A GERMAN HALLO TO YOU HABIBIS!  
I am back- happily and safely, without any obstacles! I traveled home from Amman by bus to Hama in Syria and then to Antakya in Turkey from where a bus directly leads me and a nice french couple, I met in Hama, to Istanbul.

In Hama i had an appointment with a lebanese friend on wednesday last week, the 12th of july, the day which changed everyday life in Lebanon. To this time i was already shocked and concerned hearing Israel is attacking Lebanon but didnt expect what would follow.

We spent two nice days in the sleepy conservative syrian city with its amazing Norias, huge wooden water wheels mourning all day long. -What could we do?- Mardig, the lebanese friend told me, we should just enjoy the time we have. Like Mardig most lebanese people, thats what i often heard, are used to war and thats why they really appreciate each peacefull and joyfull moment they have. While visiting Crac de Chevaliers, a crusader castle, walking Apameas lonely Cardo Maximus and seeing the lovely beehee-houses of the bedouins the news from Lebanon accompanied us in the taxi, hotel and by talking with Syrians on the street which heard that Mardig is -lebnani-. It was like the silence before the storm, but I was happy that Mardig and me meet at last, only two days later it wouldnt be possible at all! Mardig returned to Lebanon safely on friday afternoon, but the border he crossed was destroyed a day after he passed it.

The trip to Turkey was more than 24 hours long but calm and i even enjoyed the kindness of the turkish people sitting in the bus with me and trying to help whenever they can and smile although they didnt understand any english word I said. The amazing landscape of Anatolia and a smart turkish movie about an old man driving a taxi and meeting a young woman in trouble filled up my time in the bus.

In Istanbul I had two days till my flight left to Berlin, so I flapped around the romantic
Sultanahmet, went up the Galata tower to enjoy the best view over the picturesque city which seems to have on every hill a mosqe which looks like a big sitting Sultan in a thick robe. The next day i was also lucky to visit one of the four Princess islands which are about one hour away by ferry over the sea of Marmara. This are paradise-places to hide and relax on sandy beaches and in green forests from the bustling and densely populated Istanbul which seems to have no end.

The last day I also tried to bargain (but thats not really common there anymore) in the Souk in Old Istanbul, a small but wonderfull sweets- and fruits-labyrinth reminding me on the ones I have seen in Jerusalem and Damascus. I bought delicious figs filled with walnuts and dates from Mecca. I said goodbye when leaving the market not knowing when i will be able to see one of these typical arabic souks again.

Almost on the way to the airport i met a young turkish guy speaking perfectly English, the first one during my time there!. So finally i had a proper chat about turkish people, music and learning languages. On my way to the Sabiha Airport i passed the asian part of Istanbul which lacks at all of the charm the European part has. The European side of Istanbul is really a perfect mixture of arabic and western culture! The turkish man told me also that Istanbul is like a state in the state Turkey and the people here are really living differntly to them in the big country spreading towards east. In sha allah I will visit this beautiful land one day!

On half past five under the orange sky of an awakening morning I set my feeds on Berlin Airport last thuesday. I was sitting in the rising hot sun outside and watching people coming and going. Cause Berlin Schönefeld is a small Airpirt it was like sitting on a tran station in the mid of nowhere. Peace and silence surrounded me cause nobody seems to pay too much attention of me, an ordinary german girl waiting, cause they didnt know that i watched them with the eyes of a stranger.

Then my mother hugged me and picked me up some hours later she decided to stop in the sleepy but green Teupitz, a dump in the federal state of Brandenburg which is known for be being the green and sleepy nowhere of Germany. Fresh smell of gras and a natural lake next to tiny houses with inhabitans looking like Gartenzwergs (Garden dwarves) all around us, i felt like in a cheesy Heimatfilm (romantic domestic films about little villages in a paradise looking atmosphare with innocent naive people in love or in struggle). I had to laugh seeing beer bellies and listening dialect chattings on the street about the high gas prices and that the neighbour should clean his Mercedes at last! Really i am not making fun with cliches, I finally understand the people on the street again, but what they tell each other was only nonsense-rubbish.

With a Filter coffee and a german Brötchen (small dark roll with seeds on top) we continued our short trip to Dresden where my heart got excited. This lovely, sleepy, proud city at the Elba river is celebrating its 800 birthday these days, a perfect time to come home, al hamdullilah maybe i should thank god cause time and happiness was always on my side since I started my journey to Jordan, is that what the arabs mean with in sha allah...? I hope god wants also that I can share this impressions with some of the friends I was able to get in Jordan and around. Till then I share my pictures and thoughts with you on this blog in the hope not to loose contact! 
23.7.06