Hama - Aphamia

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 didnt speak English. I finally decided to imitate a chicken and pointed at my plate and in the end that was what I got lots of chunks of chicken! When ordering milk the waiter imitated a cow and started milking the air so whilst we didn't get our wine we were entertained!

Erin left the following morning at the crack of dawn and I got up a bit later to go to Aphamia the microbus was fun and my second microbus was paid for by some randomer who took me from one bus to the next and shouted la pounds at me!!!

Got to the museum and couldnt believe the state of it they have all of these beautiful mosaics and the building is very open air and so on. As I was getting ready to leave a tour group arrived and I couldnt believe how little they appeared to care for the mosaics including walking over them and so on.

Started to walk to the ruins and as my guidebook said there was a cafe at the top and it wasnt a long walk I merrily set of and walked and walked it was all uphill and pretty darn knackering! I arrived at the ticket office then went to the cafe to find that it didnt serve food so I got a drink and saw that a tour group was just about to have a picnic style lunch. When they finished I went up and asked if I could have some and they were more than happy to give me some. Anyhow chatted with one of the waiters and asked about getting a microbus back and he told me to return once I had finished viewing the site.

As the ruins were toppled in a succesion of earthquakes restorative archeology has been employed and so a number of the columns are standing despite this there are large boulders lieing around some of which have amazing detail on them. The main restorative work has been done at the opposite end of the site from where I arrived and so I trundled down to see it. There are quite a lot of touts trying to sell you coins or other antiquities that they found which I found a bit bizarre though a La (no) and a look of disinterest fielded most of them off! One guy decided to become an impromptu tour guide and showed me various aspects which was great - something that is majorly lacking is good knowledgable tour guides and whilst the books tell you so much a number of times I have been standing going that is pretty but what is it!!

Returned to the cafe and the waiter said that the microbuses went from the bottom of the hill as I was walking out he said wait - he arranged for a tour guide/driver to take me to the town where the bus to Hama went. I willingly agreed to this and checked with the ladies who were with him who said that it wasn't a problem!

Got to Zeckelbea (sp) and found a bus to Hama another guy got on shortly afterwards and then suddenly a fight appeared to break out! Thinking no more off it I continued watching the world go by when suddenly the driver got in and drove after another bus hooting away!! We pulled in front of the original bus and the fight spilled onto the road at this point a number of buses caught us up and we returned to the bus station where we were told to go to this bus then that bus and eventually we left without further incidence!! So if it isnt me fighting with the driver it's the driver fighting with someone else!!

Returning to the hotel I found that I was sharing with Jillian who I had gone to Mar Musa with. She had gone out for a walk and food but luckily as I decided to go for food I bumped into her as she returned to the hotel so we sat and caught up with what we had done since Mar Musa.

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