Sent on Oct. 6, 2004 from Ishtar Hostel in Palmyra,
the same day the tour to Lebanon ended in Damascus.
PALMYRA, SYRIA. Actually, the 6-day tour departed from
Beirut at 6am this morning. After some delays to get exit
stamp in Lebanon and (for me) reentry to Syria, we arrived
at the Damascus International Hotel at about 11am. The
rest of the party were given 3 hours for shopping, while I
grabbed the first taxi on sight to the Harasta bus station,
for buses to Palmyra. The taxi cost me 100 SL ($2) for the
6 km ride, the 3-hour Kadmoos Bus line to Palmyra--known
to Arabs as Tadmor--225 SR ($4.50). We arrived at about
3pm. There was a 1951 vintage wreck of a small bus waiting
there. I asked them to take me to the recommended ISHTAR
Hotel right on the main street. I asked for a dorm room;
they said they had a single room only, to charge me more:
$15, with my own bathroom and 2 beds. The guys took my
bags up; I continued with the beat-up small bus all around
the Palmyra, including the castle (citadel) high on a hill,
the Colonnade, the tombs. Palmyra is considered to be one
of the most spectacular ancient sites in the Arab Mideast.
I spent the time to sunset with the peddlers, camel
drivers, and other tourists, say about 50 of the latter
scattered to different small groups, all traveling
independently, paying the bus guys $5, and $5 for the
Internet now. Amazing really to do all this for less than
$30 and have as much fun. Again, the hospitality of the
Syrians was overwhelming. Practically everyone I met
greeted me "where are you from?" "American?" Welcome to
Syria." Tomorrow I am off to Homs, to change bus to Hama,
change bus to Krak des Chevaliers, perhaps the best
preserved castle dating back to the Crusaders.
=========================================================
Sent on Oct. 7, 2004 from Internet access at the Hostel
(below) in Aleppo.
Covered lots of territory today. Left hostel at 8am with a
taxi to bus station (50 cents), and took a bus ($2) to
Homs. Arrived there 2.5 hours later. Found a minubus to
Crac des Chevalier for $1 (luggage incl), but had to wait
30 minutes for it to have enough riders. Arrived at the
castle at 12. Gorgeous, on top of the highest hill in the
area; entrance = $3. Climbed it to the top and back in an
hour with many photos, some with me. Could not find
minubus back to Homs from the castle, about a mile from the
village. A taxi offered to take me for $8; I shouldered
the heavy bags and made motions as if I would walk to the
village. The price came down to $4. I said OK, as not bad
for an hours drive. Decided to skip Hama as the only thing
the place is famous for are water wheels, of which the
largest we saw on the tour. I also wanted to see the
conical mud homes in that area, but saw several such along
the way from Palmyra. Was good decision, for when we later
arrived there on the way to Aleppo, parts of the town were
almost deserted; a dead place. Arrived in Aleppo 2.5 hours
from Homs, ticket $1.75. First impression not good. The
place is really dingy. A taxi brought me to the
recommended Tourist Hostel for $2 ($1 would have been OK,
but I was too sleepy to argue). The hostel was full, but
right across from it, on a narrow street both sides lined
with tire stores, there was Zahert Al Rabih Hostel. Again
I have a single room with 2 beds and my own bath for $9 a
night, with an international selection of other guests
keeping me company. Tomorrow will take a taxi to the
famous citadel, which is open on Fridays, but, alas, not
the also famous souqs. I'll leave the latter to Saturday,
then call Nabeela from a better hotel so she can find me,
just in case. 3 days of this place seems enough for now.
Unless something else will depart for Turkey by bus, to
Hatay, then Mersin. The rest in next report.
=========================================================
Sent on Oct. 8, 2004 from the Hostel in Aleppo.
Again, I covered lots of territory today, this time on
foot. My hostel is centrally located, close to the corner
of Baron and Al Maari streets, so also around the corner
from the National Museum and Tourism Desk across from it.
At 9am, I took a taxi to the Citadel and after a cup of
Turkish coffee at the cafe across the street from the entry
to the Citadel. The climb to the top and roaming there
took 3 hours with many photos. Half the Syrians I met
wanted me in their photos too. I was back at the cafe at
12 noon. That this was a Friday was very good in that the
traffic was light, pedestrian traffic moderate. Everything
looked leisurely. Then I meandered thru the souq back to
the hostel. The citadel adds lots of charm to Aleppo, the
souq only so much. It does not have the pizzazz of the
closed bazaar in Istanbul, not the intricacy and mystery of
the souqs in Morocco. This whole area, as i said before,
is dingy. In fact, walking further west and north several
km, I got a good feel for the city. The more elegant parts
are to the west of the Baron Street and to the north of Al
Mutanabbi, more so north of Al Maari, more so north of
Quwatli streets, along Al Walid which turns into Sa'adullah
Aj Jabri street. This area is the wealthy Christian
Quarter of the city and it is much more elegant than the
areas further east and south. The park along the Baron
Street is very much like the Washington Mall and it
continues to the public park to the west of the Christian
Sector of Aleppo, where, by the way, Juhaina and the gang
probably have their homes. I also spent about an hour at
the National Museum and then returned to the hostel.
