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DAY 21: "Crossing Syria: Aleppo - St. Simeon - Serjilla - Apamea - Hammer - PALMYRA. 550 kms.
I leave the hotel, I go out and I find the bike before but all alone. Across the street there was no other car parked on either side. It gave me much regret because I was really helpless and it could very easily have led to any van or camioncillo (normally I park on sidewalks or places where it would be more difficult and would drag the bike by hand.) Perhaps in the street was no parking, you go to know ...
Leaving Aleppo
I turn first to the North was Qal'at Sam'an to see the Basilica of San Simeon.
I turn first to the North was Qal'at Sam'an to see the Basilica of San Simeon.
I expected the remains of a small church but once there I must say that it is remains a complete resort, a sort of walled abbey (in fact Qal meaning castle or fortress), with several adjoining buildings and towers for defense up the hill and after I saw also in the next village. In the midst of the complex is the Christian-Byzantine basilica, and within it the main attraction and the reason it was built after the saint's death: the pillar of Simeon Stylites, the wise who resigned to live among the people and devoted himself to spend his life preaching uploaded to the spine after a divine revelation.
original of this column today is just a stone block an ovoid (egg, in the vernacular).
the Stylite Cuco-man.
Serjilla I turn then to a so-called "dead cities", and remnants of sites which are not known because they were abandoned suddenly and without explanation. The site is difficult to find because there is not a sign that announces it is imperative and ask and get lucky. Once there actually is a series of constructions of the remains and that once was a city. The site itself is not very interesting, really, but it seemed perfect and very quiet even for camping.
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Tunning-usual vehicles transporting both people and cattle alike.
I put towards Apamea and as there are few indications, by the way I ask a guy at a gas station. Refueling was also a Syrian army officer telling me to follow him, and a considerable speed (at most, giving his motoreta I think) and pushing everyone to blow the horn, police escort me several miles to reach the right cross.
This was the military escort.
This was the military escort.
Apamea is a site built by the first Seleucid king, Select Nicator (Afamia was the name of his wife) and that remains a colonnade quite remarkable. Walking for a while under the columns inevitably takes you to the many parades of victorious legions and cohorts ending the drum steadily, and the triumphant journey of cars whose wheels left marks on the marble pavement can still be seen.
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the Caze, but instead before I missed two guys on a motorcycle with two sheep each with bellies in the saddle and the legs hanging down, sorry.
Hamma and I arrived after locating the Orontes river traversed its shores to find its main attraction, the wells. They come in various sizes, types and antiques. Those that are operational have a distinctive sound (as if gimieran) caused by the combination of relentless spinning of its axis on the stand that supports, and the creaking of the wood of the blades in its ongoing efforts against water.
Hamma appears that the bikes are not very well received.
Hamma appears that the bikes are not very well received.
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prices in Syria are again very cheap and there are many fast food stalls based kebab, Shawarma or similar (mid euro or so). In many cases you include in the roll a few chips. Gasoline is also cheap, maybe a third of it from here. It is a country more accustomed to tourism Iran but less than Jordan, and that means that I started to find other Westerners and my journey began to lose some adventure and become simple tourism.
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Clock Tower.
Passing through Homs and by road through the Syrian desert, Palmyra I headed towards the main settlement of this country Roman architectural curious mixture of Islam, early Christianity romanization and the preaching hosting the first apostles.
crossing the Syrian desert.
When you get to Palmyra (Tadmor as the Romans renamed the city of palms (Palmyra)) surprised by the size of the settlement and the fact that except museums and some buildings the rest is free and open access, without barriers or prohibitions. In fact, with the bike you could walk inside the building complex as do the sellers of souvenirs Syrians.
Several hunters offering lodging to tourists that ignore soil, but this time the heavy duty spoke three keywords: close, cheap and pool, plus the price haggling was quite fruitful. I wanted to check and what the child actually promised was true. This is a campsite which is right next to the temple of Bel (Camping Al-Bader-5 U.S. dollar)
And it was also true that had a pool, all for me, which even then I took (more practical than elegant) to do laundry without soap.
The ruins are fantastic because this city was for a time one of the richest Roman colonies of Asia, until the courageous Queen Zenobia faced the empire by storm (and the thing ended badly, of course, since it led captive to Rome with shackles of gold).
