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May 18 - 23, Logistics: Drove from Jerusalem to Israeli/Jordan border, crossed each country's demarcation lines. Changed vehicles, guides and drivers. Drove north through Jordan to Jordan/Syrian border. Went through more check points during border crossings. Changed vehicles, guides and drivers and drove east to the enormous ruins of Bosra; then due north into the city of Damascus. Two overnights in Damascus with a day in between to tour with guide and to explore on our own.
Observations and Comments: After traveling for 15 days, including 6 very intense days in Israel and the Palestinian West Bank, we were a band of weary journeymen. Our day of crossing from Israel to Jordan, and then into Syria, presented a series of 14 checkpoints, six hours, and a few frayed nerves. The Israeli border guards stamped a loose piece of paper which we could remove from our passports before crossing into Syria; Syria does not permit anyone to enter its country if there is any indication whatsoever of having been to Israel. Once in Syria, we were warned to reference only "The State of Palestine", and not to use the word "Israel" at all.
The only actual border-waiting occurred when we reached the first Israeli checkpoint, twenty minutes outside of Jerusalem. It was hot in the desert at 7:30AM. Several Palestinian taxi drivers were waiting to be the first to get to the border transfer bus terminal so they could get good fares going back up to the hills of Jerusalem.
A female Israeli border guard decided that a proper line of vehicles had not been formed. She closed the gate, stating that she would not open it until a small bit of chaos had been organized into a one-car line. An argument ensued from the usual political frustration, with the Palestinian drivers angry at both the policewoman who was obviously enjoying her power play against the Palestinians, and amongst the taxi drivers as to who should be first in a "proper" line.
We foreigners were allowed to go through the checkpoint, but felt poorly for the Palestinians who were at the mercy of the Israeli controllers. From our perspective, the Israelis were constantly doing anything they could to frustrate the Palestinians in both Israel and the West Bank, with hopes that the Palestinians would pick up their marbles and leave the game. I'll write more about this stand-off at a later time.
Our very nice Syrian guide, Aiman, along with our driver and a Hyundai mini-van, had been waiting for us for several hours. We had made it, however, and off we went to visit the extensive black basalt Roman city of Bosra, located in the southwest corner of Syria.
Bosra offered us our first look at the many extraordinary ancient ruins that are liberally scattered across this land of contrasts. It is here that we began to see why Syria can boast the finest antiquities and sites of any country in the Levant (those countries bordering the Eastern Mediterranean: Lebanon, Israel, Syria and Jordan).
Most ancient sites have undergone a fair amount of restoration. Bosra is an enormous pile of untouched ruins, spreading across a patch of verdant, rural agricultural land. Palaces, huge hammams (public baths), the Cardo Maximus (the large main street coursing though all Roman cities), the agora (market place and public forum), and much more are all present, either as a pile of earthquake or war-damaged ruins, or as an ancient building nearly in its entirety.
Originally a Bronze Age settlement, Bosra changed hands with the centuries. The Nabateans (Petra) made this one of their new trading capitals in the heart of the trading crossroads, 1st C AD. The Romans barged in, circa 106AD, and built, among other huge, grand buildings, what is today the most perfectly preserved and complete theaters in the world (another UNESCO World Heritage Site - this committee has reason to be active over here!). The Arabs later surrounded the theater with a citadel, which completely hides from view the entire Roman theater. The complex, with its magnificent stage still in tact, leaves one in awe. See photos in the Photo Album of this website.
An hour and a half of driving through fertile and irrigated farmland brought us to the capital city of Damascus (pop. 4.5 million). I had to remind myself that I was in Syria, a land that due to wars and misconceptions, I never thought I'd have the opportunity to visit.
I had heretofore believed, mostly through the American press, that this was a hard-line nation with a President who ruled with an iron fist. Also, through extensive reading about Syria, again mostly in American journals, I had the notion that Syrians did not like Americans and had a harsh view concerning non-Muslims. Transversally, we in the west have vilified Syria for the past few decades (and perhaps in the past with reason), so I thought I would feel uncomfortable traveling in this large country. But since I was already in the Middle East, and before had traveled extensively in Jordan, Israel, and the Sinai with Bedouins and other Arabs with whom I had always felt comfortable, I decided to come to Syria anyway.
And what a wonderful surprise awaited me! The Arab hospitality is ever present.The Syrians are relaxed and dignified, even a bit reserved, but withgrace, and some of the best manners I've seen anywhere in the Middle East.
Let me first comment about Syria's relatively new, young President, Bashar Al-Assad. I knew that his father, President Hafez Al-Assad, did rule with a dictator's hand, and died in 2002, but not before appointing his 32 year old son as his successor. This young President inherited his father's elderly, tough, corrupt military cronies. The first thing Bashar Al-Assad did was to enact a law that lowered the retirement age of anyone in Government to the age of 62. Out went many of the hard-liners, and in came many younger leaders, most, who like their new President, had been educated abroad, and like Bashar, came to work with vigor, hope and a large basket of fresh, contemporary ideas for new Syria.
