORMOUS!!), a handkerchief tree, a Jurassic maiden hair tree, artistic black tulips and other psycadellic ones, an Italian garden, flowers that look like marshmallows, a small beacon hill from the days of the armada and perfect camellias that look exactly like the the sacred flower of life, hundreds of bluebells, charcoal burning pits, the biggest veggie patch ever and a jungle area with ginormous rhubarb from Brazil. It really is all quite stunning. All quite easy to forget you have, I guess. Tut, tut, Tremayne family!

Next it was off to Falmouth. Not the best of names and probably not the best looking little town from the High St, but viewed from its little harbour, you get taken back to a day of rogue sailors and the ladies who entertained them. I bet those old little pubs by the port could tell a tale or two. It was here that I decided I should at least try a Cornish pasty. Silly me thought that a "traditional" pasty was just vegetables. Not so, as I discovered as I bit into it and found meat. Into the bin with that then. Shame. The pasty was invented to proved a hearty meal for the miners. Easy to carry it down into the mines and the think crust on the edge was perfect to hold the pasty with dirty hands. You could eat the tasty middle and throw the crust away.

It was then off to the most southerly point in the UK and my favourite stop to date....Lizard Point. Arriving in the little village after squeezing along bluebell lined lanes is a bit like stepping back in time. The villagers have worked hard to stop it becoming a tacky tourist stop. The coastline here is rugged and spectacular. The place has seen many a shipwreck. Actually, the whole of Cornwall has to be honest. I saw a map of all the shipwrecks along the peninsula and there are literally 100s. Camped at the queerest but most delightful little spot tonight and despite perfect clear skies and a super afternoon, it was cold! A long sleeve top, thermal top, thin fleece, thick fleece, hat, gloves, sleeping bag and STILL cold. I'm beginning to think that the boys at work were right and that there really is something wrong with me!!

Hang Ten, Dude.

I think I had a visit from aliens last night. I go to bed in England and wake up in Australia. Did I get teleported back home during the night? I drove from the town of Newquay to Fisteral Beach and I really could have been in Australia. Sand, surf and sun...and quite an impressive beach it was too. The swell wasn't so great today so there was a lot of just bobbing up and down on boards but it was a bit too cold for me...being the Atlantic and all. Next time I'll pop the wetsuit into the suitcase. Next it was up the coast to the little fishing port of Padstow. It's nothing like the Sydney version. Luckily! Padstow is very cute and quaint and has seen monks and Vikings before today's tourist raids. The nearby craggy cliffs bring to life the thought of pirates and those of you who went to Brazil with me know that I have a bit of a pirate thing going on. Hey Tom? So many perfect hiding spots for tall ships where cargo could be secretly unloaded and taken inland, perhaps resting on the way at Jamaica Inn!! Ok Rebecca...back to present day reality. There are some great little walks around the village, along the cliffs and beach and then you can later dine at Rick Stein's restaurant. I'm figuring that's impressive if you're a foodie. To be honest, I think Rick Stein has purchased the whole of Padstow. He has restaurants, fish and chip shop, patisserie, cafe, hotels, bistros, seafood school, deli and a gift shop scattered throughout the little town. Nothing like a bit of overkill, huh??!

Next it was across to the Eden Project. This is an amazing charity set up for environmental education. Set in an old disused china clay pit, Tim Smit has literally reproduced a garden of Eden. I'd seen photos of the biomes before but nothing prepares you for the enormity of them. The rainforest biomes covers an area of almost 4 acres. It was nice to be in a hot, humid environment! I can't believe I only just found this place. If I'd known how hot is was in here, I would have been making weekly weekend tips from London during Winter!!!! I even found chocolate trees and had a Brazilian gardener find the acai palm for me (and even sneeked me some seeds!). The other biome was for mediterranean plants but a lot of it reminded me of Sydney. Lots of nice smelly things in there!

Next it was a late stop at Charlestown. Someone told me that Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed there, but aside from a couple of tall ships and a shipwreck museum, I couldn't see any evidence. Nice little spot though, all the same.

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Note To Self: Don't Judge A Day By The Weather. Must Believe!

Ok...it's not funny anymore. I'm manifesting the sun from here on in. South West England is supposed to be like "another country". That's what they tell me. Someone forgot to tell the weather!