This is the direct view of the temple of Bel was from inside my own shop
Several hunters offering lodging to tourists that ignore soil, but this time the heavy duty spoke three keywords: close, cheap and pool, plus the price haggling was quite fruitful. I wanted to check and what the child actually promised was true. This is a campsite which is right next to the temple of Bel (Camping Al-Bader-5 U.S. dollar)
And it was also true that had a pool, all for me, which even then I took (more practical than elegant) to do laundry without soap.
The ruins are fantastic because this city was for a time one of the richest Roman colonies of Asia, until the courageous Queen Zenobia faced the empire by storm (and the thing ended badly, of course, since it led captive to Rome with shackles of gold).
This is the direct view of the temple of Bel was from inside my own shop
And this from the pool. That life is hard lone rider ...
These are the ruins of Palmyra
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The famous Tetrapylon.
Traditionally see the sunset from a castle there in the Hill (Qal ibn Maan).
I left after dinner and find a cyber to the modern part of town of Tadmor, and then sleep in the campsite next to the Pantera.
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Day 22. "By avoiding Iraq Jordan." Palmyra - Maalula - Damascus - Bosra - AMMAN (JORDAN). 550 kms.
Palmira morning.
When leaving Palmyra Damascus direction again have to cross part of the Syrian Desert, and temperatures are quite high again. It also gives a bit of yu-yu follow the same direction leading to the border of Iraq and Baghdad itself.
Luckily Iraq about 170 km from the highway and heads to Damascus.
not too difficult at this time of war, but someday I hope to visit Mesopotamia.
Maalula Before I went to a village with houses hanging on the steep slope, and whose main attraction for me was not only the various Christian churches, caves and monasteries there, and among others the Saints Sergius Monastery (Mar Sarkis) and Bacchus (Bacchus), but above all to be the last place on earth where Aramaic is still spoken, the language of Jesus.
Convent of St. Sergius and Bacchus.
a while I
wandering through the streets and I was able to listen and talk to the natives. I confirmed that spoke Aramaic ("Ha-Ram-E" and they pronounced it like I remember), but the truth is that both the Aramaic and Syriac really sounds to me unintelligible.
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These "swear in Aramaic." Take this opportunity to emphasize that in all Islamic countries and people know squat stay a long time, I am incapable.
I came to Damascus at noon and went through its most modern.
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local Fauna 1: Police.
local Fauna 2: Seller juices.
New mosque in Al-Marje Square.
At newsstands sell photos of favorite artists. In Islam the most are cool are the modern Lebanese.
Youssef Al Azmah. As elsewhere the figure of President Bashar al-Assad is ubiquitous.
Then I went to the walled old city, a World Heritage Site, where the Souq (Souq Al-Hamidiya) and the great Umayyad Mosque.
Before entering on the outside of the wall is a statue of Saladin (Salah-ad-din), the largest and most cunning of warriors who fought the crusaders in the Holy Land "
Before entering on the outside of the wall is a statue of Saladin (Salah-ad-din), the largest and most cunning of warriors who fought the crusaders in the Holy Land "
parked in the square Al-Hareeka.
Enfil by the souk (Souq) to the Great Umayyad Mosque.
After
off my shoes and entered the mosque I saw that there lie many remains sacred and the "Treasure of the Caliphs." Unlike the Iranian mosques in Syria did not seem to have trouble using the camera or video without complex within the religious compound.
After
off my shoes and entered the mosque I saw that there lie many remains sacred and the "Treasure of the Caliphs." Unlike the Iranian mosques in Syria did not seem to have trouble using the camera or video without complex within the religious compound.
The Treasure of the Caliphs.
Zacharias remains sacred and Hussein.
Byzantine decoration of the facade.
A wooden car insurance has a long history, but I do not know ...
Minaret from the outside.
Entrance to Souk Damascus from the Mosque. On the right is a Mullah.
The souk is not really a room but is made up of streets closed to traffic (maybe a little less labyrinthine and oppressive Aleppo).
For the South the boundary of the souk is the "Right Way" (Souq Medhat Basha), which could be understood as a source of modern shopping malls, and stores that are homogeneous regarding their facades.
After pushing another street shawarma I went to the city of Bosra theater famous for its Roman walls. The theater is very well preserved thanks to having been protected in their day outside with an Arab wall, which was buried by sand to protect it.
