Sept. 22, 2008 - Syria

Hi everyone,
I have just returned from my three day cruise to Syria. Our village transported about 60 of us (locals) by bus to the dock in Lemesos, where we boarded the Salamis Glory at around 4pm on Friday. We had just sat down to dinner at 7pm when we pulled up anchor. The after dinner entertainment included one male and two female singers, with a smattering of English songs mixed in with the Greek ones (Mike, Hazel and I were three out of five English people). These were followed by a Magician who was quite good. A very homey production - but everyone seemed well pleased.
We had planned on an early night, since breakfast was at 6am due to a bus excursion to Aleppo, but this was not meant to be. We had found out that Naomi and Vrionis, a young couple from our village had twin beds, while Hazel and I were given a double. An hour later they had redone the rooms and we were able to move into the other one. The room was a bit smaller but it certainly was worth the move.
Unfortunately the morning was a case of hurry up and wait. The ship docked in Latakia at around 7am, but by the time the local authorities finished processing all the paperwork it was after 9:30am (our passports were never stamped - they took a photocopy that was stamped which we had to carry with us). We then had a three and a half hour bus ride (plus a half hour tea break) before we finally arrived at Aleppo.
Alas, our time at the souk was very limited - but we did manage to find a couple of treasures before we were obliged to wend our way out. It was a rabbit warren of little stalls, very much like the Khan el-Khalili in Cairo, only completely covered so much more comfortable. One of our memorable moments was meeting a very charming young man (I think he was around 15 years old). His English was the best of anyone else we met and his sense of humour was delightful. We were bargaining with a friend of his and he came over to help out. He then insisted that we check out his stall and we were more than happy to do so. He joked and cajoled us into a couple more items, and we came out laughing. It was great fun. He was the best, but we did find the people in Syria very lovely and hospitable.
We were then desperately in need of a drink and a bathroom, but when we asked, we were reminded that it was Ramadan. Fortunately, we were near the Citadel and there was a restaurant catering to foreigners. So, feeling a bit conspicuous but feeling more in need, we sat down and tried to look unobtrusive. We finished quickly then had a bit of a walk up to the citadel before returning to the bus.
Not known for their punctuality, we had to wait half an hour for the last of our passengers before beginning the trek back. That plus the tea break (we realized that it was our driver's lunch and supper breaks) put us back onboard around 8pm. I was famished. The ship had sent lovely boxed lunches with us which did serve as lunch and a snack, but it wasn't quite enough to postpone dinner so long. At least the food was good. It was all buffet style, but plentiful and delicious. After such a long day, Hazel and I skipped the cabaret in favour of an early night.
Sunday was more relaxed. The dining room was open for breakfast until 9am so we didn't have to get up quite so early. After a quick trip to the duty free shop in port, we took a shuttle bus into town for a little sight seeing and shopping. We still didn't have any Syrian Pounds (1 Euro = 74 SYP), so shopping was complicated trying to figure out the exchange (they were more willing to take Euros at the Souk), but it was nice to do a bit of walking too.
After lunch back onboard, we played three handed bridge for a couple of hours (Mike, Hazel and I) then had a couple of hours to relax and get organized for our early morning departure. We watched the cabaret again (more singing and the magician) before turning in.
Shock of all shocks - announcements started coming over the PA at 4:45am! They were then repeated every five minutes until you realized that you had no hope of sleeping until your alarm went off at 6:15. I had wondered how they could possibly get all those Cypriots off the ship on time! They obviously had it down pat, and we were actually some of the last ones heading in for breakfast. The ship was emptied like clock work, and we were on our bus and on the way home in short order. We had a warm farewell from our fellow villagers on the bus, and I was unpacking and doing laundry before lunch. What a day!
All in all, a good trip - too many early mornings, but still worth it.
Another item to consider when visiting!
Love, Laurel