Palmyra & Crac De Chevalier
After leaving Damascus, we headed for the two biggest sites in Syria – the ancient ruined city of Palmyra and the crusader castle Crac De Chevalier.
The area of Syria around Damascus is less arid than you might imagine, it isn’t a real desert environment at all – loads shrubs and trees (although plenty hot). On the other hand Palmyra is a true oasis in the desert – driving away from Damascus we soon left greenery behind in favor of vast, expanding sandy wasteland, only eventually broken by the palm forest that gives Palmyra it’s name. On the way to Palmyra we had a quick reminder that although Syria is relatively stable, we aren’t but a half-day drive from somewhere much more dangerous.
Arriving in Palmyra, we had the afternoon to wander around the ruins in the scorching sun. It’s hard to imagine that at one time this place would have been a bustling city providing a stopping point for silk-route caravans weary from the heat of the desert. While they don’t inspire the same awe as the city of Petra, Palmyra is relatively intact – especially the main road which is lined with rows and rows of columns.
After leaving Palmyra, we spent the night bush camping in the desert, enjoying a night away from the sounds and lights of the city. In the morning we headed onto the road again to visit the massive crusader castle of Crac De Chevalier. Arriving at the castle you’d as much think you were on mainland Europe as in Syria – the farther north we go the greener this country becomes (although the heat doesn’t seem to abate at all). The castle itself is an amazing site, unlike castles in Europe, there aren’t too many tourists, and health & safety concerns haven’t prevailed – leaving plenty of interesting dark and ruined passages to explore on your own.
Looking out over the landscape surrounding the castle, it’s easy to see why the spot was chosen, as it is virtually impenetrable due to steep hills on all but one side. We spent the afternoon wandering the ruins, before driving the truck just a few kilometers to a local football pitch where we spent the night. Sometimes in the Middle East it seems as you are the attraction instead of the country – and this was one of those occasions. After we stopped and started cooking, flocks of children and other locals surrounded the truck, looking on curiously as we went about preparing dinner. The people here are incredibly kind, asking us all kinds of questions, showing us the town, and letting us into their homes.
After spending the night near the castle, we’ve driven today to Aleppo, the other major city in Syria besides Damascus. I spent some time wandering around earlier, and the markets here have much the same feel as those in Damascus – and theres still plenty of tasty street food. Tomorrow we’ll head to the Turkish border, and that will signal nearly the end of my trip with Hot Rock. We’ll reach Adana on the 26th, and on the 27th I’ll catch a night bus to Ankara where my flight back to London leaves on the 28th.
It’s been an interesting and strange experience overall. Most people I know at home react in surprise that I took such a long vacation – but on Hot Rock five weeks is almost no time at all when many of my new friends have spent months on board (some since South Africa). I’m definitely better (and a bit tanner) for the experience, and I hope that I’ll have the chance to come back to Hot Rock in the future for more than a holiday. That’s about all I’ll be writing in this blog on my Hot Rock trip (though I’ll still write occasionally about other traveling and such) – so I’ll talk to everybody when I’m back and settled in in London.
Cheers,
Paul
Links to Albums for Syria:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2389913&l=bca87&id=1928719
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2392150&l=00ce4&id=1928719
