Kai and I spent four weeks in the Middle East during the spring of 2008. We toured around Egypt for about two weeks to see the Pyramids of Giza, some tombs of long-dead pharaohs, the oasis of Siwa and the beaches of the Red Sea. We then caught a ferry to spend a few days in Jordan to see Petra, and then drove up to Syria to tour around for a week. There were lots of sand and Roman ruins everywhere.