After 1.5 rest days at Serena's, the journey continues. I spent last night in Glastonbury. It's like a magnet to me. Love the place. Must be all that energy or something. It certainly does make me all nice and calm. I stocked up on food ready for my travels to Cornwall. Bring on the tropical weather! First stop was the little medieval town of Exeter in Devon. It's a cute little place with a lovely huge cathedral. You have to pay to go in (hasn't the church got enough money?????) but you can still sneek a photo of the magnificent ceiling without putting your hand in your pocket. The city wall is still intact in parts as is the old bridge that once crossed the River Exe. In it's heyday, Exeter was one of four of the most important towns in England and was a big textile centre, especially the woollen cloth industry. It also had weekly markets and a number of big fairs, especially on saints' days. So I guess you could say it was just one big party town. Probably would have given Ibiza a run for its money.

Next it was off to see some Dartmoor ponies. I found a lot of sheep (just for something different!) but the ponies proved elusive, perhaps because of the misty rain. I had to make do with seeing a rather large one in the doorway of a stable with a rug on. Something told me he wasn't a wild native. I went for a walk at Postbridge, through the small pine forest out to Bellever Tor and the view really was super. The brooding landscape would be the perfect location for a romantic Bronte or Hardy novel. The granite tors are a real feature of the moors. They are like geological works of art. You really can't improve on nature.

On the road again with Newquay in sight. On the way a quick stop was made at the Jamaica Inn located on the Bodmin Moor. This old inn was built in 1750 and was a popular hang for smugglers and highwaymen. It was brought to public attention by the author Daphne du Maurier whose novel was made into a Hitchcock film. It's supposed to be incredibly haunted, so a quick toilet stop and we were off!!

Newquay is....well...um......an interesting place, shall we say. The coastline is stunning, but I must say, I thought I had left all the drunk hen/stag parties back in London. But alas no, they followed me here to England's answer to Surfers Paradise. Having said that, the group of guys dressed up as old ladies complete with grey wigs and the group dressed as tennis players were really quite funny. Small things perhaps. On that account, the main pedestrian drag is good for people watching. Well....too much fun for one day!! To bed.

Random question of the day: Are Hunza apricots slipstone?

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Ubi Sunt Vindolanda?

Question of the day is what does the title mean? The hint is that the secret location was Greenhead, which is the perfect starting point from which to see Hadrian's Wall. "Ecce!! Hadrian's Vallum!" Ok...so my year 7 Latin isn't what it used to be. First stop was the Roman Army Museum. They've done a really good job of it and there is a great little film about the wall commissioned by Emperor Hadrian in the 120s. He did visit the place once, but only during the construction. The rest of the time he was busy travelling his Empire with his toy boy. He had trimmed the empire back a bit and even here in Britannia he pulled the northern boundaries south a little. The crags in this area have proved the saviour of the wall in these parts today as it was too rough for the locals to come here and steel the stones to build churches etc, so it's quite well preserved. It was originally timber and stone with milecastles every mile (funnily enough!). Most of it was built and manned by auxiliary solders (you couldn't have your precious legionaries out here surrounded by barbarians!) However, contrary to being a lonely a desolate place, villages popped up around the forts, a major one being Vindolanda. This is a brilliant archaeological site today and just 7miles east of the museum. I highly recommend a visit. It's extensive, well laid out and they're still making finds. A lot of textiles and leather shoes etc have been found here. It's very unusual to find such things after 2000 years, but the anaerobic soil in these parts has been a blessing. The most famous find to date was been wooden writing tablets now housed in the British Museum.

You can't tell that I love all this Roman stuff, can you?!?!!? I'll stop now.

We left around 3pm to drive all the way back to Serena's in Wiltshire. We'd basically covered the whole of the Island. Breathe.

Random quote of the day: "From the time we are babies, food is presented to us as a mechanism for pleasure and emotional sedation. The first drug pushers that we meet are most often our parents." -Dr Brian Clement.

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Balmoral....Is That It??

The morning started with the purchase of the local tipple...Deeside Water. It's supposed to have healing properties so I got a couple of bottles from the service station. I mean, you can't have too much of a good thing. I've had so much "healing water" on this trip, I must be super human by now! It was then off to Balmoral, making our way through the blizzard of snow. Ok, so it wasn't a blizzard, but it definitely was snowing. I probably wouldn't go racing back to Balmoral because, although it is very pretty and set in such a gorgeous landscape, £8.00 just to see the ballroom is a tad steep in my book. How many dead animal heads can you fit on a wall??? The grounds were lovely and the actual building is beautiful but I wish the Scottish would stop calling any old house a castle. It reminds me of that favourite Australian movie. Just because you consider it YOUR castle, doesn't actually mean it is one! Balmoral, by the way, is a hunting lodge. Next it was off to Edinburgh and although we were sure we were travelling the same road as yesterday, the sat nav told us differently and we really were going south to the capital rather than back to Inverness. Edinburgh reminds me of Ireland for some reason, though I think they could do with giving the place a good scrub. The castle is something to behold....and yes, this one really is a castle! At last!! There's been a castle on this spot since the 12th century and this castle was occupied until 1603. It later became a military base and is today still officially in the hands of the Ministry of Defence. After wandering the streets for a while, it was off to a "secret location", where we arrived at about 11pm, luckily right at the steps of a hostel! Thank you Universe!

