Palmyra, Syria – April 2011
In light of everything that has been happening in Syria the last two days, I have been doing a lot of reminiscing about our 2011 trip. Last night I went through all of the blog posts and photos I posted back in 2011 and realized that I really didn’t write much and only posted a handful of photos. I believe that I have mentioned in a previous post a problem I have with living in the moment and capturing experiences while they happen. It is so difficult to try to recollect specific experiences four years after they occurred but I will try to list some of the memories that stood out…along with posting many more photos from the 2011 trip to Syria. Here goes…
- The ease in which I passed through Syrian customs both arriving and leaving the country
- Damascus was much larger than I expected–old Damascus is only a small part of a much larger greater Damascus
- Negotiating a trip to Bosra at the Damascus Hostel and the actual trip which was definitely worthwhile but very close to where the Syrian troubles began–the town of Deraa. Also while at a restaurant in Bosra, being offered the opportunity to buy ancient Roman coins which I quickly declined–I heard horror stories about folks trying to take antiquities out of the country–very illegal.
- The insane taxi ride to the Damascus bus terminal which was essentially a chaotic open-air lot north of the city. I remember buying our tickets to Palmyra and then having to get the trip approved by a police person who had a little office in the corner of the station.
- The several hour bus drive to Palmyra in the evening where a young student who spoke perfect English offered to set us up with a driver for the rest of our trip, then arriving in Palmyra late evening with so many young kids still running around the streets playing.
- Our hotel in Palmyra being booked even though we had a reservation–so they took us to a house a few blocks down the road which seemed like it was still under construction–a strange but clean place.
- Walking all over the ruins in Palmyra then the long hike up the hill to the castle and Derek trying to negotiate a taxi ride back down from a teenage souvenir vendor. After a quick call and a negotiated price, a car arrived and took us back down near to where we were staying–at a much higher cost than what we negotiated–I was furious.
- Our driver trying to take us from Palmyra to the Crac des Cheveliers before it closed–we made it with about 15 minutes to spare and had a quick tour.
- The evening drive from Crac des Cheveliers to Hama and seeing a bunch of fires lit in the middle of the highway along the way and what seemed like a lot of military personnel presence.
- The staggering amount of plastic grocery store bags strewn along the sides of many of Syria’s backcountry roads.
- And finally, the very awkward parting of ways of with our driver in Aleppo in which he became upset that we didn’t tip him properly. It is the biggest regret I’ve ever had on any trip because I know he was right. I don’t know what I was thinking at the time –I think I was just exhausted and not paying attention–but we eventually made things right, although at the expense of a not so great parting scene. If that driver ever stumbles upon this blog–I apologize a thousand times. Since that experience, I have made sure that I go above and beyond in this area.
