The conspiracy of the cats and the fly/mosquito axis For years the flies and the mosquitoes have been allies, ensuring a continuous barrage against the mammals - flies by day and mosquitoes at night. Up until quite recently, the date confused by incomplete records from either the vaults of catadopia or the otherwise meticulous archives at insectopia, the cats have been at the front line in the mammals' war against the aforementioned extremists factions of the insect empire. The cats employed guerrilla tactics to swipe off any stray squadrons of flies and mosquitoes that would venture too cl [View Full Entry]

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Jordan Shortly after writing my last blog I met AJ and Tom, an American and an Aussie who had met each other in Istanbul and had been traveling together for the last 2 weeks through Turkey and Syria. Full of the joys of Damascus we all bundled onto a bus to Amman which was refreshingly uneventful if typically lackadaisical in it's progress. In Amman we checked into a pretty standard hostel and were ecstatic to find that we were the only three guests in a five bed dorm. That was until 2.30 in the morning when two guests who had apparently [View Full Entry]

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Leaving Syria It is with an air of sadness that I write this blog, sitting, waiting for my bus to Amman, Jordan. Having completed (and passed - YAY!) my Arabic course, now is the time to meander my way towards Sharm El Sheik airport in Egypt from where I will, inshallah, fly home two weeks from now. I will be travelling through Jordan, hoping to see Petra, Wadi Rum, The Dead Sea and as much else as I can squeeze in to 8 days and then through Sinai hopefully including some relaxing by the Red Sea and a trip up Mt [View Full Entry]

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No one was hurt in the aformentioned accident although were it not for a ruck sack between my knee and Takishi's crown jewels as he flew out of his benchseat opposite my own, this may have been a different story! None the less, I was glad to be back at my house, which, incidentally has no address other than "on the second street to the right opposite Al-Ward hammam, first (black) door on the right, Damascus". Then the tonsillitis set in. With a searing sore throat and slight fever, I wanted to stay in bed on Monday morning but I had [View Full Entry]

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My weekend in Beirut. My blogs are like London busses, you wait ages for 1 and then two come along at once (and also, as you'll see, they're full of angst, confusion, extortion and traffic mishaps...). The reasons for this delay will become clear as you read but I do appologise and promise to try harder next time! After the first week of my Arabic course had been completed, I decided it was time for me to get out of Syria for a bit and see what neighbouring Lebanon had to offer. So, in theory, a quick 4 hour drive accross [View Full Entry]

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Just photos of our latest Hammam. See other blog for a description! [View Full Entry]

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Blog from Damascus. Sunday 11th November. I've now been in Damascus for 10 days and today I am finally sorted and ready to start my course on Tuesday. I've jumped through all of the bureaucratic loops needed to sign up for the course and have also found somewhere to stay! I've ended up taking a room that became available in Matt's house. The room is far too large for me and my rucksack (2 empty beds) and too expensive for my rapidly depleting wallet but I just HAD to stay in this house!! It's easily the nicest house I have seen [View Full Entry]

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It was great to meet Matt, the first English person I had spoken to since the disastrous Airport incident in Turkey, who turned out to be a student from St Andrew's University, here on a year long placement year for his course in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies. Within minutes were out for a bite to eat and then to party that seemed to include around 80% Syrians and 20% foreign students. This was a far cry from conservative Haleb with alcohol, suggestive dancing and a general atmosphere that resembled the more energetic of parties in England. The lonely planet [View Full Entry]

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So, just as the music was about to start rolling the bus stopped and all those going to Haleb were asked to leave. Ok, I thought, there must be a service bus as the bus we were on was going straight to Damascus. But as we waited beside the road - 4 Turkish guys and myself - nothing came. So I was stuck in a border town in Syria with no apparent hope of escape. Eventually one of those I was with flagged a small white bus which we got in. I was relieved of the last of my Turkish lira [View Full Entry]

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Day 7 - Antakya - Damascus I'm writing from a splendid first class seat on the train between Aleppo and Damascus. The four hour journey in relative luxury (tv with headset included as well as executive seats) cost an astonishing 240 syrian pounds - which is roughly the same in English pennies. As I was writing that sentence I was handed complimentary orange juice and some sort of sweet - I like this train! Behind me is a row of boys who are determined to connect with me as best they can (one asked me to take his picture) and in [View Full Entry]

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