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Introducing....Norbert!!!!

I should have done this a week ago, but forgot. Norbert will not be happy. Norbert is my travelling companion. I'll let him introduce himself....

Hello. I'm Norbert the sheep. I was born in China but spent most of my childhood around Stonehenge. I found Rebecca wandering around Stonehenge about 3 years ago. She took me home with promises of travel but until now I've been just hanging out on the bedroom windowsill. Bit boring, really. Anyway, finally I get to travel on the way to my new home in Australia. I've heard a lot about it and it sounds nice. Hope it isn't too hot though as I have lots of wool. Rebecca said she'd set me up on Twitter or Facebook because I'm not sure how to do it. Hope it doesn't take as long as it took to get travelling! I'll get her to tell you when I'm up so you can look at my holiday snaps. I'm ever so photogenic so I think you'll like them.

Baramewe,

Norbert. X

Kilts? Why Not Long Johns?

I can't work out why they wear kilts up here in the wilderness. Why no undies????????? I mean, you could have your clan's tartan printed on thermal long johns. Surely! Having been to a school where the uniform was black watch tartan and tamoshanter, I was keen to find out the history. It turns out the was also known as the government tartan and patrols were sent out in the highlands to protect against unsociable behaviour so to speak, including cattle thieving...also know as the black market. Basically they were the highland police. Now, as everyone probably knows, they are an army regiment. So, I guess the question is what is a private girls school in Australia doing with it???? Oh well, it's pretty I guess.

Today saw us head up to Loch Ness to find Nessie, listening to BBC Gaelic Radio on the way. Yes...it really does exist!! It's interesting looking at the lochs up from Loch Linne, Loch Lochy (who came up with that original name?? Must do better!) and Loch Ness. It really is surprising how Scotland is not split in half they are all so close. Maybe it was once. Or maybe it will be in the future. Loch Ness is enormous. In layman terms, it's 3 Big Bens deep (or 5 jumbo jets wing tip to wing tip) and is 37km long. Although Loch Lomond has a bigger surface area, Loch Ness wins the biggest loch title because of its depth. No wonder the Loch Ness monster is so illusive. Why would you hang out on the surface where all the humans are when you can be 3 Big Bens down? It is thought that "Nessie" might actually exist and that "she" is/was a plesiosaur. That type of dinosaur has actually been found in the modern day in other large lakes, so it's not out of the question (and if you don't believe me, it's just another reason to read "Origins" by Phillip Day. The guy is BRILLIANT!) It's an erie old loch anyway, but we thought it a shame that there didn't seem to be any walking tracks right on the bank. Maybe we just didn't look hard enough. Or, maybe it's just too dangerous with big monsters about and all!!!

We next had a quick drive through Inverness, the capital of The Highlands before heading off to find Balmoral Castle. Driving through Cairngorms National Park is as desolate a countryside as you'll find anywhere! Heath and snow and bare rock. It's really quite spectacular. The old little croft will pop up here and there with it's little tribe of sheep close by. It's lambing season at the moment. How can anyone eat those dear little things? All you carnivores need to take a good hard look at yourselves!!

(BTW: It's 11pm as I write this and someone outside is playing the bagpipes. I thought they were just for the whole tourist thing, but the locals love them!)

There are so many castles up here if you look on a map, and I'm not sure why you'd want to build your castle up here in the wilderness. Any ideas?? That (along with the lamb murdering question can be the questions of the day. There...you have a choice of two!) You have to be careful though, because as we discovered, not all "castles" are 'castles". How a little white two storey house can get away with calling itself a castle, I have no idea. (Yes, Corgarff Castle, I'm talking about YOU!!!)

Balmoral was built in 1390 and purchased by Prince Albert a time later. I bet Victoria gave him a shoeing when she found out he'd bought some remote house. Maybe he bought it to get away from her?! Who knows. Today the Queen and hers use it as a base to go and murder little, defenceless animals. Nice one Queen. I know it's supposed to be the Summer residence, but can you imagine the heating bill of the place. And you'll be glad to know that you, yes YOU, as a member of The Commonwealth are paying for this little sojourn of slaughter. Was I ranting? So sorry.

