It's good to be American... 5+ hours for a Syrian visa for Americans only! (**Free and immediate processing for North Koreans): Photos 21 to 42

Coming from a country with fairly poor diplomatic relations with so many countries have had it's downs and downs. For one, individual travel is banned from several countries like Iran, Sudan and North Korea. Another is the enormous amount of anti-American conversations I've had (yawwwwwn) along my travels. So the experience at the Jordanian/Syrian border was just another friendly reminder of the world's love for America and its foreign policies.

After riding a mini bus from Dahab to Nuweiba (port town of Egpt), I wandered around and met a group of travellers--most of whom were exchange students at American University in Cairo. We rode the fast ferry from Nuweiba to Aqaba in Jordan, which cost about $60-- payable only in U.S. dollars. My original plan was to go to Jordan and then later try for Syria, as the possibility for Americans to get a visa at the border is tough or impossible, according to the grapevine. However, after talking with Yousef (student from D.C) and Omar (student from Jersey), both of whom were headed over to Lebanon, I changed my plans and decided to join them.

We arrived in Aqaba, which pleasantly had a cooler temperature than the oven

Full Text Entry: It's good to be American... 5+ hours for a Syrian visa for Americans only! (**Free and immediate processing for North Koreans)

interesting, 'm sure they never get any n. korean visitors... u are looking tan lady. i can't wait to see u in la even though i've seen you off and on for the past 2 years!! heard you might be in london?? i just talked to chiwoan a few days ago! i miss you and ill see u in a few weeks..

Grace, am very much impressed with your travel itinerary - you journey to destinations many people would avoid. Many of the places you have visited, such as gorillas in Rwanda/DR Congo, Kenya and now Syria, are also within my travel radar in the next two years. Thanks for your insight into these fascinating regions and hopefully my arrival in these countries will be less traumatic than your experience on entering Syria! Hope you continue to explore the world for many more years!

Yipeee... just found out that we are both featured bloggers now!!! so maybe your blaaablaahblaa writing is not as boring as I thought! Congrats! and heey - I hate to say it - but I miss you! See you in London or Hamburg soon... your boring Donk-Chi :)

You keep impressing and inspiring...don't slow and keep sending these wonderful blogs to keep our imaginations wild as you actually experience these places, peoples, and feelings. I will send an email to catch up on lotsa happenings but if you happen to be near Boston this is where I be! You have an open invite and a good listener around the campfire for your tales and insights. So Jealous!

Wait... did you skip Jordan? Did you SKIP PETRA!? That was one of the highlights of my trip. Did I teach you nothing? Maryland-sharer! I'm jealous of Syria, I should have gone.

I am sorry! I totally side with the taxi driver. $50 is nothing for 3 people. I would have exacted all of your heads. He is not your servant to drive you all over the place and wait several hours for you at your beck and call. Not only should the 3 of you have given him the $50 but a $10 tip, then gone out to get him something to eat. Generosity breeds generosity. So 3 of you saved $30 by not paying up. $10 for each of you. Wow! What kind of hoodlums are you. I'd never wish to run into the sort of riff-raff that you all are.

interesting, 'm sure they never get any n. korean visitors... u are looking tan lady. i can't wait to see u in la even though i've seen you off and on for the past 2 years!! heard you might be in london?? i just talked to chiwoan a few days ago! i miss you and ill see u in a few weeks..

Grace, am very much impressed with your travel itinerary - you journey to destinations many people would avoid. Many of the places you have visited, such as gorillas in Rwanda/DR Congo, Kenya and now Syria, are also within my travel radar in the next two years. Thanks for your insight into these fascinating regions and hopefully my arrival in these countries will be less traumatic than your experience on entering Syria! Hope you continue to explore the world for many more years!

Yipeee... just found out that we are both featured bloggers now!!! so maybe your blaaablaahblaa writing is not as boring as I thought! Congrats! and heey - I hate to say it - but I miss you! See you in London or Hamburg soon... your boring Donk-Chi :)

You keep impressing and inspiring...don't slow and keep sending these wonderful blogs to keep our imaginations wild as you actually experience these places, peoples, and feelings. I will send an email to catch up on lotsa happenings but if you happen to be near Boston this is where I be! You have an open invite and a good listener around the campfire for your tales and insights. So Jealous!

Wait... did you skip Jordan? Did you SKIP PETRA!? That was one of the highlights of my trip. Did I teach you nothing? Maryland-sharer! I'm jealous of Syria, I should have gone.

I am sorry! I totally side with the taxi driver. $50 is nothing for 3 people. I would have exacted all of your heads. He is not your servant to drive you all over the place and wait several hours for you at your beck and call. Not only should the 3 of you have given him the $50 but a $10 tip, then gone out to get him something to eat. Generosity breeds generosity. So 3 of you saved $30 by not paying up. $10 for each of you. Wow! What kind of hoodlums are you. I'd never wish to run into the sort of riff-raff that you all are.