Syria Complete

Hey Folks!

Sorry for the late post but alot has been going on lately. Most of my online time has been dedicated to photo posting.

So lets talk about Syria. We start off in Antakya (Ancient Antioch) where the border crossing is. The bus was pretty quick and got me to crossing in under two hours. Getting off the bus it was really apparentI was leaving the relative ease of Turkey and heading into the Middle-East.

Before heading into Syria I had to confirm that I could obtain a visa at the border. Australians, Kiwis and Canadians can recieve there visa via a quick fax from Damascus. So when I arrived at the border I was prepared for a paperwork nightmare. I had come semi-prepared with Syrian pounds, Turkish Lira, Euros, and British Pounds for good measure. Sadly I needed American dollars to purchase my visa. A whopping 60 dollars was needed for a 15 day stay.
After about 45 min of confusion I figure out that they didnt have an ATM, money changer, or accept Syrian money. I had to wander over to a shady market across the border crossing and barter in the black market. Stacks of cigs, alchohol, even jars of petrol were being smuggled through here. I had to barter away lots of Syrian money for a 100 dollar American bill.

After about 5 hours at the border I hitch-hiked to the nearest town to catch a mini-bus to Aleppo. Aleppo really is an incredible city. With the population swelling to over 3 million, early in the 20th century Aleppo saw its Christian population swollen by thousands of Armenians and other Christian minorities driven out of Anatolia(South-East Turkey) by the Turks.

My first impression of Aleppo was that this city had a soul. The people stared at me without the obvious greed and distrust that I felt in Egypt. Every 20 feet I was stopped by people that were so interested in me and wanted to make sure I felt welcome. I felt at home. With all this welcoming I knew I was in for a treat.

The tiresome day from Turkey had me longing for sleep but I felt that I should get out on the streets and absorb this newfound Middle-Eastern attitude. I didnt make it 100 feet before I had a young Syrian student stop and ask me where I was from. We talked for a little while before he invited me out for some tea. How can I not accept? He called his cousin and we did what every young arab does, we cruised the streets and took in the atmosphere.

The following day I needed to get to the souqs. The souqs out here are such a blast. I have been fortunate enough to visit the top souqs on the planet (Cairo and Instabul come to mind) I can start to compare them.This Aleppo souq was pretty great because you can really feel the Arab culture. The things they sell are so unique and you want to empty your pockets. The soap, silk, new car seats covers, braids for curtains. The best part really is the bartering. Sit down have a tea, make a day out of getting that dollar off! The meat shop area is really great. You can see all sorts of wild animals and hanging heads.

The old city in Aleppo is on the world heritage list and is a must-see. Right off to the side of the souq is the massive Citadel. This Citadel served as the power base for the muslims during the crusades. Atop the Citadel boast the best views over Aleppo.

One of the best things I actually experienced in Aleppo was the dinner across the street in the brand new 5-star Sheraton hotel. This buffet had an amazing assortment of world cuisines at my fingertips, all for 20 bucks! Yeah yeah that is expensive for a backpacker but I needed my fill.

From Aleppo I had to take a mini-bus or 3 to the best crusader castle in the world, Krak des Chevaliers. From Aleppo I packed myself in a old mini-bus headed south to Homs. A quick (1 hour) transfer to another bus brought me to the small village at the base of the castle. Another45 min walk (Taxis are for 2 weekers) I arrived at my hotel directly across the castle. What a view!

Author Paul Thearoux described Krak des Chevaliers as the epitome of the dream castle of childhood fantasies of jousts and armour and pennants. TE Lawrence(Lawrence of Arabia) called it 'the finest castle in the world'. Take their word for it, its the one of the cooliest things ive ever seen.

I am brought in fantasy just walking around this amazing structure. I stood in the middle of the trading square and closed my eyes. Think of the sounds, the horse hooves clacking through the stables, the cackle of the gypsies, and the heralds bring people of importance. This is why I travel.

There are rare times when you can avoid the spoils of the tour groups. There is nothing worse than sitting in quiet reflection dreaming of nobles and servants, smelling the vegtable carts, or hearing the ancient walls rumble during a storm.....then you smell some god-awful perfume from a grumpy European that thinks this structure is a pile of rocks.

So what have I learned about Syria?

Culture: Syria is stacked with friendly, peaceful, respectful people. No attempts were made to overcharge, ripoff, or steal from me. There were many instances where the people were aggresive in making sure I didnt even pull out my wallet. I was a guest in there country and they wanted nothing more for me to have a good time. The culture is geared towards family, friends and religion. Preconceived ideas about 'terrorist training grounds' and 'rogue states', will find little to support these notions on the streets of Syria. Remember when were are greeted by these friendly Arabs they are seeing us without our country attachments, we should do the same.

Tourism: Getting around is a little difficult. I think ive been travelling too long when I consider a 8 hour day on 4 buses easy. There is no reason to hold back coming to Syria because of the minor 'backwards' systems. Sure they could stand to learn a few things but I wouldn't have appreciated it as much if getting to and from attractions was cake. Your state of inertia is stronger here, a little more effort is required to get yourself going but once you do its harder to stop.

Religion: Although to the naked eye Syria appears to be a homogenous society, Syria is actually 10% Christian. Racially you have large groups of Armenians, Kurds, and Turkish. One thing to mention is that I met quite a few Iraqi tourists.

Food: Pretty great! If there is one way to understand Syria it is to eat. Every occasion is marked with a family feast. Life revolves around food. A hosts generousity is marked with how much food is on the table. Going into these peoples homes was really a blast. No wonder ive gained some weight. Mezzes, Kebaps, Koftas, Rices cooked in butter, minced lamb, onions and spices all topped with salads and squirts of lemon. Mmmmm!

Weather: Great moderate days. Not too hot, not too cold.

There is so much more to say about Syria. I guess you will have to ask me when I get home. I will say that Im glad I didnt grasp at my obvious prejudices towards the arab culture. As I travel around all these regions I am learning to understand why the differences exist. My utter disgust of Egypt didnt encrouch on my time in Syria. Every country is different and every person is different, except for Oompa-Loompas-they are all the same.

Thank God!

D.