- Harrowing journey for refugees
- Fleeing the bombs
- Acid poured on handcuff wounds
- Shelter offers relative comfort
- 'Please, photos and write . . . anything'
- Existence in exile severe
- Purpose-built, orderly and secure
- 2000 asylum seekers interviewed daily
- Night-time crawl under fire to escape
- 85,000 souls spread across camp
- Young scholar pleads for help
- Travel diary
We sit with him in his walled courtyard enjoying first a bitter coffee drunk in a traditional welcome and then hot sweet black tea.
He is a real character - appears to be in his 50s and is friendly yet formidable.
Like others, he left the violence and lack of food in Syria and made a dangerous journey through the desert to Jordan, having paid Bedouin tribesman $30,000 Syrian to take him to the border.
He says it was winter and cold and icy.
''We had to cross a river and some on the journey left their children behind on the road with local families.
''When we arrived we were given one blanket. We asked for more, but just one.''
He points to a thin woollen blanket.
''We lived in tents and it was very cold.''
Later, he sold a property in Syria and bought a caravan.
He tells us that he was interviewed by New Zealand TV several years ago.
It turns out that he has been interviewed by most international TV networks in his time in the camp.
He says he wants to return to Syria as soon as it is safe.
The camp is not his new home, as some media organisations have suggested.
''Syria was very rich. Was very special to us. The sand has the blood of the children, the blood of the poor women and the blood of the martyr.
''When Syria is safe, you will visit and we will have a Chivas [whisky],'' he laughs and moves forward to give me a high five.
Later, he takes us to visit the mosque, but not before showing us his small herb garden, filled with horseradish, spring onions and parsley.
The corrugated iron mosque is cool inside and peaceful.
We feel honoured to have been invited in.
Our interpreter turns to me and asks if it feels like a church.
''All prophets are from God,'' she says.
- Steve Addison
