Syria Travel Experiences

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TRAVEL EXPERIENCESroutelog # 16

CONTENTS

‘THE BORDER TO DAMASCUS’ IS

DOCUMENTED IN THE JORDAN

TRAVEL EXPERIENCE JOURNAL.

PLEASE FIND IT THERE.

WE THEN TRAVELED IN LEBANON (SEE

LEBANON). THIS TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

DOCUMENTS ONLY THE 2ND TIME WE

WERE IN SYRIA.

‘THE CRADLE OF CIVILISATIONS AND

A VISIT FROM THE MASKED RIDER!’

“Utter helplessness, shows how vulnerable we as cyclists are,

and we were shocked at such inappropriate and foul

behaviour.”Continued on Page 2

SYRIA part 2 beet-route.com

Homs water wheels

Street view and dress Propaganda

SYRIA

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‘THE CRADLE OF CIVILISATIONS AND A VISIT FROM THE MASKED RIDER’

Kilometre's cycled: Approximately 350 kilometres

Punctures: 0

Repairs: To follow on with the stove issues we were having... Jon spent a considerable amount of time looking for a solution to the blockage in the fuel line, managing to engage some assistance in Hama from the hostel staff. The cable that runs through the fuel line was totally blocked. Absolutlely no getting this out, despite soaking overnight in WD40 (a lubricant and cleaning agent). Due to the failure to regularly pull out this cleaning cable (maintenance), plus the constant use of petrol as the fuel used (high in carbon when burned compared with white gas) the stove has come to an unfortunate end. Its been like losing a friend, a loved one, your right arm. The loss of equipment so valuable has been hard to take. RIP.

*We have not totally given up on it, but until we get back home we have purchased a replacement which is going good so far.

“Its been like losing a friend,

a loved one, your right arm.”

H o m s ( 2 0 / 0 2 / 0 9 ) A l e p p o ( 2 8 / 0 2 / 0 9 )

In the Wet

Syrian roads Craq des Chevaliers

HOMS - ALEPPO! PAGE2








Road conditions:

Homs – Hama: good

Terrain: flatish

Hama – Aleppo: good

Terrain: flatish

Aleppo – Border: they are in the process of upgrading the last section of this road. In the wet, it was very muddy and gritty

Terrain: flatish to downhil

Weather:

Rain Homs - Hama

Rain Hama – Aleppo

Rain Aleppo - Border

Liters of water consumed/day/person: 1 L

Litres of water in plastic bottles consumed: 0 L

Flavour-some Food: We cooked ourselves in a kitchen in Hama which was a real treat. When you are on the road so long and cooking when you can on a simple stove, you really appreciate two or three hobs, a sink, chopping boards and all sorts of other things that we take

for granted when you are at home. Aukje cooked her best Mexican with the supplies she could find, and Jon cooked creamy sauce with rice... mmmmmmmmm yuuuuuuuum!

We also have very much enjoyed the street food in Aleppo. Flatbread with your choice of ingredients and then grilled under a portable gas sandwich press thing. Very good with melted cheese. We also tasted a hot, thick, milky drink, topped with cinnamon. Neither of us were fans of this, though it was fun to taste. The juice bars were very popular with Aukje as she sought her fix of vitamins.

Physical Well-being: We both have had sniffly noses, and have had lungfuls of phlem.

Team Dynamics: Getting Newsbeet out was a little stressful....

People: For the most part good, although we were shocked to have a random motorcyclist slowly overtake us on the inside one day. Totally masked, with a black scarf wrapped tight around his head. Aukje was cycling about 3-4 metres in front of

Jon. The motorcyclist came up alongside Aukje and reached out first and grabbed her back panniers. He then lunged out again and grabbed her bottom. Jon started screaming at this guy and chased the motorcyclist as he sped away. Utter helplessness, shows how vulnerable cyclists are, and shocked at such inappropriate and foul behaviour. We both have felt very uneasy hearing motorcyclists approaching from behind which is very frequently as its the most common form of transport.

The hostel in Hama was excellent and the staff were awesome.

Animals: A few dogs, but any smart animals would have been under some sort of cover.

Memorable Quote: ‘Feel free to spend all your money here’: a quote that we heard often when walking through Aleppo’s souk, and made us laugh. Another one we also heard: ‘Come and see my shop! Cheap and nasty!.. I mean.. cheap and nice!’

Syrian men Edutainment in the Aleppo Souq







Typical: Syria advertises itself as ‘the cradle of civilizations’. It has been a major crossroad between cultures for millenia, and there is an abundance of historical sites throughout the country. Crac du Chevalier is a crusader’s castle in Syria’s north west and an impressive remnant of the past that we very much enjoyed.

Unexpected Disappointment: The masked motorcyclist – see people.

Secret Spot: Not so secret, however we really enjoyed the Souq’s in Aleppo, with tastes, smells and sights to keep you busy for hours.

Hints For Traveling This Section: Its the low season now, and the tourist prices are adjusted accordingly, which works for us now Low season means generally that it is a little wet and cold. Just keep this in mind before you book at this time of the year.

“...you really appreciate

two or three kitchen hobs,

a sink, chopping

boards and all sorts of other things that we

take for granted when

you are at home. “

Water

Syrian food - custard and olives

PalmyraCraq des Chevaliers





Syria Travel Experiences

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