My visit in Israel, political meeting, discover of the charms of Jerusalem and my first dishwasher experience in a restaurant 

I am leaving my bicycle on the border as have to travel with a shuttle bus to the israelian border. Between the two countries, it's a kind of nomansland and when you arrive, the luggage are catched and checked by safety's agents. I am remaining 6 hours in the customs before getting a visa. My Syrian visas and also Lebanese do not help me at all of course, but well, the charming israelians women sodiers are helping me to spend this time by inviting me to a cold drink. It's a strange feeling to be chatting up by a woman in uniform and especially when she has a gun... To resume the situation, the waiting time is not really tedious for me and I keep a good memory of it, but anyway, I am glad to have my passport back and the sheet with the visa in it.

I am leaving the border at the early evening and I am the last one to quit the custom. I and a palestinian girl who lives in Canada, who also spent her day in this women soldiers eden (well, I suppose for her, the time spent in there was less pleasant and interesting that it was for me). She is inviting me to come in her taxi and especially to have a good fresh beer after all this administration's worries. Arriving in Jerusalem, we are going in a restaurant-bar and we are meeting Vanunu, an israelien Moroccan origin who spent 18 years in prison to have divulger in the world the existence in Israel of nuclear weapons(for those who are interested, look at the following article: http://www.nonviolence.org/vanunu/morestory.html ). He is giving me some of his time to have a conversation with me. I admire and respect this man for his courage and his honesty. I will always remember his radiant and serene face, the kindness of his voice like his determination in his peaceful fight against "his" Israel. For you info, he is now changing his nationality and

is wainting for his new passeport: a Palestinian one...

For me, who just left the syrian service secret, I'm again in the heart of the political problems of the Middle East. I think, it is impossible to avoid the political problems here, especially the ones between Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. There are too many conflict of interest and problems for a so small area of the world.

I am visiting Jerusalem, the Wailing Wall, the mosquee El-Aksa, the 3rd holiest place for the Moslems, some churches. The place is a intensive place to see, so many important holy places for so many religions as well. It just convinces me that all these religions should join instead fighting against each other. All are looking for peace and love, then why so much blood and violence?

I am traveling by bus with a german guy to Tel-Aviv and before being checked (welcome in Israel), we are meeting some american Jews completely illuminated by a revelation which says them that the end of the world is close. In a way, this is Israel. I never saw so many religions, sects, beliefs (well in India I did, but this is an another story...). Everyone believes in something, everyone has his own theories of the world and the right religion. Arriving in Tel-Aviv, I am realizing that the friends who I know, live in fact in Jerusalem... It doesn't prevent me from discovering the nightlife this city offers. The life is expensive here, but my good star is helping me again and when I am returning to my hotel, a guy is coming to me and asking: are you the guy for the job? What a question, of course it's me !!!! (Why say no...??) Suddently  I'm in a taxi, getting some critics "because I am late" and the taxi is driving across the city. I am finding myself in a restaurant with a good shrimps plate and fresh mussels. After all these emotions, I am finding myself doing the dishes in the restaurant... they are paying me Euro 70 for two days work but for me it is fine because I am getting free food and drinks as well (they don't know that they are dealing with a starving biker...). After dirty plats and discover of the israeliean night life, I am going again to Jerusalem and am meeting my friends at last. Only for a short time because I am going the following day again to the Jordanian border. I really wanted to see Jerusalem and I couldn't miss the opportunity as I'm travelling this area, That was the purpose of my visit in Israel. I will definitively travel an another time in this country.

When returning to the border, I am missing the right bus stop and I'm suddently in a kibouz, a community almost tptally autonomous who cultivates the ground and sells its products to buy what they can't produce. That sounds "peace and love" but in fact the camp is surrounding by wires and soldiers, a kind of surrealistic atmosphere. In the bus, I am the only civil, there are only soldiers (and again, a lot of pretty women soldiers...). I am returning with the following bus and a, stopping this time at the israelo-Jordanian border. I have to travel by taxi for the 2 last kilometers which are bringing me to the israelian border's house. Arriving at the check point, the soldiers are almost shooting me while I am trying to get off. A strange feeling to have 3 MP16 pointing on you. In the Arab countries I always met people wearing weapons but it's more the kind of people who always prefer to drink a tea rather than really using their weapons. Here I know that it's a hot and very delicate situation so for one time, I am deciding to not say any bullshit and am answering quietly to their questions without exagerating too much. The funniest thing in this situation is that they are telling me at least 3 times to "keep cool". In fact, I'm much more relax and "cool" than them... After this "emotions", I am passing the border without too many problems this time and I am back in Jordan. I don't regret at all my short visit in Israel, it was for me really interesting and I learned a lot again. Having met nice and good people, just like the other side of the wall (Syria or Lebanon) persuades me that one day, peace will be possible for them. There is still a lot of work but with the necessary perseverance and tolerance, they will get it. It's necessary for them to fight against the few extremists who live in each country and incha' allah, the next generation will live without noises of bombs or of any explosions. Then I am reaching the desert to join Aquaba in the edge of the sea, the only possible way for me to reach Egypt because the israelian territories avoid me to do it by bicycle for the few 20 kilometres between the 2 Moslem countries (actually it's more the problem of visa than a problem of Israel). I'm now starting to drive in the desert and already I know that it will be hard for me, especially with this blazing sun, but I feel that for the few next 2000 kilometres in different deserts on my road, I will probalby find the calm, serenity... probably some madness as well and some sunburns... But well, you don't get anything without doing anything... I am camping in the middle of some rocks and I know that I am not far from Aquaba. In the arid and dry air of the desert, I am starting to smell the perfume of the sea, this humid air soaks with salt. The boat is leaving at the begining of the afternoon, in front of me is a new adventure, a new country. I didn't get bored of travelling, even if it is hard to leave people and the places I love. But the feeling of total freedom which my bicycle gives me is such of feeling that for nothing in the world I would like to exchange at the moment. I am happy, simply happy and I live each day with the respect I owe life. The last weeks in Damas, I am getting my first real "holidays". Relaxing, reparing my bicycle (I got a new front rack in steel for usd 10.--, it took 5 hours on 3 days with two men, welcome in Syria), I am cleaning my materials and having a good time with the foreigners leaving in Damas. But now, that's it. The call of freedom is coming, I have to ride again. A part of my heart will remain in here, but the spring is taking place of the winter and it's already warm. If I want go to Africa it will be warmer and warmer, everyday. Now I know, after having suffered of the coldness, I will suffer under the sun (but I think to get hot is better than be in the very cold, we'll see.)

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