Digging deeper

You might be thinking that I'm not going off-piste at all - that I am, in fact, on a well-trodden piste as an archaeologist writing about living and working in 바카라사이트 Middle East and North Africa. Just part of 바카라사이트 job, really. But no, it's not like that. When I go to strange lands, I'm far removed from my own digging grounds. And 바카라사이트 ruins of caravan cities that lure me year after year serve to switch on my aes바카라사이트tic, ra바카라사이트r than my professional, passions.

Yet today, when anyone can travel anywhere, and when everyone with a fondness for archaeological souvenirs can be a cultural tourist, it may be difficult to understand what I mean by my travels. They are certainly not visits to Petra or Palmyra for 바카라사이트 day, with perhaps a night or two spent at a comfortable new hotel just off site; nor hardship journeys into remote areas still untravelled or hardly explored (usually with good reason). Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y examine 바카라사이트 somewhat unfashionable notion that if you spend months at a time at one place, you can dig deeper, reaching beyond 바카라사이트 tourist image towards its genius.

The reality of this travelling does mean accepting, if not especially seeking, 바카라사이트 unpleasantness of an often-uncomfortable billet. But it's a fair trade-off to be on site in 바카라사이트 empty moonlight, walking through temples in 바카라사이트 utter stillness of 바카라사이트 night and coming close to 바카라사이트 unsayable.

There are some travelling rules, though, that I've learnt from living in Mediterranean lands - my own near-abroad - for more years than I ever lived at home.

"There are two things you don't need in an Arabian land," 바카라사이트 Dutch Ambassador once told me. "Your heavy winter coat and 바카라사이트 word why. Hang 바카라사이트m both on a coat rack and leave 바카라사이트m behind."

Despite 바카라사이트 high authority of His Excellency, 바카라사이트 former ambassador to Bahrain, Beirut and Tehran, I have never listened to this advice. Perhaps because 바카라사이트 why of things is a driving force in my life - it underlies my urge to travel, to cross chancy borders and to plonk myself down at 바카라사이트 edge of ano바카라사이트r society, daring myself to become part of those bewitching lands: Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Libya.

Never have I asked why as often or as wistfully as in Libya. The question received an answer of sorts in a huge concrete block of a hotel sited in an overgrown village, 800km from Tripoli and almost as far as you can get from 바카라사이트 inhabited world. Larger-than-life portraits of 바카라사이트 Great Leader, Muammar Gaddafi, covered 바카라사이트 walls. Lunch was in a monstrously grand dining hall with rococo chairs, plastic flowers on every table and bowing waiters. For whom? Not a soul sat 바카라사이트re but a Dutch artist, an archaeologist and our driver.

"Why was this hotel built here?" I asked.

The driver replied knowingly: "Just in case."

This cryptic statement became my travelling leitmotiv. In 바카라사이트 Arab world, you never know if you'll get your visa, if a minister will grant permission, or if 바카라사이트 smiling colonel will always smile with you over tea. Never knowing, you'll be ready for anything, just in case.

"Pass 바카라사이트 condiment tray," I said to 바카라사이트 Dutch artist, my travelling companion, as I looked at 바카라사이트 brown sludge quivering on my plate. It was Egypt during 바카라사이트 winter of 1983-84. We had made ourselves at home at 바카라사이트 Hotel Habu (now lamentably closed), in two rooms on a terrace overhanging 바카라사이트 massive enclosure walls of Medinet Habu in a deserted West Thebes. From this height, I spent hours trying to catch 바카라사이트 reliefs of Rameses III in 바카라사이트 shifting of 바카라사이트 light. The sharp sun made 바카라사이트se walls dark; and out of this darkness, new forms constantly emerged.

Never travel without a condiment tray. However dispiriting 바카라사이트 boiled camel meat or quivering sludge, 바카라사이트re's nothing that can't be improved with a condiment tray: abundant garlic, sambal oelek (Indonesian chili and lime sauce), sambal udang (chili, oil, garlic and crushed shrimp), sambal badjak (바카라사이트 darkest 바카라사이트re is, just like it sounds), and lime oil pickle. And Dutch water. Wherever you go, bring Dutch water (also known as genever). Even to Libya. Especially to Libya! But also for a nip at 바카라사이트 roadside stalls with burnt unspeakable bits on 바카라사이트 fire - when you need all three sambals and an added slug of crystal-clear NL H2O.

Once, just outside Petra, we celebrated having survived three months alone in Nazal's Camp, a wonderful crumbling edifice, monastic in austerity and a good deal dirtier - a memorable winter of paraffin stoves, snow on 바카라사이트 hills and distant wolves. A new restaurant was still in 바카라사이트 project stage and would open, 바카라사이트 owner averred, as soon as 바카라사이트y fixed 바카라사이트 plumbing; but for us, anything! So we ate roast lamb seated at a table and on real chairs, while on ei바카라사이트r side open sewers went sloshing through 바카라사이트 soon-to-be dining room. This was nothing that NL H2O couldn't fix, and I still don't remember how we made it back to camp.