Many holes suspects maybe for viewers with practical incontinence and potty?
has a great sound and are being represented in it yet. Inside I found a very nice girl, one of which (Hanna) spoke English and that just sharing some pictures.
demurely fraternizing with indigenous population.
Outside the theater there are the remains of the ancient city of Bosra, Universal Heritage.
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finally arrived at the Syrian border a bit distressed by the issue that the GPS. Syria has to pay a fee to get out, but even if one does not take local currency at the border there with box office for exchange. In
the Jordanian procedures were not not too complicated since in these countries even more tourism there is often a specific queue for foreigners. I had to subscribe also the insurance of the bike, and in this case I do it for a week I think. Leaving the border I got fired officers shouting "Welcome to Jordan!".
Soon it was circulating through the country of the Queen Rania is small (about 500 km long perhaps) but had a lot to offer, especially Petra was one of my main goals.
the Jordanian procedures were not not too complicated since in these countries even more tourism there is often a specific queue for foreigners. I had to subscribe also the insurance of the bike, and in this case I do it for a week I think. Leaving the border I got fired officers shouting "Welcome to Jordan!".
Soon it was circulating through the country of the Queen Rania is small (about 500 km long perhaps) but had a lot to offer, especially Petra was one of my main goals.
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know that I address to Saudi Arabia and Yemen makes it impossible for me not to dream.
I entered the capital Amman and at night. There were indicators to the "City Center", but the truth is that they reached a point disappeared. Find the center would not be easy because Amman has many hills and when you do not know the right street to raise or lower it gets more difficult, and more at night and trying to ram you any fanatic with the car.
Suddenly it became chaotic traffic, cars honking crowd of people crossing the street, shops with neon lights of bars selling music compact disc at full blast, and many posters, but none that put hotel. I found a currency exchange office and at least so I could solve the first problem and have "JIDIS" in the pocket (JD = jordan dinar). But still did not find any accommodation and those streets were a sea of \u200b\u200bugly (in fact I thought I was in a neighborhood outside the capital). I parked the bike and on foot and more calm at the end I could find a flophouse. Cheap
was, yes, but also cumbersome to die. The same ladder to climb, housing, or the type of local guests gave a considerable mixture of disgust and fear. Go as an example the bath room that was it.
was, yes, but also cumbersome to die. The same ladder to climb, housing, or the type of local guests gave a considerable mixture of disgust and fear. Go as an example the bath room that was it.
The hole was already used in other Arab countries, but that did not have community showers or even a novelty. I told the owner that was used to wash a small blue vase, and when I saw my face in awe very kind man brought me a bowl (an empty jar of paint), and a water jug. Cool!
The next problem was to see where the bike went to bed, as the suburban atmosphere of the streets this time does not motivate me any confidence. About 500 meters and a couple of blocks from the police board found a and asked about the existence of some parking. I said there was none around the neighborhood, and invited me to enter the police station (a sort of roundabout put in some places), which had air conditioning and where I was offered a glass of cool water. After chatting a while I got to let me park the bike on the other side of the police station, where very kind that they promised me they would watch all night.
With the luggage bag on his back on the streets of Amman, I went back to crappy pseudo-hotel and showered me with his feet in the bowl and throwing the water pitcher (not wanted adventure, as ale!). I feel sorry, but no graphic testimony so surreal moment. Before sleeping
locked myself in the room with different materials blocking the front door saw the environment and pattern of such an illustrious guest accommodation. The bike fell asleep, for once, far away from me, next to the Police station.
The next problem was to see where the bike went to bed, as the suburban atmosphere of the streets this time does not motivate me any confidence. About 500 meters and a couple of blocks from the police board found a and asked about the existence of some parking. I said there was none around the neighborhood, and invited me to enter the police station (a sort of roundabout put in some places), which had air conditioning and where I was offered a glass of cool water. After chatting a while I got to let me park the bike on the other side of the police station, where very kind that they promised me they would watch all night.
With the luggage bag on his back on the streets of Amman, I went back to crappy pseudo-hotel and showered me with his feet in the bowl and throwing the water pitcher (not wanted adventure, as ale!). I feel sorry, but no graphic testimony so surreal moment. Before sleeping
locked myself in the room with different materials blocking the front door saw the environment and pattern of such an illustrious guest accommodation. The bike fell asleep, for once, far away from me, next to the Police station.
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