Blogs from Middle East - page 1094

The next few days we cruised around the pretty town of Hama. It is famous for its massive waterwheels that are still in operation today- but just as a tourist attraction! Hama prooved to be full of super friendly people- as always the case in Syria. While I was fairly spanked with a tragically humerous and fantastic case of the runs (tragically humorous like when a clown dies). Apart from the cool school water wheels we discovered numerous cheap and hearty juice bars- which were frequeneted almost as many times as I went to the toilet. We took a day trip out to see the spectacular crusader castle of Crac De Chavelliers. When researching what to see in Syria, Crac De Chavelliers was high on my list. While my energy levels werent at their normal Tiger ... read more

Yesterday the sun was shining in the morning and I was able to get on the ferry for the 10:30 trip down the Bosphorus . This is a pretty big boat! It is used primarily for this journey. The trip is 32 km long and stops several times on the way to the Black Sea. FORTUNATELY it is a big boat that rides quite well in those areas that are affected by larger waves. ..where it meets the Sea of Marmara on one end and the Black Sea on the other. At one time the only dwellings were the castles, palaces,summer homes and estates of the rich and the famous some built as early as the 1500 and they have been building there ever since. There are also mosques dating to the same time period.It was ... read more

These are pictures of a neighborhood that one of the guys I work with took, the last few are of the kids that live there.... read more

Hi all, Yes I'm finally here and working my butt off in the palace. What a property, absolutely stunning till you put the housekeeping goggles on and look through all the glitz and glamour. So much work to do, so understaffed... Hmmm sound familiar???? I have lost my phone so no pictures yet. Either get me on this email address or at Scott.Chapman@kempinski.com Hope your all travelling well. Till next time...... read more

Today I was fortunate to spend time in a church that was built in the 1100's and decorated in the 1300's. Since then it was coverted into a mosque for a few centuries which means that the mosaics and the frescoes were plastered over for there can be no images in a mosque's decor.Fortunately the building became a museum and the Byzantine Church was able to fund and restore the splender of the mosaics and many of the frescoes. They are truly marvelous. The work is dedicated to Mary and Jesus and portrays standard stories (birth ,miracles ,geneologies,temple stories) but others I had never heard of .The giving of a stick with young shoots indicating Joseph as Mary's fiance,Mary in the arms of her parents,bidding farewell to family members...they must be part of the orthadox tradition. ... read more