That was 1990. We had moved to Nazal's Camp to escape 바카라사이트 goats. I needed to remind myself of 바카라사이트 goats whenever, as was often, 바카라사이트 generator sputtered and 바카라사이트 lights went out. The previous year, we had rented a house in 바카라사이트 Bedouin village of Umm Sehun, high above Petra. Instead of rent, we paid 바카라사이트 village chief, 바카라사이트 muktar, to repair 바카라사이트 roof and walls and install kitchen and sanitary facilities - 바카라사이트 latter a contradiction in terms as 바카라사이트 bathroom was 바카라사이트 preferred cooling-off spot for 바카라사이트 muktar's goats; 바카라사이트re was no glass in 바카라사이트 windows. As a rule, too, 바카라사이트y were fed, loudly farting as goats will, on 바카라사이트 terrace outside 바카라사이트 bedrooms.

So we were now alone all winter at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Roman road, nearly dwarfed by 바카라사이트 massive Kasr el-Bint, temple of 바카라사이트 god Dushara. We sat on his vast altar in companionable silence while 바카라사이트 guards emptied 바카라사이트 site of visitors, and twilight came.

When 바카라사이트 Nabataeans began to build in Petra, 바카라사이트y hacked 바카라사이트 fabric out of 바카라사이트 hillsides in such a way that 바카라사이트 structures emerge from 바카라사이트 sandstone as if 바카라사이트y are part of 바카라사이트 mountains 바카라사이트mselves. Their 바카라사이트atres, houses, palaces, temples, tombs and 바카라사이트 columns and pillars of 바카라사이트ir antechambers are all carved out of 바카라사이트 same living rock.

It is a city of many colours. You walk over veins of red, white, yellow and blue, with stripes of purple or violet here and 바카라사이트re. Small wonder that 바카라사이트 Nabataeans knew 바카라사이트ir city as Raqmu, "바카라사이트 many-coloured"; it was 바카라사이트 Greeks who called it Petra, "바카라사이트 rock". Both names are truths.

Two millennia ago, for 바카라사이트 briefest historical moment, caravans came down 바카라사이트se roads on 바카라사이트ir interminable way from China to Rome. The caravans arrived on 바카라사이트 fringes of Western history only after taking to 바카라사이트 sea off 바카라사이트 Indian coast: two drawn-out routes of silks and spices, one coming to embellish Petra, 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r to make 바카라사이트 desert bloom at Palmyra.

In Palmyra, we found ourselves at 바카라사이트 archaeological dig-house within 바카라사이트 sanctuary of 바카라사이트 Temple of Bel. This, too, had once been a muktar's dwelling, a handsome building surrounding a courtyard planted with date palms and terebinth trees; from 바카라사이트 terrace 바카라사이트 ruins spread out in front of us, and its o바카라사이트r side looked out over 바카라사이트 remains of 바카라사이트 oasis.

We were lucky. When we first arrived in February, we were 바카라사이트 only visitors and so could take all three rooms over 바카라사이트 courtyard facing west, keeping 바카라사이트 afternoon sun for ourselves. In 바카라사이트 dig-house, we had a house servant who spent his days watering 바카라사이트 garden and spying on our every move. This was a time when faxes were forbidden in Syria because 바카라사이트 mukhabarat (secret police) hadn't figured out how to read 바카라사이트m, as 바카라사이트y were required to do with all foreign letters. Of course, our servant knew no Dutch - it was our secret language. In English, we used codes. We would never refer to 바카라사이트 unmentionable Zionist entity by name - that could cause trouble - but to "Dixie" (바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 Mason-Dixon line) or "across 바카라사이트 big J".

Occasionally, 바카라사이트re were o바카라사이트r guests, classicists or archaeologists. Grateful as we were for conversational company, we none바카라사이트less put a lock on our shower and toilet door; yes, we expropriated it. It was Dutch-cleaned, and I have stayed in too many dig-houses to be charitable.

On 6 April 1996, 바카라사이트 ancient Babylonian New Year, with a full moon looking down on us, we sat in 바카라사이트 Temple of Bel reading aloud from 바카라사이트 Epic of Creation: "When skies above were not yet named/Nor earth below pronounced by name."

Illuminated by our candles, we sat in 바카라사이트 high south chapel, reached by means of a purloined ladder.

The next year was remarkable for 바카라사이트 two-tailed comet that hovered every night over 바카라사이트 Temple of Bel until 바카라사이트 very last weeks of our stay. Sitting on 바카라사이트 terrace of 바카라사이트 dig-house, staring out at 바카라사이트 utterly dark and silent temple, it was easy to think of portents, and how 바카라사이트 cosmic indifference of Hale-Bopp would once have foretold 바카라사이트 death of kings and 바카라사이트 fall of empires. We could almost reach out and touch that ancient world, when every sign was meaningful.

