In Damascus but future blogging MAY have to wait until Turkey!
Well, I can not (so far) access my blog in Syria - no surprise as Facebook is also blocked! Surprise I was able to find someone to do something so that I am able to post - at least today, who knows WHAT will happen in the REST of Syria!!!
Amazing - there is a country with a tighter block than China!!!
So an email will need to suffice for now ... So recognize this is an email - I have no time left to recheck - the internet time meter is clicking away!!! laughing out loud!!!
We left Amann (17 of us as we have picked up an Englishman too) on Friday (which is the day of honoring God in the Arab world) on an international bus - JETT (Jordanian Express Transit Transportation Co.) for Damascus. Everyone had Syrian Visas except me and the Englishman. Upon arrival at the Jordanian border, we had a 5 JD exit stamp to buy (about 7 dollars) and immigration as well as customs to go through. Then came the Syrian border. Health check was no problem - we all had relatively normal temperatures (mine was 36 C) and proceeded to the visa stamp procedure with our Blue entrance cards - where we are going to stay, what is our country of original nationality (Canada), passport nationality (U.S.A.) and current residence (P.R. China) - laughing - all were different for me!!
I was placed second so that hopefully I could get a visa and be done before everyone else finished. The Brit was first - they asked him to step aside and kept his passport, etc. But for me - it will be 1 hour, 2 hours or ?? (hunching of shoulders). We stood by and waited until they actually began the procedure. After a few minutes (I gave Chad my bus ticket and asked him to take my baggage to the hotel in Damascus), one of the immigration men came over and took me to the main central processing building. (The bus driver had already apologized but said they would keep going - I had anticipated as much and said no worries, I am fine.)
At the main building, there were tons of lines for Arabs, Jordanians, Syrians and then one for Diplomats and one for Foreigners. I just waited for 2 minutes and they called for me to the head of the line. He asked me if everything was correct on my form - Al Hamadiya is where you are staying? You are American? etc. The apologized, they have to Fax my passport off to Damascus where they will make a determination on my 15 day request for a visa. Please sit down - 1 or 2 hours.
I sat down next to a woman who worked for the U.N. and had already been waiting for 3 hours!! She was taking a short vacation as it was her roommate's birthday and a couple of friends had invited them to travel to Damascus for the weekend!!! Little did they know it would end up taking over 4.5 hours for the visa alone!!! The cab driver kept saying: "the meter is ticking" to them!!!
After about 45 minutes the roommate came in with a pizza for her friend - we were doing the A/C inside at the counter seats. She was surprised and the others had already eaten so she offered me some pieces. Long story short, I got lunch while waiting with the woman who lived in Bhutan, worked as a consultant for the U.N. and had just returned from Baghdad (lots of sand storms and brutally hot there) but was working in Amann for the next few months! The received their visas to whoops and hollers/ no doubt. I continued to wait and chat with an Iraqi who was now sitting next to me. He had lived in Boise Idaho for 14 yrs, working for the hospital but had never used his passport so far (American). Was going to Syria to visit relatives and then fly to Iraq for a little time and then back home to America.
After about another hour, he received his visa but the immigration man said sorry to me. However, 5 minutes later, he called me up, told me to pay $16 to the cashier and I was ready to go!! The Iraqi had offered a ride to Damascus and I took him up on that! We entered Syria, drove the 110 km and the driver then asked for $50, I balked, thought and said, "A taxi only costs 12 JD from Amann to Damascus, that is way too much!" - to make another long story very short - I paid him $20, started to say some things and he waved me off saying "Helles" - which I believe means go! Laughing.
I picked up a taxi to the center of town, but he had other ideas on the hotel I needed to go to - but my friends are at Al Hamadiya!! So I only paid him $3 instead of the $4 that he asked for (still too much but oh, well). I wandered looking for alphabetical signs - ALL ARABIC!!! - Received a little help but probably the wrong way and finally saw a BIG expensive hotel. Figured out from them which streets I was on and went right to the area where the hotels for backpackers are!!! Took me going through all four but found everyone!!! Amazing.
Why Amazing? Because I only paid $16 whereas the others (and I would have) paid $130 for the visa in the U.S. (and China). So I figure I made about $25 per hour waiting for my visa - not bad (that includes the extra $23 for the taxi/etc. rides to Damascus!! Nice!
OK - so then I found an ATM, bakeries (YUM!!!) and other food. Wandered around the Old Town part of Damascus and came back to the hotel. Figured out where I would stay (which room, we are 5 to 6 in a room) and we all headed off to the Crusader Citadel where there was the 5th annual Jazz Festival going on!!! Watched Jazz until we could hardly keep our eyes open!!
Yesterday, we split up, some to shopping, others to other shopping and a few of us to the Christian Section of town, the Roman Gate Ruins, Al Azem Palace and other places on the walking tour!! Quite interesting and totally amazing. I have definitely fallen in love with the environs of Damascus and the people are wonderful!! (Mostly) One of, if not the, oldest city with continuous occupancy!! Whew! The history is mind boggling!
Today, I decided a rest day was in order. Buy a few things, relax, do some emailing, relax, maybe read a little, relax and then do some more relaxing.
Tomorrow we head on for the Roman Ruins of Palmyra - one of the most fantastic in existence. We will be there to see the sunset, stay the night, sunrise, and then take a bus to Hims (I think).
