1. Before we leave

I decided to change the posts to make the blog start from the beginning because this blog is my travel journal. I didn't write every night as we just didn't have time - there was too much to see and do!

I've also decided to turn parts of the blog into study notes for History because I'm doing World War 1 this term, and also World Religions so the info about the Blue Mosque, Ramadan and Islam is also useful. 

You need to click on the right hand side to see the different posts of the trip - they are in the list.

If you want to you can click on this link to see:   Some of my earlier travel journals from 2012-2015     I put the link in only for me to keep my memories together. 


BEFORE WE LEAVE 

Mum wanted to share an adventure to somewhere she hadn't been before. All my travelling have been to places she'd explored, so we're off to Jordan. 

Mum was 17 years old when she first experienced the Middle East (it was Bahrain), so I'll be 3 years younger than she was. When I saw how close we were to Turkey I urged Mum  because I was eager to see Gallipoli. [Mum said it was cheaper to go through Istanbul anyway]. 

I've been to Hellfire Pass and the Burma Railway, Sandakan and walked the Death March in Borneo, Singapore's Changi and Kranji, and Long Tan & Nui Dat and I've been to ANZAC Dawn Services in Singapore, Saigon, Sydney and Phnom Penh, but mostly I understand World War 2 and the Asia-Pacific war. World War 1 is now going to be explored, which is lucky because I'm studying WW1 in History next term! 

I've already watched Lawrence of Arabia and a documentary on Petra (for Jordan), and Gallipoli (the 1981 movie) but Mum has copied my History textbook pages so I think I'm going to be learning a lot more!

Here's the route we're doing:
Sydney to Singapore (dinner with Bea - yay!)
Singapore to Dubai (6 hours at the airport, but there's a Qantas Club there!)
Dubai to Istanbul (we leave Syd on Sat morning and will get to Istanbul on Sun night)

* Istanbul - we'll be careful
* Gallipoli - 
* Cannakale - 
* Troy - Mum says she'll tell me about a horse. Well as a matter of fact, I do know about   Trojan horses from Peabody and Sherman!
*Anzac Cove - boat across the Dardanelles (snorkelling) 

* Istanbul to Amman (that's the capital of Jordan, we're going to take things to Syrian refugees)
* Petra (archaeologists have just found more ruins)
* Wadi Rum (camels - yay)
* Aqaba - Red Sea (snorkelling - yay)
* Dead Sea - Mum swam in the Dead Sea from Israel, this time she'll do it from Jordan. 

Then it will be a looooong flight from Amman to Istanbul to Dubai to Singapore (and Bea!)

I will also get more maths practice because I will have to learn how to convert Australian dollars to Turkish Lira and Jordanian Dinar. I only know Riel and Dong! Yay more conversions! "sigh"

And Mum showed me the weather forecast for Jordan! and we need to cover our shoulders and legs so I need to think about what to pack.