Syria
Ahlan wa sahlan! - Welcome to Jordan!
25 / Apr / 2010
After spending a few nights at Crac des Chevaliers, we are ready for the desert and find our next warm welcome in Palmyra, central Syria. Abu Omar's friend was expecting us and we met at the doorstep of the hotel. While we check in, we are offered tea and a quick lunch is prepared because we look a little hungry. With full stomachs and our luggage in the room we jump in the car and set of for the Citadel to enjoy the view before sunset. By sundown we were in the middle of the ruins which are beautiful at this time of day - a real must see. The ruins are from the Roman time and walking through you can imagine what Palmyra (the City of Palms) must have been like many, many years ago. This was the time of caravans traveling between the Mediterranean, Mesopotamia and Arabia.
At breakfast the next morning we meet an unusual couple: John is 74 and Mora is 80. She is born in South Africa, lived in Malawi and being back to England for 30 years she keeps on traveling the world with local transport. Believe it or not this old couple goes around Syria and Jordan by local bus, managing to find their way around thanks to experience gathered on journeys around the world.
Following the advice of a French business man who is spending a year in Syria doing voluntary work with the Jesuits, we go deeper into the desert to reach the monastery St Moses the Ethiopian in Mar Musa. To our surprise this monastery from the 6th century, hidden in the mountains, is actually located in the middle of a huge military zone with troops training, tanks and fighter planes flying over. Are they keeping an eye on us or should we just relax?
The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is worth more than a couple of hours of your day. The place is amazing and has a long history. It is one of the holiest in the Islamic world. Valerie could experience what it is to be a Muslim woman as she has to wear a dress completely covering herself (body and head) in order to enter the mosque. At the end of the visit a Syrian girl surprises us and asks if she can take a picture of Val. Before we know it several people want to have their picture taken with us. The mix of people you meet around the mosque in the old city is vast. People from Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, from the most conservative type (women completely covered) to the modern western way of dressing. There are several touristic tours you can walk in the old city but we just walked around and got "lost". This way we end up on places that you otherwise simply do not get to see. We loved the authenticity and variety of Damascus.
Getting into Jordan is almost easier than getting out of Syria, at least that is our experience. Before collecting the necessary stamps in Jordan the car is carefully inspected, this time from underneath. Then the usual happens: change money, get insurance for the car, clear customs for the car (stamping the carnet the passage), get our visas and off we are.
The first things that strike us is that people drive much slower, more defensive and they love speed bumps! We feel many of them on our way to Jerash. We were temped to skip the ruins this time, when you saw one you think you have seen them all, but not visiting the Roman ruins of Jerash would have been a mistake. This large site, that we advise not to visit by midday (+35 degrees) like we did, is stunning with beautifully preserved.
When we enter Amman and drive through the middle of the city, there it is: BURGER KING. The day we left the Netherlands Barry was dying for a Whopper and never got one until Amman in Jordan. Imagine the taste of the best burger and double it, that's how good it tasted!
In Amman we spend the night at Theodor Schneller School. The motto of the school, started in 1860 by Johann Ludwig Schneller in Jerusalem, is learning to live in peace. This institution welcomes Christian and Muslim children to live together. They are orphan, or come from refugee families (the school is situated on the outskirts of a Palestinian refugee camp), or from family in difficult situation. Many of the children are marked with the experience of violence. Read more about this school on their website: www.evs-online.org
At breakfast the next morning we meet an unusual couple: John is 74 and Mora is 80. She is born in South Africa, lived in Malawi and being back to England for 30 years she keeps on traveling the world with local transport. Believe it or not this old couple goes around Syria and Jordan by local bus, managing to find their way around thanks to experience gathered on journeys around the world.
Following the advice of a French business man who is spending a year in Syria doing voluntary work with the Jesuits, we go deeper into the desert to reach the monastery St Moses the Ethiopian in Mar Musa. To our surprise this monastery from the 6th century, hidden in the mountains, is actually located in the middle of a huge military zone with troops training, tanks and fighter planes flying over. Are they keeping an eye on us or should we just relax?
The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is worth more than a couple of hours of your day. The place is amazing and has a long history. It is one of the holiest in the Islamic world. Valerie could experience what it is to be a Muslim woman as she has to wear a dress completely covering herself (body and head) in order to enter the mosque. At the end of the visit a Syrian girl surprises us and asks if she can take a picture of Val. Before we know it several people want to have their picture taken with us. The mix of people you meet around the mosque in the old city is vast. People from Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, from the most conservative type (women completely covered) to the modern western way of dressing. There are several touristic tours you can walk in the old city but we just walked around and got "lost". This way we end up on places that you otherwise simply do not get to see. We loved the authenticity and variety of Damascus.