That's the update for now! Pictures have been taken but have no access to a computer and may need to await leaving Syria.
Amazing - there is a country with a tighter block than China!!!
So an email will need to suffice for now ... So recognize this is an email - I have no time left to recheck - the internet time meter is clicking away!!! laughing out loud!!!
We left Amann (17 of us as we have picked up an Englishman too) on Friday (which is the day of honoring God in the Arab world) on an international bus - JETT (Jordanian Express Transit Transportation Co.) for Damascus. Everyone had Syrian Visas except me and the Englishman. Upon arrival at the Jordanian border, we had a 5 JD exit stamp to buy (about 7 dollars) and immigration as well as customs to go through. Then came the Syrian border. Health check was no problem - we all had relatively normal temperatures (mine was 36 C) and proceeded to the visa stamp procedure with our Blue entrance cards - where we are going to stay, what is our country of original nationality (Canada), passport nationality (U.S.A.) and current residence (P.R. China) - laughing - all were different for me!!
I was placed second so that hopefully I could get a visa and be done before everyone else finished. The Brit was first - they asked him to step aside and kept his passport, etc. But for me - it will be 1 hour, 2 hours or ?? (hunching of shoulders). We stood by and waited until they actually began the procedure. After a few minutes (I gave Chad my bus ticket and asked him to take my baggage to the hotel in Damascus), one of the immigration men came over and took me to the main central processing building. (The bus driver had already apologized but said they would keep going - I had anticipated as much and said no worries, I am fine.)
At the main building, there were tons of lines for Arabs, Jordanians, Syrians and then one for Diplomats and one for Foreigners. I just waited for 2 minutes and they called for me to the head of the line. He asked me if everything was correct on my form - Al Hamadiya is where you are staying? You are American? etc. The apologized, they have to Fax my passport off to Damascus where they will make a determination on my 15 day request for a visa. Please sit down - 1 or 2 hours.
I sat down next to a woman who worked for the U.N. and had already been waiting for 3 hours!! She was taking a short vacation as it was her roommate's birthday and a couple of friends had invited them to travel to Damascus for the weekend!!! Little did they know it would end up taking over 4.5 hours for the visa alone!!! The cab driver kept saying: "the meter is ticking" to them!!!
After about 45 minutes the roommate came in with a pizza for her friend - we were doing the A/C inside at the counter seats. She was surprised and the others had already eaten so she offered me some pieces. Long story short, I got lunch while waiting with the woman who lived in Bhutan, worked as a consultant for the U.N. and had just returned from Baghdad (lots of sand storms and brutally hot there) but was working in Amann for the next few months! The received their visas to whoops and hollers/ no doubt. I continued to wait and chat with an Iraqi who was now sitting next to me. He had lived in Boise Idaho for 14 yrs, working for the hospital but had never used his passport so far (American). Was going to Syria to visit relatives and then fly to Iraq for a little time and then back home to America.
After about another hour, he received his visa but the immigration man said sorry to me. However, 5 minutes later, he called me up, told me to pay $16 to the cashier and I was ready to go!! The Iraqi had offered a ride to Damascus and I took him up on that! We entered Syria, drove the 110 km and the driver then asked for $50, I balked, thought and said, "A taxi only costs 12 JD from Amann to Damascus, that is way too much!" - to make another long story very short - I paid him $20, started to say some things and he waved me off saying "Helles" - which I believe means go! Laughing.
I picked up a taxi to the center of town, but he had other ideas on the hotel I needed to go to - but my friends are at Al Hamadiya!! So I only paid him $3 instead of the $4 that he asked for (still too much but oh, well). I wandered looking for alphabetical signs - ALL ARABIC!!! - Received a little help but probably the wrong way and finally saw a BIG expensive hotel. Figured out from them which streets I was on and went right to the area where the hotels for backpackers are!!! Took me going through all four but found everyone!!! Amazing.
Why Amazing? Because I only paid $16 whereas the others (and I would have) paid $130 for the visa in the U.S. (and China). So I figure I made about $25 per hour waiting for my visa - not bad (that includes the extra $23 for the taxi/etc. rides to Damascus!! Nice!
OK - so then I found an ATM, bakeries (YUM!!!) and other food. Wandered around the Old Town part of Damascus and came back to the hotel. Figured out where I would stay (which room, we are 5 to 6 in a room) and we all headed off to the Crusader Citadel where there was the 5th annual Jazz Festival going on!!! Watched Jazz until we could hardly keep our eyes open!!
Yesterday, we split up, some to shopping, others to other shopping and a few of us to the Christian Section of town, the Roman Gate Ruins, Al Azem Palace and other places on the walking tour!! Quite interesting and totally amazing. I have definitely fallen in love with the environs of Damascus and the people are wonderful!! (Mostly) One of, if not the, oldest city with continuous occupancy!! Whew! The history is mind boggling!
Today, I decided a rest day was in order. Buy a few things, relax, do some emailing, relax, maybe read a little, relax and then do some more relaxing.
Tomorrow we head on for the Roman Ruins of Palmyra - one of the most fantastic in existence. We will be there to see the sunset, stay the night, sunrise, and then take a bus to Hims (I think).
That's the update for now! Pictures have been taken but have no access to a computer and may need to await leaving Syria.
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