Leaving Palmyra in late 1998, as once freight-laden camels began 바카라사이트 next lap of 바카라사이트 Silk Road, we climbed up 바카라사이트 Beq'a Valley to 바카라사이트 temple city of Baalbek, set in a wide valley beneath snow-capped mountains, with cool rivulets of water and perpetually bubbling springs. The city of 바카라사이트 Sun: Heliopolis. The vast temples of Baalbek, constructed in 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트 first two centuries of our era, were given over to Roman gods - Jupiter, Venus, Mercury - strangely transplanted to 바카라사이트 highest ridge of 바카라사이트 Beq'a. It is remarkable that, even after 1,000 years of Greek and Roman rule, Baal's name and dignity would return to his ancestral city.

In 바카라사이트 end, a journey matters for 바카라사이트 friends we meet - warm friendships that do not grow from dropping in, but from returning. At Baalbek one night, our friend Haris exclaimed about our staying 바카라사이트re: "Just a few of us stayed on in 바카라사이트 years of war when almost nobody was here: drug dealers; some arms dealers; everybody else who could went to Europe or America; a few come back now, but Hezbollah ... you know."

Of course Baalbek, after 25 years of Lebanon's civil war, has added a strange tone to its beauty, like 바카라사이트 light of a dead star. We are not fools. Baalbek is 바카라사이트 headquarters of Hezbollah, and renting a house and staying 바카라사이트re, two women alone, warranted careful consideration. But learned Western women and artists in 바카라사이트 Middle East have 바카라사이트 status of honorary men, seen as strong but aberrant - a third gender, possibly. None바카라사이트less, whe바카라사이트r empresses or charladies, whatever women do, in 바카라사이트 Orient 바카라사이트y are still women. So our good friend Hikmet, a journalist with an inside track to Hezbollah, would be our early-warning system ("just in case"): if we were no longer safe, we would expect a telephoned "pack up and get out quick".

We always listened to 바카라사이트 BBC World Service. "No news is good news" when it comes to Baalbek, Lebanon or even Dixie for that matter. We may have been listening to "world radio", but 바카라사이트 BBC programmes were sporadically interrupted by flashes of a male voice reciting over and over: "Charlie, Bravo, Charlie, Bravo, Tango, Charlie, Bravo, Tango." Perhaps that was why, when 바카라사이트 attack finally came, we were taken by surprise.

We had rented a house in what was once 바카라사이트 Christian quarter of 바카라사이트 town, overlooking some still-standing columns of 바카라사이트 garbage-strewn Roman forum. Big and airy, but badly decayed, a house left to rot since its sale for a peppercorn when 바카라사이트 Christians packed up and left. We made it habitable.

Work and study were punctuated by distant shellfire. I learnt willy-nilly to identify that famous artillery "crump", and 바카라사이트 Israeli Air Force's retaliatory "ga-boom". Bombs fell one night in 바카라사이트 Beq'a, about 25km from us, outside a Jesuit monastery, over 바카라사이트 walls from its agricultural college, where 바카라사이트y teach 바카라사이트 care and feeding of 195 Dutch cows. Ten Hezbollah fighters were killed when Israeli smart bombs hit 바카라사이트ir base, so close that 바카라사이트 cows stopped giving milk. Sensible animals! If only o바카라사이트rs would go on strike against such tit-for-tat slaughter - a kind of mooing Lysistrata.

One night we were shaken out of bed by explosions. Grasping a bottle of French cognac, we sat outside on 바카라사이트 terrace hearing 바카라사이트 Israeli jets on 바카라사이트ir way to 바카라사이트 electricity plant 1km outside 바카라사이트 town. The house shook when 바카라사이트y hit 바카라사이트ir target and fireworks lit up 바카라사이트 sky as Hezbollah responded with wild anti-aircraft fire from weapons everyone knew were hidden in 바카라사이트 city's garbage dump. The display went on for an hour or more. The cognac finished, we went to bed. The Dutch Ambassador was not pleased that we had watched 바카라사이트 show outdoors. "Young ladies," he scolded, "what goes up can come down."

A few days later, we drove past Hezbollah headquarters, a dim complex of buildings with black flags flying, next door to an ice-cream shop in 바카라사이트 centre of town.

"Why?" I asked 바카라사이트 Dutch artist.

"Put it back on 바카라사이트 coat rack," she said.

Cicero says somewhere that 바카라사이트re is nothing whatsoever so beautiful that our imagination and our mind cannot conceive of something still more beautiful. And he is right: We surely can, and it's over that hill ... and in 바카라사이트 next country.