With some anxiety and fear we set off for restless Jordan, surrounded by countries constantly at war, more or less since the time of Christ and Mohammed; although they all share the same philosophy, they nevertheless remain in conflict over a prophet or two. The neighbouring Sinai with St Catherine's reminds us that once we all believed in one. The burning bush and those Ten Commandments that Mohammed received on two stone tablets, right there, in that little church on the dry, hot, bare and God-forsaken mountain, are apparently today merely an attraction for tourists who walk down the mountain after watching the sunrise. Not far away, Jerusalem shakes under the bomb attacks of the Palestinians, witnessed by their Muslim neighbours. One wonders what old Mohammed, who told everyone how to live, would think. In any case, the plane gave the hot region a wide berth and approached the capital Amman from the south (Egypt) and, God forbid, not over poor northern Syria, which had just acquired Patriots. Jordan is, by some miracle, somewhat exempt from the century-old dispute, so our desire to see Petra, the ancient and long lost city, finally prevailed and we set off. The Nubians (people who carve stone), a people who probably no longer exist, built a city in living rock on the old trade route from the Far East to Egypt and beyond. They had an advanced water-supply system, treasuries and beautiful houses that were later destroyed by a severe earthquake, as well as a trading system that could rival today's. The city could be entered by only one route, through a fascinating gorge where Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was filmed. They had separate areas for camels, traders, owners, the wealthy, waste, food… Even today the buildings show traces of Christianity, Islam, Egyptian culture and Roman influence—in short, of everyone who paid various taxes and fees here. Money, not philosophy, is therefore the holy ruler. In short, a WTC in ancient form, which apparently withstands the ravages of time better than the one in NY. It was here that Indiana found the Holy Grail, which everyone in this melting pot of ideologies and philosophies, the restless Middle East, is so feverishly seeking. We found the realisation that the Dead Sea will soon be dry, just like all the cups of conquerors and leaders who, on the backs of the same philosophy, make profits and exploit poor peoples who unfortunately live on a full barrel of black gold.