JORDAN

Rafiq Suliman, alias The Captain, stares at the smooth cracked earth of the plain. His eyes scan the empty landscape and fix on the horizon. Nothing in sight. Wearing a dazzling white tunic, Rafiq is like a lighthouse in this solitude, scorched by the midday sun. To his right, a sign with the inscription 'Captains of the sandy sea' stands before the camp of black goat-hair tents where Rafiq waits with a serious expression. Finally, a point in the distance starts to change shape and move: there they are. Is it a Beduoin family with their herd of goats? Are messengers bringing urgent news on their camels? Not at all. It is 50 refrigerated Japanese tourists, on a luxury bus. Like disorientated stars, their Nikon flashes sparkle through the windows. The tourists are crossing the same area Thomas Edward Lawrence – Lawrence of Arabia – described in his book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom...