Apr 7, 2011 - Syria

We would like to explain why we decided to go to Syria despite the problems there at present. Our decision was not made lightly. The majority of the demonstrations were occurring in areas we were not visiting and usually only on Fridays. The Australian Government had not increased its travel warning status for travel to Syria. Intrepid tour groups and buses full of elderly Australians were still going. We were also in contact with some Australians we met in Aswan, then Luxor and again in Petra who were in Syria just before us, and they felt...

Dec 4, 2010 - Palmyra Bedouin Magic

I wish I could show you the pictures of this place. Pure desert magic. We lost the German (Mick and I were totally holding up his German efficiency with our laid back travel style. It's how we roll.) and headed out to the eastern desert oasis of Palmyra. We arrived just before sunset, and I just can't tell you how beautiful it was. We wandered, and I grumbled because my camera battery had just died, but it was acutally nice just to be there, walking among the mystical columns. We even made art, which was one of my favorite moments. There...

Dec 4, 2010 - DAMASCUS

All roads lead to Damascus. And it feels amazing to be in one of the oldest cities in the world. I have never felt unsafe in this journey (well, no one feels safe when sneering teenage boys hold machine guns), but I have never felt that I was in any danger. The expected culture shock of arriving into Syria and covering my head and the extreme separation between the sexes was never as apparent as when I arrived in Damascus and was able to uncover. Though I can never relate to this cultural difference, I fully appreciate and respect its...

Nov 7, 2010 - Aleppo

We arrived in Aleppo on Friday afternoon and made our way to our hotel in the middle of the souq. Being Friday, it was very quiet in the souq - a huge contrast to Saturday morning when we started exploring, when it was shoulder to shoulder all the way. We had a very entertaining local guide called Ahmed who showed us the sights - the hammam, mosque, insane asylum, gay pashmina guys etc, asking us questions and handing out lollies for correct answers. Our leader Sarah had told us she wanted to adopt him as her grandfather and I could see...

Nov 7, 2010 - Krak des Chevaliers

We've arrived in the little town of Al-Hosn, the location of a magnificent Crusader castle called Krak des Chevaliers. A bit of excitement the first evening as Richard slipped over in the shower and cracked his head open. Fortunately we have a nurse, radiographer and very enthusiastic group leader who raced in to inspect the damage - fortunately no stitches required and Kylie applied steristrips to hold things together. At dinner blood kept seeping out and the hotel guys eventually decided to take matters into their own hands and went out...

Nov 4, 2010 - Palmyra

Yesterday we took the public bus from Damascus to the outskirts of Palmyra, then a local bus to our hotel. Palmyra is in the middle of the desert and the home to Roman ruins dating from the 1st century. We had an early morning tour of the ruins with a local guide (see photos) but all of us are feeling a bit ruined out, there are so many over here. We were lucky to be in Palmyra at the time of the Palmyra festival and the day of the camel racing. After a look at the ruins we headed out to the race track to watch the fun. Camel races are held...

Nov 2, 2010 - Damascus

On Monday we had a 6 hour trip by taxi into Syria, which fortunately went smoothly. We had been warned of big delays but they did not happen though the whole process was a bit complicated with standing in various queues for various inspections - they wanted to search our luggage and went through every suitcase thoroughly. Our Jordanian taxis took us to the outskirts of Damascus where we were met by new taxis with Palestinian drivers to take us to our hotel, about another 15 minutes. Traffic was a nightmare and for the first time another car...

Oct 30, 2010 - Aleppo

Missy, James and I headed out early to get juice and find internet - Walking through the souk before everyone was there was pleasant, the only shops open were the butchers which neither James nor Missy were especially keen on seeing, Missy feeling really off today and it didn't help seeing large portions of tripe hanging from hooks and trays full of kidneys - I thought it was funny - especially the smiling goats heads. But yay everything we needed was open - being juice and internet. Spent 3 hours updating, then it was time to explore. Off...

Oct 30, 2010 - Aleppo

Today a cold was starting to settle in to me, not to mention the colder temperatures around and the rainfall we had last night. But Cath, Missy and I got up and headed out to get juice and cash before finding the internet for some handy blogging. Then we headed for a wander through the Christian Quarter of the city and headed towards Aleppo citadel. Outside we stopped for lunch in the sun before touring the citadel. This is another massive castle with quite an amazing entrance with twists and turns and a massive bridge (which used to be a...

Oct 29, 2010 - Crac Des Chevaliers to Aleppo

This morning it was time to head across the hill from the hotel to see the amazing Crac Des Chevaliers (which loosely translates to "fort of the knights"). This was certainly an impressive castle and we had a great local guide to show us around and explain it. I had great fun exploring and finding hidden passages etc, this castle was massive and there was heaps to find. Ironically it was never used as a fort / castle for that long as Saleh-Din beseiged it when the crusaders were there who eventually surrendered and it mostly stayed empty...

Oct 29, 2010 - Aleppo

Yay Daylight saving ended so we got an extra hour in bed! Standard cheese, bread and egg breakky then walked back to the restaurant for coffee with Hemet - thought I was going to get a chance to practice making the coffee but the place was a hive of activity getting ready for 300 plus for lunch- so coffee was made for me and was very nice all the same. The others called in 10 minutes later and we headed off to the Castle. Guide Waled another very informative man. Parts of the castle have been restored by the French in the 1920's and 30's...

Oct 28, 2010 - Crac des Chevalier

Purchased breakfast of cheese and crackers and some wonderful shortbreads then took a stroll to the Roman ruins just outside the town. Very knowledgable guide who showed us the site and gave us the Syrian version of the history of Zenobia a Syrian woman who becane queen when her husband died (according to the Romans by her hand - not according to the Syrians) Slight variations from what I had read - the biggest that she died by her own hand (but from my reading ended up living as the wife of a Roman senator - whose propoganda machine is...