Getting into Jordan is almost easier than getting out of Syria, at least that is our experience. Before collecting the necessary stamps in Jordan the car is carefully inspected, this time from underneath. Then the usual happens: change money, get insurance for the car, clear customs for the car (stamping the carnet the passage), get our visas and off we are.
The first things that strike us is that people drive much slower, more defensive and they love speed bumps! We feel many of them on our way to Jerash. We were temped to skip the ruins this time, when you saw one you think you have seen them all, but not visiting the Roman ruins of Jerash would have been a mistake. This large site, that we advise not to visit by midday (+35 degrees) like we did, is stunning with beautifully preserved.
When we enter Amman and drive through the middle of the city, there it is: BURGER KING. The day we left the Netherlands Barry was dying for a Whopper and never got one until Amman in Jordan. Imagine the taste of the best burger and double it, that's how good it tasted!
In Amman we spend the night at Theodor Schneller School. The motto of the school, started in 1860 by Johann Ludwig Schneller in Jerusalem, is learning to live in peace. This institution welcomes Christian and Muslim children to live together. They are orphan, or come from refugee families (the school is situated on the outskirts of a Palestinian refugee camp), or from family in difficult situation. Many of the children are marked with the experience of violence. Read more about this school on their website: www.evs-online.org
From Aleppo to Crac des Chevaliers, Syria
17 / Apr / 2010
Getting into Aleppo wakes Barry up. People honk and traffic is a little crazy here. Despite the hectic local way of driving and the signs only in Arabic, Val finds her way on the map and we quickly get to the Citadel in the old city of Aleppo. The souq Bab Antakya, a labyrinth of narrow and covered streets, is close to the Citadel and absolutely worth a visit. Sections separate the type of items sold in these shops, going from olive oil soap to meat to clothing. You're submerged with various smells, the best of all are the spices of course, and going through alleys of fresh meat hanging on the front of the stores is for Val a real challenge as a vegetarian, she goes and stops breathing for how long as it takes. Having said that, we are totally in love with the food here. It already started in Turkey, but once in Syria we enjoy every day the diversity of the mezze. It's a cheap meal and you're never hungry after eating humus and the mix of salads, all with pita bread.
Many women in the conservative city of Aleppo are completely covered wearing the black niqab and even gloves despite the 28 degrees C in order to not let any part of skin visible to the outside world. It seems to be a choice of each to wear it or not, as we see some younger women dressed in a westernized way and a chador as well. The Citadel is visited by hundreds of school children and before we know it we have our picture taken while having a coffee on a terrace! They wanted our picture as much as we wanted theirs. As soon as Barry starts taking a few shots, 30 kids jump all over him to have their photograph taken, along with a few words of English to ask us where we are from. This is the thing in Syria, not a single place we've been so far without having people greeting us welcome and asking our country of origin. It's funny to see that they're as curious about us as we're about them. Adding that Val' short hair cut captives the women's curiosity and that our Toyota attracts absolutely all people's eyes, and you'll get an idea on how curious the people are about us here. Even though, we never felt unsafe or under threat, the only thing we had to get used to at the beginning was people coming to us spontaneously with no bad intention but simply by curiosity.
Heading South, we drive to Baniyas on the coast, in the dark, on mountain roads (we did not expect this) and wild camp on a car park facing the sea after a late arrival. For once and for all, we decide to not drive at night (if at all possible) as there are too many unknowns and dangers which can be easily avoided during the day. The morning after, still on that car park, we are invited for a coffee by Bassar, a Christian Syrian, and his friend Muhammad, a Muslim and owner of the bar near by on the beach. Over coffee and tea, they teach us Arabic which becomes a friendly and funny moment so early in the day.
We head to Crac des Chevaliers, further South, and find a cheap and nice hotel, La Table Ronde, with views on the medieval castle from our bedroom. The castle Crac des Chevaliers, from the 12th century, is impressive from the outside for its massive structure, but quite disappointing on the inside, mainly due to poor renovations (such as Egyptian decorations on one of the towers) and bad maintenance. If you manage to look through all this, it is still a childhood dream castle which will take you back to the time of the Crusader Knights.
The Hotel/Restaurant La Table Ronde is held by Abu Omar, again a very friendly man who makes our stay even more pleasant. He even arranges for us a hotel in Palmyra, our next stop, calling his friend to make sure we'd be well taken care off.
What is written in the Lonely Planet about the Syrian people is absolutely true. They are the friendliest and most hospitable people we have met so far on our trip. Even if many do not speak English, we always find a way to communicate, our Arabic is improving by the day!
