So my last morning in Hama was spent packing and sorting a few things out before going for a quick mad dash to take pictures! Got to the bus station and bought my ticket for Tartus and then went and grabbed a shwarma for lunch - the shwarmas here are wierd they are more like pancakes as they cook the bread as well! Anyhow I got on the bus and was really aggrevated to find that the luggage area was closed so i had to take my massive rucksack etc. on to the bus not much fun! Anyhow we set off [View Full Entry]

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So on the return bus we met some guys who were studying English and asked us for help with their homework! One thing I have noticed is that a lot of Syrians aspire to marry English girls which I find puzzling but I think they see us as wealthy moneybags or some such rubbish! Got back to the hotel before going out for a meal, as we were in need of a glass of wine we went to a restaurant that was recommended in the lonely planet. Unfortunately they no longer served wine but they also had no real menu and [View Full Entry]

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I havent been having much luck with the computers as the last two long entries have been lost so here is to this one saving! Anyhow after the beehive villages we returned to the hotel where I met my new roommate who was from Canada. We agreed to go out later that afternoon as it was a Friday a lot of Hama was closed. We went back to the Orient House as the food there was yum and it was a very different quiter walk to during the week. Woke up around 8 ish to go to Krak Des Chevaliers which [View Full Entry]

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Rather guttingly I wrote a long entry the other day about my trip to the Beehive villages but alas it would not publish and so I shall have to rewrite it! A quiet evening followed my last entry with a walk through the shopping district leading up to a restaurant/hotel that is linked to the Cairo where I am staying. It appears to be a bustling city and it is funny because having seen barely any 'sweet' type shops in Damascus the road from the hotel for ages onwards is full of shops selling Baklava and other yummy looking sweet confections. [View Full Entry]

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So after my last entry I went to find some lunch on the way I bumped into one of my roommates who suggested the cafe in the botanical gardens as it did good chicken sandwiches! Thinking that this would be a sandwich rather than a shwarma I merrily headed over there. My first upset was that they had no chicken left so I ordered another sandwich and much to my dismay I found that it was very shwarma like and totally not what I was expecting! Despite not eating much Arabic food per se I am beginning to crave the odd [View Full Entry]

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Monday continued Once the veges were chopped and cleared away I read for a while and looked at the view which is very similar to the mountains in Dubai these are slightly redder but similar none the less. Lunch was eventually served at 2:30 and there was masses of it. We had chopped correctly as it was a vegetable stew which was yummy and just what was needed!! After this was all cleared away we started to make jam - rose and mint jam to be precise! I was given the first stirring order which was okay though I was terrified [View Full Entry]

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So after leaving here I went and met up with Jillian and went to a cafe where there is a 'traditional' Arabic storyteller. Met up with Tiana (Finnish) and Pascal. It was very dramatic though I dont really know what was going on - lots of loud bangs and teary eyes being made!! We then went for supper up the road from the hotel and I was starving! It was a selection of Mezze but they were not traditional we had a couple of dips, jacket potatoes and other veges in a tomatoey sauce, Aubergines and so on - yummy!! Went [View Full Entry]

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So following the last entry I returned to the hotel where I met Peter he had just arrived in Damascus and was here for only one day. Went out for supper close by the hotel and whilst it was really quite nice it was a bit bland - rice with chicken that looked pretty unappatizing for 125 SYP though you can't complain. Met up with Peter as I went into the hotel and as he hadn't eaten I accompanied him much to my annoyance though as he found a restaurant which appeared to be serving the yummiest barbequed meat as I [View Full Entry]

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Last night I went to the famous Beit Al Jabrin which is located in the back streets of Damascus. It was just Matt and I as Pascale has gone up to Palymra now. The food was okay but came in massive portions which considering the price is reasonable - the meal cost 380 SYP around 4 pounds! This morning I woke up late again!!! After Breakfast went to omayad mosque which was very peaceful in comparison to the rest of Damascus. I donned a fetching robe which made me look so stylish and wandered around for a bit - sat down [View Full Entry]

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Last night after writing this I went back to the hotel and eventually decided to go for supper! Went out with Matt (English) and Pascale (Canadian) to a restaurant that had a good review in the lonely planet. Walked for a bit through the souq which was pretty hectic and eventually found the 'Old City' in one of the back alleys. Shared some Mezze which were all yummy and then had lamb chops with various veges - having walked through the fruit and veg market on my first day I was suprised at how tasteless it all was! We did get [View Full Entry]

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