So it begins

Gad-souks

Published Date : November 6, 2004

I was up early after an excellent night’s sleep to find that half of my group was sick.  Welcome to Syria ��  A few people thought it might be food poisoning, but those of us with medical backgrounds quickly nixed that idea.  At this stage we’re not sure what it is, but it’s definitely not food poisoning.

Our tour agent from the border last night took us on a walking tour of the city this morning.  The main point of interest was the citadel (castle to the western world).  The Citadel of Aleppo was built in medieval times, but the hill site where it is located has been in continuous use since the 3^rd millennium BC.  It has been used by the Byzantines, Greeks, Romans and Ottomans.  It has passed back and forth between Muslim and Christian hands many times during its long history.  

To say the site was impressive would be a massive understatement.  It’s still an active archaeological dig and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Unfortunately, our tour guide was an arrogant prick with a very unpleasant style of delivery.  Also, as the morning wore on more of us were starting to fall ill, so it was nowhere near as enjoyable an experience as it should have been.

After leaving the Citadel, our next stop was the historic covered souks.  The souks are the largest covered market in the Middle East, stretching almost 13km.  Stepping into the narrow alleyways surrounded by bright colours, spices and fabrics, I immediately felt like I had been transported back in time by 700 years.  Many of the group were looking to pick up Hookah and backgammon boards.  However, a few of us were starting to feel the first twinges of severe gut cramps and wanted to get back to the hotel. 

When in good health, the souks are definitely something to be experienced.  It’s a feast for the senses with the crowds, the smells, and the enormous variety of things on show.  Unfortunately for us sickies, one such thing was a camel head hanging at a butcher shop with a hole in its head where the brains had been scooped out.  To add to the flavor, the skinned neck with the spinal cord hanging out the bottom was still attached.  Urp �� It was close but I somehow managed to control the gag reflex.

After the camel, things went downhill fast.  Greased lightning back to the hotel and I was out of commission for the rest of the day.  I perked up in time to go out to dinner with what was left of the group, but I only ate a mouthful or two of soup.  All in all, I think I got off lightly.

Desert Oasis

Published Date : November 7, 2004

I felt much better today after a good night of sleep, but still definitely not 100%.  The consensus is that it’s some sort of Norovirus.  I mostly certainly got off lightly compared to everyone else.  Once I flushed out my system, I immediately started to improve, while for others it seems to be lasting a full day or more.

Today was a long day on the bus with most people loaded up on Immodium to make it through the trip.  At one point we stopped in the middle of the desert to take pictures of a sign informing us that we were 1000 miles from Baghdad and only 160 miles from the Iraqi border.  Maybe next trip!

We stopped for lunch in Hama to see the old Roman waterwheels and aqueduct system before continuing on to Krak des Chevaliers.  Krak is a medieval castle that dates back to the mid-1100 and was of enormous strategic importance during the crusades.  It slowly expanded over the centuries and is today one of the best preserved medieval castles in the world. 

We were given a couple of hours to explore the castle, but I could have easily spent an entire day there.  It was without a doubt the most impressive castle I’ve ever seen.  With the winding corridors, defensive battlements, false doors, moats and stunning vistas, it seems an impenetrable fortress.

Leaving Krak it was back on the road once more.  Destination: Palmyra.  The original plan was to bush camp in the desert tonight, but it was threatening to rain and with so many people still sick, we splurged and stayed in a hotel in the city instead.  It was quite dark by the time we got there, so we didn’t see much at first. 

Dinner was a non-event with so few people up to eating and the birthday celebrations for Julie were a half-hearted affair.  Most turned in early, but I was feeling almost back to normal by then and decided to go exploring.

Wandering the streets, I checked out a few local shops, but I didn’t stray too far from the hotel.  Although nowhere near the aggression seen in Aleppo, I still had men hissing and spitting at me.  That is if they weren’t downright ignoring me.  I simply do not feel safe in this country.

More ruins

Published Date : November 8, 2004

Palmyra is a desert oasis that was once a vital stopping point on the trade routes through the region.  Also, some useless trivia for you: Palmyra is where the Monty Python movie Life of Brian was filmed.  We spent the morning exploring the nearby ruins of Tadmur.  As with all the other ruins in this region, they have been occupied by all the great powers at one stage or another.  The Greco-Roman ruins at Tadmur are the best preserved, so it those that we visited today.

I woke up feeling ill again this morning.  Whatever it is that’s circulating through our group, I hope it burns out soon.  I really don’t want to be dealing with this for the next four months!  Not up to walking around in the hot sun, I sat out half of the tour.  I found myself a nice spot in the shade of the ruins and looked out over the date palms swaying in the breeze.  Despite not feeling well, it turned out to be quite a pleasant morning. 

Leaving Palmyra, we continued south to the capital, Damascus.  We’re staying in a campground on the outskirts of town while we’re here.  Arriving after dark, we set up our tents and set about making ourselves comfortable.  There are two other overland expeditions staying here as well, Dragoman and an unknown.  We immediately got on the bad side of the Dragoman group.  They took offence to us putting our campfire so close to their tents, to which we responded if they hadn’t taken up 80% of the campground with their 5 tents we would have room to put our fire somewhere else.  Dragoman has a fairly decent reputation among overland groups, but they’re also one of the most expensive.  In talking to a couple people from their group later on, many of them were just sour to realize that they’re paying twice as much for the same experience as the other companies.  No, there’s no rivalry between tour groups on these trips at all ��