Anyway, we spent the night in the cute little town of Ballater, just 15min up the road.

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Ben Nevis Conquered!!

I awoke (not that much sleeping has had) to the words in my head, "I am Spartan!!" I always find that a good battle cry when things get a bit tough....namely the cold in this situation. However, it turned out to be the right mindset with which to start the day as the UK's highest peak had to be conquered! Some people plan and train for this sort of thing, but sometimes I think that ignorance is bliss. And I think in this case it was! Mind over matter. If you want something badly enough, you find that the mind is all powerful and will pull you through. I could be over dramatising things a tad though. Ben Nevis is a good and challenging climb but it's hardly Everest. And with so many charity groups racing up and down with Scafell Pike and Snowdon yet to climb in the next few hours, it makes your efforts seem a tad feeble. The going was quite rough and with a full cover of snow on top and reaching the destination in trainers and in 2.5hrs (most people take about 3-4), it was worth the memorable photo moment that was had. And even though it wasn't Everest, it bet the views from the summit were no less impressive. Glorious, rarefied place on the planet!

The round trip took us about 5hrs and we decided that we deserved a B&B tonight. Nice. Dinner was courtesy of Morrisons supermarket (I hadn't been to one of those either! Experience after experience!!)

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They Speak Funny Up Here

They really do! Sometimes I think I'm in a non-English speaking country! The kiddies sound cute, though.

While the rest of Britain was still counting and recounting votes (seriously guys...you need to sort out your election process!!), we were busy trundling up to Loch Lomond, dipping our toes into Glasgow on the way, but resisting the "temptation" to dive right in. It's interesting driving around up here in Scotland, because it really is desolate but their seems to be some very nice houses and very nice cars. Not sure if most of the coin comes from textile, whisky, oil or finance. Someone might be able to answer that! That can be the question of the day.

Loch Lomond is very pretty and the colours lovely but even so, looking at the postcards, I can't help but think that perhaps photoshop was invented in Scotland. To be fair though the contrast of bare rock against wild heather against different shades of conifers, makes for magical viewing. The area in these parts is known as The Trossachs National Park and it once straddled the kingdoms of three Celtic peoples....Scots, Picts and Britons. It is thought the name "Lomond" came from a Gaelic word meaning "beacon". Perhaps warning beacons were lit from the very high point of Ben Lomond. Nevertheless, it was the place the infamous drover and outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor (made famous by another "local" Sir Walter Scott) called home. We walked some of the mountain but as it was getting late, we made it just to Sithean (or Fairy Hill). The Loch is 39km long and separates the lowlands from the highlands. It was on it's banks at Cashel that we made camp (and I christened my teeny 2 second tent..it is BRILLIANT. Just needs heating!!)

Tip/lesson of the day: If possible, only camp out if the temp is above zero.

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Failte! or Someone Forgot To Tell Scotland That Winter Is Over

I couldn't decide on the title for this one, so I gave you a choice of two. I think I prefer the second one! There's a wee prize for those who can tell me what "Failte" means.

Scotland is cold. It's lucky that it's so picturesque or else it would have lost a great many brownie points. Our first stop was Gretna Green. This small, wee town is famous for it's runaway weddings. I was hoping I'd run into Brad before visiting this place, not after. This place is like the Vegas of Scotland, but to be fair, it's been around a lot longer. One out of every six Scottish wedding take place here. Basically, from about 1753, if you were under 21 and lived in England you had to get your folks consent to marry the bloke/chick you liked. We all know how likely that would be...your parents liking your choice at that age! Solution? Go to Gretna Green. Problem solved. It was the first village in Scotland so out of the English jurisdiction. All those crazy elopers still love to come up here to be married by the local blacksmith at the anvil. Next we drove through Dumfries and picked up supplies at the local Aldi (I'd actually never been in one of those before! One experience after another!), and then onto the Royal Burgh of Lochmaben for the night. It was rather chilly camping so not much sleep was had. We met an interesting bloke from Kent who was on a treasure hunt all around the UK, just for something to do. The only stipulation was that you had to have a Triumph motorbike. Now, I'm not really into bikes, but it was gorgeous! He collects bikes, boats and planes as a hobby so obviously not short of a quid. Lochmaben is another wee little town (do you like how I'm getting into the lingo??) about 7 miles from Lockerbie. It's famous for being the birthplace of that very well known footballer Angus Douglas. No....I hadn't heard of him either!! For such a little place, it has an impressive history. The Romans were here for a while (weren't they just everywhere!) but after they left and a few others had a turn, it was Gregory King of Scots who decisively beat the native Britons here in 890. The next ruler of note, and one that I'm sure you've heard of was Robert The Bruce. He became lord of the area in the 1100s after doing a lot of shmoozing in court and becoming besties with the heir to the throne. Somethings never change...it's not what you know, but who you know, huh!?!?

