JEDDAH, 6 June 2005 — They are modern day nomads. They are traveling around the world in their car, camping out wherever they happen to be and getting to know the local people. Claudia Grafe-Heinz and Marcel Heinz are a German couple on a world-tour-for-world-peace on their Expedition Terra Incognita project. “Our mission is to bring people together,” they said during their stop in Jeddah. They are traveling in their “expeditionmobile” (a modified Isuzu Trooper) in order to enjoy close contact with different people from different countries and learn about their culture, tradition, religion and way of life.

“Our aim is to build bridges and bring people together by fostering tolerance and respect between them,” said Claudia.

Especially in the Middle East, they are interested in learning more about Islamic culture and tradition since the media today paints such a negative picture of both Islam and Arabs. The couple say that they have found that picture to be untrue.

“Throughout our travels so far in Arab countries, we have not had one single bad experience with the people; they are very friendly and generous,” she said.

The 25-year-old couple is taking time off from their jobs; Marcel is a civil engineer and Claudia a company administrator. They began their trip 19 months ago in Australia where they shipped their car. They drove all over the country before shipping the car again to New Zealand. Fifteen months later, they were in Brunei where they stayed for a month and a half. From there, they went to the UAE where they met the crown prince of the Emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah who invited them to his palace and personally welcomed them. Next they went to Oman for two months where they met the Saudi ambassador who was so interested in their project that he gave them a special three-week visa to Saudi Arabia.

They began their explorations of the Kingdom in the Eastern Province where they visited Dammam, Dhahran, Hofuf and many little villages in between. “Our first impression of the country is that it is not that strict,” said Claudia who bought an abaya and a head cover in Abu Dhabi but does not find them inconvenient.

From the Eastern Province, they drove to Riyadh, camping in the desert and meeting real Bedouin who offered them camel’s milk. “We thought that because there aren’t many tourists here people would be scared or suspicious of us, but they were friendly and helpful. If we stop at the side of a road, immediately someone stops to ask if we need help,” said Marcel.

From Riyadh, they set off for Taif in the mountains of the Western Province, weathering sandstorms on the way. After Taif, they came down to Jeddah. “We don’t want to rush. The whole idea is to get to know the people and the places which is why we don’t stay in hotels; we camp outside in our tent or sleep in our car,” said Marcel.

“I liked it when someone here told us that we are like modern Bedouin,” said Claudia.

Wherever they go, they are invited by the locals to stay with them or at least to eat with them. “The hospitality here is something we didn’t know about,” said Claudia.

“I love the small villages. They give me a feeling of life before the big towns developed — the real Bedouin life. We weren’t afraid or uncomfortable and the people were always very nice,” she said.

The police checkpoints are irritating but the couple realize the importance of the Kingdom’s security. Communication is perhaps their biggest problem. Not reading or speaking Arabic, they cannot talk to people except for a few words along with plenty of smiles and hand signals. That is not enough when asking for directions since most of the road signs, even in the cities, are in Arabic; they say that is a major inconvenience for them when they are on the open roads.

Of course Claudia can’t drive in Saudi Arabia and although she doesn’t miss it, knowing that it is only temporary, Marcel can’t wait to let her take the wheel again.

There is a water filter in the car and they fill up wherever they can; as for food, they buy what they need along the way, especially canned food. Their biggest expense is petrol for the car and its maintenance. “We have no idea how much we’ve spent so far but it must be $1000 a month here in the Middle East, depending on the country,” they guessed.

They have another week in Saudi Arabia and from Jeddah they will go north to Madinah and Tabuk and then into Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, eastern Europe and Scandinavia.

“We were always interested in other cultures and we wanted to do this while we are young and healthy and don’t have children,” said Claudia.

They keep a diary and take pictures and intend to write about their experiences, first in newspapers and later in a book. They don’t rely much on modern technology because their laptop, digital camera and GPS equipment were stolen in Australia and they could not afford to buy more. Their car is specially equipped to be self-sufficient, be able to go off road, with a suspension system to carry heavy loads, and plenty of storage room with only two seats in front in addition to all the tools and spare parts they might need.

“We almost have a full hospital in there,” commented Marcel.

Before setting out, they took a first-aid course and they have an emergency kit for snakebites. They planned the trip for two years, taking all the necessary vaccinations, reading and taking out insurance. They still need to find sponsors when they are in every country. With their small budget and the lack of space in the car, they can only buy small souvenirs such as an incense burner, a prayer carpet, and copies of the Qur’an in English — a gift from the Saudi Ambassador in Oman. This is their second expedition. The first was in 2001, a backpack expedition in Southeast Asia (log on to www.exp-terra-incognita.de).