Every person whom I have purposefully asked, "What do you think about your President?" has responded more than favorably about President Bashar. The men in the street, and the one woman I had the occasion to ask, all concur that Bashar is "gentle, concerned about Syrian people, has a progressive outlook, is slowly trying to change our policies." They talk about new laws being enacted to develop Syria's first stock market, and new bank regulations to allow the existence of private banks. Locals tell me that Bashar has new regulations allowing privatization, and that private companies must now initiate pension funds for their employees. Bashar is courting European companies to invest in Syria, and has made numerous diplomatic trips to Europe, China, and Turkey. And, most astonishingly, Bashar and his wife often walk freely in the souks of Damascus and Aleppo - without body guards. What other President in the world has the self-confidence among his people to do this?!
Yes, Bashar Al-Assad has his difficulties, and the west has difficulties with Syria. Syria is surrounded by volatile neighbors and, after a car bomb killed many people in Damascus in September 2008, it awoke to the fact that it must better protect its Iraq and Lebanon borders from radicalists who could disturb the country's current stability. I read in a Syrian English-language magazine that, due to the fact that Syria is one of the few Arab nations with an internal stability, there is not the social incubator in the country that would ordinarily harbor terrorist groups. Certain terrorists cells do exist in Syria, but I believe from what I heard from many persons with whom I spoke, and from what I have read, that the Government is working hard to find and eradicate these cells.
Syrian people laughed at me when I asked them what they knew about America's accusations that Syria is "allowing radical fighters to freely cross Syria's border". "This is an outright lie!" they told me. "We live in a peaceful country that does not allow these terrorists to cross into Syria. We do not want terrorists here!"
[May 30: as an aside, I have since traveled extensively in Syria, including a 3-day car trip along the EuphratesRiver, all the way to the Iraq border. During these travels, especially in the eastern sector of Syria, I did not see one tank, one transport truck, one truckload of soldiers, or any other sign of military or commercial activity. I only saw a peaceful country going about its daily business - until I got within 5 miles of the Iraq border.
My guide and I had been to see several ruins along the EuphratesRiverValley, and at each one, my guide had to sign in Arabic in the entrance book my name and nationality. By the time we arrived at Dura Europos, the second-to-last ruin before the border, Aiman noticed that we were being followed. At the last ruin we visited (see next chapter for description of ruin, desert, etc.), Aiman was asked several questions in Arabic by two non-descript men who had followed us in a black, non-descript SUV. As we walked alone across the desert floor towards the ruin, Aiman quietly told me that I was not to mention going to the border. The two men had been telephoned by one of the ruin gate keepers that an American woman was in the neighborhood, hence the two dudes following us. Aiman told me the men were from "security" and wanted to make sure that I was not going to cause any problems. Aiman also explained that the men only wanted life to be safe along the border, and for me to be safe too so that tourism, such as it is way out here in the east, is not disturbed.
I was curious to see the actual Iraq border, but this was not to be. I did not mind, only wanting my new found friend, Syria, to be tranquil and at ease. I had expected to see truckloads of goods passing into Iraq through this checkpoint, but it seems this only occurs at a border farther south, and not as frequently as I had thought. Syria exports vegetables and other consumer goods to Iraq, and imports oil from the Kurkuk region, not far from where I had been when the security people were following us.]
If Israel had not occupied Lebanon, Hezzbolla and Hamas would never have raised their radical heads. President Al-Assaad will give credence to these two organizations until there is a recognized and legitimate 2-state solution. Syrians say Hamas was elected in the last election in Gaza and is, therefore, a legitimate group.
A human rights issue most probably still exists here, but I'm not at all capable of discussing this.
The man on the street says that terrorists are not being supported by Syria; terrorists or any type of fanatical persons are dealt with severely. Weapons are not traversing between Syria and Iraq. The Syrians comment, "Look at the number of check points both Syria and the Americans have at each border crossing and along most of the Iraq/Syria border - how can weapons get through?"
Two million Iraqi refugees came to Syria but Syria can no longer support them; Syria is sending them back.
President Bashar Al-Asaad hopes that with stronger ties to Europe and Turkey, in particular, and perhaps with an eventual more open door policy with the United States ("Bush" is a very bad word all over the Middle East), Syria's public relations with the rest of the world will improve. Syria has definitely begun to shed its closed-door policy of the past.
Of course I am only an observer, but my three week trip through Syria has given me a totally different view of this intriguing country. Syria should in many respects no longer be considered a backwater, no-go country. Politics aside, Syria has great tourism potential. Its up-market hotels are exotic, superb, incredibly decorated in a beautiful Arab style, spotlessly clean, and luxurious - they are, in a word, fabulous and so different, housed in old palaces, completely restored to their former grandeur.
The restaurants I've explored in both Damascus and Aleppo are equally beautiful, and the foods are so delicious. I eat salad every day, made from the most wonderful, fresh ingredients. Syrian and Lebanese wines are light and well made.
The monuments, as mentioned above, offer some of the most incredible views of ancient history seen anywhere in the world. But above all, it is the polite, generous, hospitable, friendly Syrians that make this trip so memorable.
I have so much more to write about Syria and our other activities to date, but I must get organized for my next adventure. My wonderful group has departed, and I depart tomorrow morning, with a guide/driver and his car, to explore for four days the EuphratesRiverValley. I have dreamed for years about exploring the Kurd and Bedouin countryside, and will tell all in my next blog, probably not for another week. Thank you for plodding through this blog. Do have a look at the fourth photo album -I have many more photos of Aleppo and the souks, but have not had time today to edit them. Adios for now, Susan Nomad.
PS Sorry for any grammatical and editorial mistakes - my traveling editor, Gillian Patrick, flew home a few days ago.
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