Amman to Aqaba

Dear All

We are very sorry but in Jordan it is very seldom we are stumble over an internet. MAybe because we are staying in the bushes to avoid the high hotel costs.
After our not so nice experience in the Jordan Valley we climbed out of it and went to a place calledJerash. THis is a all ROman City and Jesus visited it too. So on the way there we thought we will visit the National parque in Ajloun. Well we found a hill with beautiful oak trees and decided to make photos. Then we went on along the road when suddenly this black car pulled up beside us. I was annoyed as he did not let me weave up the steep hill so I waved it on and it pulled up beside Carlos. There he rolled down his window and told Carlos he would like to have a look at thephtos we took further down. Carlos asked f he has to stop right there but it was ok fór the guy that we finish up he hill. He pulled off and went ahead (we did not delete the photos we took as we tought them innocent). Well we showed him the photos and he was not really interested in our tree pictures with Israel in the background. He was wondering if we took pictures of the ROyal Palace which was on the hill ide which we ignored completely.
Anywaz that day we went on and on over rolling hills until the final push up a 33% inclination which I was unable to ride up to a beautiful campspot.
The next day we went to Jerash to see the smallest hippodrome and Hadrians Arch. We also went to see the the Gladiator fight and the Chariot Race in the ruins it was great great ´fun however Carlos did not agree as he found the entrance to expensive and the show only slightly amuseing. After Jerash we went through the back roads to Amman. We wanted to take a tour to the Desert Castles in the Eas of Amman bt unfortunately we tried for 2 days and it was impossible. In Amman the old city is ok but not great after Aleppo and Damascus nd even Beirut. But on the second afternoon I wanted to see something a little more like home so we asked for  ride to one of the cities parks from where my plan was to walk to the modern shopping area. We asked a lady if from here a bus would go to the park and she offered us a ride in her taxi as the park is a littl ahead ofher place. IN the taxi she payed the driver and a huge argument broke out. She is a Iraqi lady who lived in Syria for  long time and had her kids in Canada. So her Arabe and english was excellent. Well anyhow when she got out she told us to get out with her too. The driver kept having a go at her and she at him. SHe told us once out that he wanted to charge her US20 instead of US 2dollars for the ride as we are tourist and we are rich and that she was really upset about that. Anyhow she got us another cab and paid for it. Gosh she was upset. The cabby kept on going and going and going. We saw the signs of the AIrport and the houses were disappearing. At the end he stopped in front of the King ABdullah park (but we wanted the King Hussein park) I was not so bothered as there was  a great shopping center on the other side so I knew we can get a ride back. Well as nightfall wasclose we decided we will go to the shopping center. There we got some toothpaste in the Carrefour, dinner in the MacDonalds and desert in the Pauls. Ahh and most important a ne book in´the Virgin Media store. Luckily the taxi back was easy and the price ok, but hey what a way to spend your time in Amman.
Then we decided to go on and we went south after 50km we hit Madaba and went to see St Georges churc and the 2ad mosaic depicting a map of the middle east. Unfortunately most of it s lost. From there we went to Mount Nebo from where Moses saw the promised land for the first time after his 40year long stroll through the desert. Apart from the picture of POpe Paul 2 there was not much to see as there was a lot of haze or polution in the Jordan Valley. But I got stung by a waspe as a memory. Then we circled back to Madaba once more to take another Road down to the dead sea. We wanted to go to some Hot SPrings and I tell you the downhill was exhillerating. However the drop down to the Spring was break-breaking. THeSping was hot and nice but it did cost us 16 Jordanians. A lot of money as it is one to one with the Euro. And we off course were caught out by the night and we had a climb up the hill or about 4 or 5km with a 33% gradient. I was not looking forward to it as you can imagine. Carlos sucked up to some local business men having a soak and they agreed to take our luggage to the top of the hill. Well I was riding up the  hill like I was flying but it was so dark and a little eerie and Carlos was not with me at the beginning as he had to oversee the loadingof the luggage. Well when I was at the top we waited and waited and I asked Carlos do you have their names, are you sure they are coming this way? DO you have the Passports with you. We had nothin no money, no Passports no names no car registration number of those guys. Anyhow the guys came, unloaded our gear and we were off to find a campsite. Carlos luckily spotted something before going down to the spring. IT was a great campsite the sunrise was stunning and then we rode another 20km downhill again into the Jorda Valley to hit the Dead Sea. When arriving on the bottom of the world minus 400m below sea level we were imediately covered in flys. Nonetheless we stopped for a coffee. We had a FataMorgana suddenly 2 cyclist appeared. They were real. PLease make the aquaintance of Kirstin, Konrad and Felix their 2.5 year old son. We had a tea together they stayed on and we went on to Mujib national park. WHere we went up the river doing some canyoning. WHen we came back the three germans were there. They were not allowed to do the hikeup the river because of their youg son. We then tried to get down to the beach of the dead sea to have a dip but were turned away by the administrator of the NAtional Park Guest house. is argument was that this was a private property and wewould have to pay for access. Well we turned around and left. A litle further down the road we found  area where we could get in and we carried 16liters of fresh water to rinse off. It was great floating in the sea, surreal ýou have to try it one day.
THe 5 of us cycled on. Nightfall started but we were in an area where the land was privately owned by some Jordanian petrol company. We found somewhere we were thinking suitable and asked some people at a rest point if we could camp there. THey said they will be talking to the military patrol and it should not be a problem. Well we pitched the tent. Anhour later the military jeep stopped beside us and told s we have to pack the capitain is not allowing our stay. We had to depitch. It was a pain as it was darkest night by now. He told us we have to go at least 5km more to the next town. It was no fun and Felix the kid was not happy and he was not alone. Well we arrived in the town and it was not a good feeling, a lot of teenagers loitering. THen we passed a sports complex and there were a couple of men standing around. SO Carlos went up to them and asked if they would know a place where we could camp. ONe of the men was the caretaker of the sportscomplex and allowed us to camp insinde, with toilets, water, tea and electricity all at hand. IT was great.