hello again and thanks for all the great messages! very nice of you!!!

i've spent another day in damascus and yesterday arrived in palmyra. to reach palmyra is a 3 hour drive across bleak and barren dessert. i spotted the occassional bedouin tent and the old man with his goats eating what ? i have no idea!

luckily our luxury coach was airconditioned (luxury coach ride cost 1:10 pounds)!!! and just as we reached the 3 hour mark the oasis of damascus comes into view! an amazing site after so long in the desert! a 5 day trek 30 years ago!

surrounding the oasis is a massive roman city, the remains of which you can see above are stunning! above the city is an arabic castle where i watched the sunset over the city! an incredible view...

today, i have walked around the ruins getting up at 5:30am to watch the sun rise. again a spectacular time in the ruins. i have been lucky to travel with laurent (swiss guy) so far and we were invited twice into houses yesterday to drink chai with the locals, so i am fast learning essential arabic! and have all my numbers sorted, although reading the language could take a while!!!

today we head north to the euphrates river - it is 1km wide at the point which i will get to and find a cheap hotel, hopefully with a roof top bed again!

the internet, albeit cheap (20p per hour) is slow, so i will leave it here and write more soon!

lots of love

john

p.s. a harley would be great here - who recommended that?!!!
p.p.s sorry jin, didnt think you liked me!
p.p.p.s hi vic! and sean!
pppppps miss you rach and mum and dad and little and big sis and bro!