Lesson/tip of the day: "Don't judge the day by the weather" -An Hawaiian saying

Did Jesus Drink Here?

Sorry I'm a bit behind but it seems electricity sockets and wifi are in short supply up here in Scotland!

Anyway....the journey continues........

Wednesday saw me meet up with Serena in Glastonbury for the start of our road trip. Thelma and Louise, eat your heart out! If only we could now just find Brad Pitt. Serena's married, so I guess that leaves him all for me! :-) I love Glastonbury. Maybe it's because I resonate with the weirdos that inhabit the place. But then, even I'm not that weird. I love the energy and I love the shops. Me and anything "new age". What can I say? (and they have a brilliant health food shop....lots of raw goodies. Sorry all you normaltons, I just had to throw that in!). We went to The Chalice Well and drank the supposed healing waters (a bit like Bath). Legend says that Jesus drank here and planted the nearby thorn bush. Joseph of Arimathea also hung out here, and you can bet your bottom dollar that King Arthur had a swig or two from the well also. Basically, it was the place to be. We drank a couple of bottles of the water which is supposed to link one to the devine feminine...if you're a Pagan (The nearby Thor being the male aspect), so we were complete goddesses by the time we left! We then marched up the hill to The Thor to balance ourselves out. It's always sooooo windy up there, but the views are wonderful. Love watching everyone partake in their rituals too. Good people-watching.

Next it was onto Serena's in Wiltshire, change cars around a bit then off to that bit of the UK that sticks out up the top.

XXX

Magical Mendip Hills

Sandwich is tiny, but as we all know, good things come in small packages! It's hard to believe that it used to be one of the four biggest towns in England. It is so quaint and still looks medieval. I guess you could thus say it looks quite modern seeing the Saxons had it up and running in 600AD. To be honest though, the Romans were probably their first having landed very close by earlier on. Later, it was given to some monks. Aside from me, other impressive visitors have been: Thomas a Becket and Richard The Lionheart. It was mentioned in The Doomsday Book and yes, sandwiches were invented there.

Went to Todd's zoo and played with animals in the morning though with the weather so horrid, we were limited. Animals don't like the cold rain. And why would you? Especially if you come from down south like most of them do(I know how they feel!)

Off then to Somerset to see Judy and the wonderful team at The Manor House. Lovely, lovely people and gorgeous, gorgeous country. The following day I was given the wonderful opportunity to ride Susie's mare across the Mendip Hills. You can see right across to the mythical Glastonbury Tor. This is the place of legends. Pagans, Druids, Avalon, sacred initiations, Jesus, hidden sacred texts, The Holy Grail, King Arthur, high energy vortexes. The list is endless. One thing is certain though, it is a place like no other! It's calming me down after the craziness of my London move!

Tip/lesson of the day: The journey inward is more important than any outward journey (thanks Susie for the reminder!) oh....and watch Avatar!!!

X

So Long And Thanks For All The Fish ....or spinach in my case!

Well. This is it. The day I really wasn't sure would arrive is here. Fare thee well London Town. Ok...so I'll be back in June for a little while, but really only as a visitor. My time as a Londoner finishes today. I'm not sure it has sunk in yet. I've successfully kept myself manically busy. That's always a good distraction from what's really going on! The weather is grey and miserable. Perhaps fitting for a farewell. This is as London as it gets!

Well the removalists have moved 23 (yes TWENTY THREE!!!!) boxes, approx 5 big wheelie bins are full and the car is weighed down. Where of where does all this "stuff" come from????? Is it necessary? Would it be better not to have it? Probably. I think everyone should either move or pretend to move every few years. Review life and clear out the old. Creates space for the new to come into your life. So, although farewells are sad, you can't have new beginnings without them. Keep what's important and detach from that which isn't. Learn your lessons from the events in your life but then leave the events behind and continue forward with your new wisdom.

The journey home (Oooo...I feel like I'm living out The Alchemist!) begins in Sandwich. Dinner with Todd and Kirk tonight then fun at the zoo in the morning. Bring on the adventure!

Blessings all XXX