— Crap, they dropped us in the middle of nowhere – we’re on the highway!
— I love it. This is freedom, Ant!

Freedom. This is the intense feeling that grasped me a few seconds after I jumped out of the minibus with my backpack between my arms, following the Donkeys that had just woken me up. I took a look around us, and yes, we were in the middle of nowhere, on the side of a highway, with no clue about where to head. We only knew we were in Jordan, somewhere not that far from the Dead Sea – we only had to find it.

Getting lost in a country you had not even thought you were going to, getting lost with your backpack on your back, getting lost with friends you basically just met but already know you are going to keep for your whole lifetime. Getting lost and decide to walk in the general direction you want to go to, with all the equipment you need, which means you never have to look back or go back to wherever you came from – simply walking in this breathtaking landscape, in this unknown territory, just because you heard that a place you need to see is somewhere ahead of you.

Welcome, freedom, this feeling I had never experienced before. Take a seat somewhere in my heart; I will keep it for you forever, so that you can come back and chill out here whenever you wish.

The Dead Sea, again, was not something we had planned before. Anthony only wanted to go to Jerusalem (and we all answered “Hell yea, why not, let’s all go”) and the Dead Sea was on the way; why not going there to take a look? And take a bath in it, by the way.

We thus left Wadi Musa on a lazy morning of an election day, which meant almost no bus. We found a taxi that dropped us in Ma’an, where we just sat down in the bus station and waited for a hypothetical bus to come.

And the bus came. A few hours later, we found ourselves in another bus station, but this time in Amman, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Using the name of a hostel quickly written on a scratch of paper the same morning (the only information we had about Amman, to be honest, and it was enough apparently), we made our way to our dorm in downtown.

We made a little party with other travelers, and next thing we knew, we found ourselves in our beds after 2 hours of sleep (or less for some). Yeah, we had to get up at 6 am to find a bus to the Dead Sea. And then again, we found ourselves on the side of this highway. After about 15 minutes of walk, we could get in that Dead Sea and swim float around.

No time to lose again: the Allenby Bridge, border crossing to Jerusalem (going through the whole Palestine), was closing at 2 pm. We hopped into a taxi and could reach the border in time. The security check, at this point, was the heaviest I have ever seen. Israeli soldiers with M16s and sunglasses everywhere, luggages scanned, queue for passport check only to find you have to queue for a passport check behind, and then queue for a passport check plus a shower of questions, queue for a passport check…

A few hours later, we finally reached Jerusalem. And damn, it was worth it. The day after, we headed into the Old City and breathed into its ancient spiritual soul, and lived within its medieval architecture.

When came the end of the day, we found some delicious street found to content our stomachs. And then decided to look for bars, in order to give Anthony the last night he deserved; he would leave us the day after, going back to Amman to catch his flight.

In the little morning, Anthony and I took a walk around the Old City to see the Mount of Olives and Mount Zion. That quiet, calm and bright morning was perfect to catch the serenity of the highly religious city we were in. (By the way I am really sorry Kirsten – I really thought you were going back to bed when we left the room… You should have asked us what we were doing!)

Ant, honestly you are the coolest 36-year old guy I have ever met. (Sorry I didn’t mean to remind you that you are way too old. But you are.) No, seriously, I had one of the greatest times of my life traveling with you, looking for adventure and places to see. No kidding, I am gonna go to California one of these days – and we are going to make a hell of a road trip. With the others Donkeys. Man, I’m already excited just to think about it.

And I won’t forget what you taught me about alcohols, I promise. Thanks again man.