Many women in the conservative city of Aleppo are completely covered wearing the black niqab and even gloves despite the 28 degrees C in order to not let any part of skin visible to the outside world. It seems to be a choice of each to wear it or not, as we see some younger women dressed in a westernized way and a chador as well. The Citadel is visited by hundreds of school children and before we know it we have our picture taken while having a coffee on a terrace! They wanted our picture as much as we wanted theirs. As soon as Barry starts taking a few shots, 30 kids jump all over him to have their photograph taken, along with a few words of English to ask us where we are from. This is the thing in Syria, not a single place we've been so far without having people greeting us welcome and asking our country of origin. It's funny to see that they're as curious about us as we're about them. Adding that Val' short hair cut captives the women's curiosity and that our Toyota attracts absolutely all people's eyes, and you'll get an idea on how curious the people are about us here. Even though, we never felt unsafe or under threat, the only thing we had to get used to at the beginning was people coming to us spontaneously with no bad intention but simply by curiosity.
Heading South, we drive to Baniyas on the coast, in the dark, on mountain roads (we did not expect this) and wild camp on a car park facing the sea after a late arrival. For once and for all, we decide to not drive at night (if at all possible) as there are too many unknowns and dangers which can be easily avoided during the day. The morning after, still on that car park, we are invited for a coffee by Bassar, a Christian Syrian, and his friend Muhammad, a Muslim and owner of the bar near by on the beach. Over coffee and tea, they teach us Arabic which becomes a friendly and funny moment so early in the day.
We head to Crac des Chevaliers, further South, and find a cheap and nice hotel, La Table Ronde, with views on the medieval castle from our bedroom. The castle Crac des Chevaliers, from the 12th century, is impressive from the outside for its massive structure, but quite disappointing on the inside, mainly due to poor renovations (such as Egyptian decorations on one of the towers) and bad maintenance. If you manage to look through all this, it is still a childhood dream castle which will take you back to the time of the Crusader Knights.
The Hotel/Restaurant La Table Ronde is held by Abu Omar, again a very friendly man who makes our stay even more pleasant. He even arranges for us a hotel in Palmyra, our next stop, calling his friend to make sure we'd be well taken care off.
What is written in the Lonely Planet about the Syrian people is absolutely true. They are the friendliest and most hospitable people we have met so far on our trip. Even if many do not speak English, we always find a way to communicate, our Arabic is improving by the day!
Sami, the fixer at the border with Syria
14 / Apr / 2010
The sun is shining during the drive to South Cappadocia, through the Soganli valley, with a visit of Keslik monastery, hidden in the rocky mountains of this beautiful area. You see many signs on the road for sites you can visit and it really pays off to do so once in a while. In the south of Turkey, on our way to the border with Syria, we sleep on a car park at a gas station. To be sure we inform the guard and the shop keepers who look at us a bit astonished but say it is not a problem at all, welcome! And indeed, we slept very fine and freshen-up in the morning before getting hot water from the restaurant to make our traditional morning coffee.
The drive to the border crossing of Antakya / Bab al Hawa is easy, even though we get a bit lost in Antakya, the last city before the border because of missing signs during roadwork. At the border, we meet Sami from the tourist office, unexpectedly he becomes our 'fixer'. He helps us to not get checked by customs like everybody else: all other vehicles are turned inside out. It seems that customs look for all electric equipment for which you'd have to pay an import duty. All cars are opened and all luggage is checked. We jump the queue, our back door opens, closes and we are off in no time. No thorough check and that "for a small token of our appreciation". The other good surprise is that getting a visa for Syria at the border is possible, against most information you'll find on travel or official embassy websites. It is a smooth process and all well outlined on a board on the wall in the main building at the border.
We drive off into Syria and are surprised for about 2 hours that it was so easy to get into the country; it took only two and a half hours when we were actually expecting to have to wait for hours to get our visas. We find a camp sign on the main road to Aleppo, and camp in a little village 35km before the city. The camping Kaddour has rudimentary facilities but it's not a problem for us since we have no wish of driving to a big city to find a hotel. The roads are pretty good by the way.
The drive to the border crossing of Antakya / Bab al Hawa is easy, even though we get a bit lost in Antakya, the last city before the border because of missing signs during roadwork. At the border, we meet Sami from the tourist office, unexpectedly he becomes our 'fixer'. He helps us to not get checked by customs like everybody else: all other vehicles are turned inside out. It seems that customs look for all electric equipment for which you'd have to pay an import duty. All cars are opened and all luggage is checked. We jump the queue, our back door opens, closes and we are off in no time. No thorough check and that "for a small token of our appreciation". The other good surprise is that getting a visa for Syria at the border is possible, against most information you'll find on travel or official embassy websites. It is a smooth process and all well outlined on a board on the wall in the main building at the border.
We drive off into Syria and are surprised for about 2 hours that it was so easy to get into the country; it took only two and a half hours when we were actually expecting to have to wait for hours to get our visas. We find a camp sign on the main road to Aleppo, and camp in a little village 35km before the city. The camping Kaddour has rudimentary facilities but it's not a problem for us since we have no wish of driving to a big city to find a hotel. The roads are pretty good by the way.