Syria Reviews
Syria
Fred & Gill Schwab, March 2011
People - The extraordinary good nature and kindness of the Syrians cannot be stressed enough. We have been to many countries over the years and mostly the people are lovely but we have never experienced warmth like this before. I guess sometimes the 'Welcome in Syria' was followed by an invitation to view an uncle's shop or buy postcards, but mostly it was a spontaneous friendly gesture of interest from passers-by in the street who were interested in where you came from and what you thought of Syria.
Places - The fascination of so many ancient sites and how surreal some places feel when you stand there under a glorious sky imagining the many footsteps of centuries of people who were in this space before you. I guess Palmyra was the most take-your breath-away, the colours changing with the light, burnished just before sunset. We loved Serjilla on its lofty plain with a carpet of yellow flowers under the olive trees to one side and brilliant poppies blazing red against the limestone ruins. Another breathtaking visit was to St Simeons Stylite situated on the breezy flower smothered hillside giving a wide view across the loamy earth to the rosy mountains of Turkey.
Special Memories:
- Coming out of a beautiful mosaic museum right onto a bustling, crowded market with everything from dried beans to live chickens and a huge buzz.
- A mornings drive through miles of desert after leaving Palmyra on our way to Rasafeh with a stiff breeze creating flurries of sand and a near total white out for about a mile. Such a restless wild place.
- Walking along by the waddi in Palmyra when a man jumped out of an Arab gate leading into a palm grove beckoning. We went in and were seated on faded carpet cushions while he ceremoniously brewed tea in his black kettle, placed cups on an upturned olive old tin for a table and pressed sticky dates on us with hands that had about an inch of earth beneath his fingernails. On occasions like this I leave the eating to Fred!
- A detour onto the huge manmade lake of Lake Al Assad where we sat in shade by the lapping water and Fred and Monzer our driver ate an enormous grilled fish just caught from the lake, which could have fed about 6. Basic but very friendly and a nice place to be.
- Mixing with pro-President demonstrations, big family party atmosphere on Friday March 25 beneath the Citadel in Aleppo and again on Tuesday March 29 in Damascus, a day off for everybody to show their support. We were aware of protests elsewhere and feel sad about the trouble.
Accommodation - The prize for the best hotel in our itinerary goes to the Beit Al Mamlouka n Damascus! What a start; beautiful place, stuffed with history, lovely staff and Syrian specialities for breakfast. The courtyard with gentle fountain, mosaics, lamps and doors and the room was a trip back in history, rich and opulent but modern where it counts - bedlinen and bathroom. And when you open the door you are right in the middle of things.