Team Desert Fox-Eye arrives at Amman, Jordan

February 16, 2003

After leaving Narita Airport, Team Desert Fox-Eye have finally arrived at Amman, the capital of Jordan. It took about 24 hours.

It is 3 a.m., very deep into the night. We are leaving here at 9 a.m. this morning for a 15-hour trip to Baghdad. We are supposed to make a 10-vehicle caravan. We have been explained that we would acquire some water from villages on our way. We would like to report how the trip turns out later.

Anyway, we are painfully aware of the fact that we have come a long long way. We are feeling something really strange about this reality that we are making this report for people in Japan via internet, at a hotel in Amman.

By the way, we have had a small incident today at Schipol Airport, Amsterdam. We had a few hours for transit, so we decided to take a break and have a look at the city. However, an immigration officer was apparently alarmed, seeing an Iraqi entrance visa on our passports. The officer began interrogating us to what was the purpose of our visit to Iraq, where we are staying in Baghdad. He even asked us to present hotel voucher in Iraq.

As we stood indignantly at the counter, our team leader, Hirano, somehow managed to pass the immigration without any fuss and was already admitted entry to the Netherlands. We decided to take the officer's provocation, and went on quarreling, and we have earned a victory in the end.

It took us approximately 15 minutes to Amsterdam Station by train. We went to a cafe, spent about 1 hour and went back to Schipol.

Flight from Amsterdam to Amman was 6-hour long. After we have had a meal on board, we promptly fell into deep sleep, dreaming what we are about to do in Baghdad. It's amazing to be in Baghdad, considering the city is the stage of the famous Arabian Night.

See You later,

Ma'assalama

Team Desert Fox-Eye