Advertisement
Published: October 26th 2006
Public health is soooo last year, smoking is the new thing on everyone's lips - though a strawberry nargileh beats Big n Hairys every time......d'you think there'd be a demand for this in Maryhill?? Perhaps not.....
We bumped into this magnificent blue-eyed boy adorning a keyboard in a Sony shop in Hama, the owner had just closed for the evening but after much window banging he finally relented and afforded us some quality time with 'Nice' - not the most catchy of names but nevertheless a rather appropriate moniker for such a fine specimen - without doubt one of the highlights of the trip thus far!
Crusader castles are dotted all across the western part of Syria and Krak des Chevaliers is the most complete remnant from those bloody days of conquest and pillage; TE Lawrence (of Arabia) simply called it "the finest castle in the world" but we reckon Jodhpur Fort in Rajastan just shades it! Unfortunately we had to view the battlements in a full-blown storm - thunder and lightning galore - but don't suppose we'll get any sympathy from you guys in sunny scotland.....still, we did travel there in style in our 1965 Mercedes......
Palmyra
('City of Palms') is out in the Syrian desert, half way to Iraq, and for centuries was an indispensable staging post for caravans travelling between the Med and Mesopotamia and Arabia, and was also an important link on the old silk road from China and India to Europe; no doubt some bad eggs are still passing through to have a crack at GI Joe. Anyways, the columns were verrry impressive - as were the pancakes - and we had the whole ruins to ourselves. Tourism has plummeted recently for obvious reasons but everyone we met in Syria was welcoming and hospitable, and we didn't feel threatened at any time.....kind of like Weegie-land could be if you quarantined the neds and the drunks, there isn't any need for ASBOs over here. Unfortunately, we didn't manage a kick-a-bout with the locals as they were all too knackered during the day due to fasting from sunrise to sunset for Ramadan, don't think sliding tackles would have been de rigeour on that pitch anyways, worse than red ash!
Unlike Saul, we didn't experience any bolts of light on the road to Damascus, it was all easy street until hordes of touts beseiged us
upon arrival at the bus station; they got the rubber ear. Damascus is home to the Umayyad Mosque (the third holiest in Islam), only surpassed by those in Mecca and Medina, but we'll remember it as a city of firsts: my first G&T and scrub in a Hammam (Turkish bath) and dom's first pistachio nut and fillet mignon. The locals were less conservative than in Aleppo and the women wore a rainbow of headscarves - rather than black or black - which must work wonders for bad-hair-days, I'm no stranger to those at the moment!
Returning to public health, looks like we've stumbled upon a solution to Scotland's obesity epidemic - employ urchins with scales to pester people in the street, quality. We're not going to disclose the results of our first trip to 'weightwatchers'.....but we'll be going easy on the Magnums for a while.....
We're currently in Beirut, fill you in soon......
Advertisement
Tot: 0.151s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 19; qc: 76; dbt: 0.094s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Nic C
non-member comment
Logging in!
This is my first look at the blog! I am very impressed. It is great that we here at home can be kept updated with what is going on in your big trip. The photos are fantastic. You both look really well and relaxed (not sure if it is the result of the massive bong that Doug is sampling!!!) Hope you are having a fab time. Take care! Look forward to catching up with the next leg of the trip. Much Love Nic x