Travel performed

October 14th to November 19th 2000

I would like to say Hello to all the companions I met on the road : Michaël, Aaron and his girlfriend, Damien and his girlfriend, Jo, Becky, Hamish and his girlfriend, Jamie, Kenji, Esther, Laurence, Mario, Christian, Janine, Andrea, Mike, Nikky, Saul, Mat, Carl, Chris, Creig, Iro, Paul and the twins, Emma, Victoria, Natasha and Cathy who spent the most time with me.

Istanbul Damascus Wadi Rum
Göreme Amman/Jerash Aqaba
Alep Madaba/Dead Sea Dahab
Krak des Chevaliers Kings Road Mount Sinai
Palmyra Petra Le Cairo

If you like numbers

General information

Period : From October 14 2000 to November 19 2000

Travelling companion : Travelling alone but met various travelling companions during the way

Transport : From Brussels to Istanbul by plane and back from Cairo to Brussels by plane. Reserved by " Connections" at British Airways

From Istanbul to Cairo by bus, microbus, taxi and boat. Residences : In hotels included in the guides

Costs : See and statistical appendix

Way of Payment :Starts :

300 $ in travellers cheque Thomas Cook

100 $ in cash

1000 BEF in notes of 100 BEF

4.000.000 Turkish liras

40 Egyptian pounds

On the road : Use of the ATM always in local currency except for the Aqaba crossing - Nuweiba in $

Attention in Syria not ATM have cash on you. No exchange of Turkish currency either

Rate of exchange :

Turkey : 1.000.000 LT = 75 BEF (Attention very great inflation)

Syria : 1 Book Syrian woman = 1 Bef (Easy)

Jordan : 1 Jordanian Dinar = 66 Bef

Egypt : 1 book Egyptian woman = 12 BEF

No black change tested

Guides used :

Istanbul to Cairo one has Shoestring (Lonely Planet)

Guide in English Very well done very practical to spend the least possible and to go on the sites to best gone. But not much of explanation on the sites, the culture... With used with another guide. Guides of routard of the various countries Good complement for the explanations and confirmations of addresses but not essential.