=========================================================
Sent on Oct. 11, 2004 from Girne, Cyprus.
1. PALMYRA to ALEPPO. I stayed one day ın Palmyra, which
may have been the nicest day in all Syrıa. The next day,
at 8am, I paıd a taxi 50 cents to bring me to the bus
station, 2 dollars for the 2.5-hour bus to Homs, 50 cents
(and 50 cents for luggage) for a mınubus wıth other rıders
to Krak des Chevalıers, an hour west of Homs. The Krak ıs
actually 2 fortresses ın one separated by a moat. It ıs
sıtuated on top of the tallest mountaın ın that area. The
last 10 km was all uphıll clımb to the vıllage at the foot
of the Krak, then the Krak ıtself. I left my luggage wıth
an old man. 2 hours later I gave hım a dollar, argued wıth
a taxı the one hour return drıve to Homs, cut hıs rate from
8 dollars to 4 (gave hım 5 later), and caught a bus for the
2 hour rıde to Aleppo for 1.75 dollars. There took a taxı
to the recommended Tourıst Hostel. It was full; so got a
sıngle room for 9 dollars a nıght at the hostel rıght
across from ıt. The place also has Internet on sıtus for 2
dollars per hour 56K. You have to clımb up steep and hıgh
20 steps to the receptıon, another 20 to your room ın both
hostels.
2. In ALEPPO. I covered lots of territory the next day,
this time on foot. My hostel is centrally located, close to
the corner of Baron and Al Maari streets, so also around
the corner from the National Museum and Tourism Desk across
from it. At 9am, I took a taxi to the Citadel and after a
cup of Turkish coffee at the cafe across the street from
the entry to the Citadel. The climb to the top and roaming
there took 3 hours with many photos. Half the Syrians I met
wanted me in their photos too. I was back at the cafe at 12
noon. That this was a Friday was very good in that the
traffic was light, pedestrian traffic moderate. Everything
looked leisurely. Then I meandered thru the souq back to
the hostel. The citadel adds lots of charm to Aleppo, the
souq only so much. It does not have the pizzazz of the
closed bazaar in Istanbul, not the intricacy and mystery of
the souqs in Morocco. This whole area, as i said before, is
dingy. In fact, walking further west and north several km,
I got a good feel for the city. The more elegant parts are
to the west of the Baron Street and to the north of Al
Mutanabbi, more so north of Al Maari, more so north of
Quwatli streets, along Al Walid which turns into Sa'adullah
Aj Jabri street. This area is the wealthy Christian Quarter
of the city and it is much more elegant than the areas
further east and south. The park along the Baron Street is
very much like the Washington Mall and it continues to the
public park to the west of the Christian Sector of Aleppo,
where, by the way, Juhaina and the gang probably have their
homes. I also spent about an hour at the National Museum
and then returned to the hostel. The next day, finally I
got to see the jazzy parts of Aleppo, foremost the most
exclusive section called Shahbah, which is very similar to
the Abdoun area of Amman, with beautiful ornate and huge
homes of stone. The Muhafaza section is a bit older and
more settled, perhaps like the Jebel Amman area of Amman.
The part that I was describing as the Christian Quarter
from my tour on foot is called by the locals as Sabil. In
any event, now I can say I have seen Aleppo.
3. NIGHT BUS TO TURKEY. I had reserved the 3rd day for
relaxatıon, but sınce I can be ımpulsıve too, at 3 am I
decıded I had enough of Aleppo and packed and caught a
taxı for the Krnak statıon very near the hostel. I found a
bus that was leavıng at 4am. I got on ıt and sınce ıt was
empty I thought we would be delayed. Indeed we left wıth 5
people onboard, 3 helpıng the drıver. An hour later I got
my fınal exıt stamp from Syrıa and my reentry to
Turkey--1st tıme ın Istanbul, valıd for multıple entrıes
over 3 months. We spent an hour at Turkısh customs, whıle
they searched every luggage of 3 busses. At 8am I was ın
Hatay (or Antakya), the most southerly Turkısh cıty on the
maınland. The transıtıon from Syrıa to Turkey was lıke
from Mexıco to USA. Everythıng looked nıce and crısp ın
the latter, ınclludıng the very nıce travel busgar
(statıon).
Sirman