Japan PM rides camel in Jordan

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi rides a camel in front of the Al-Khazneh in Jordan. Picture / Reuters

PETRA, Jordan - Just two weeks ago, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was imitating Elvis during a visit to the United States.

Today, during a trip to the ancient Jordanian ruins at Petra, Koizumi rode a camel and donned a traditional red-and-white headdress.

"A camel isn't comfortable," Koizumi quipped, punning with the words for camel and "it's comfortable", which sound the same in Japanese.

The red sandstone ruins at Petra were carved more than 2000 years ago and served as a set for the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" with Harrison Ford.

Two weeks ago, the peripatetic Koizumi visited Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, with US President George W. Bush.

Koizumi, who shares a birthday with Elvis, sang the opening line of an Elvis song and put on a pair of sunglasses Elvis had owned.

Koizumi was in Jordan on the last leg of a four-day Mideast tour. He leaves for Russia and the Group of Eight summit tomorrow.

- REUTERS