We’ve been gallivanting for a couple of weeks around Syria and Jordan, hence the paucity of posts recently. Got back on Friday, uploaded pictures onto Flickr, and wondered for several hours about what to say about these two countries. There were occasional vignettes of fun and frolic and there were periods of intense ennui, and I have to say I’m mighty glad to be back home.
But even more pleased is the little imp. Assailed by the heat and crowds of Dimashq, he was ready to capitulate and head home on the third day of our holiday. Gone were the exulting cries that he was going to Syria-and-Jordan to see (or be) Indiana Jones, a tactic we’d used earlier to bribe him into submission. Sure, the boy had occasional moments of excitement, but these were far between, and in retrospect, carting a four-year-old on a fortnight-long traipse covering Dimashq, Tadmor, Krak des Chevaliers, Sergilla, Halab, Philadelphia, Jerash, Madaba, Kerak, and Petra was perhaps not our cleverest idea.
Still, he got his camel ride and his horse ride and his donkey ride up and down Petra, so that’s something at least.
5 comments:
A little disappointed to learn that Syria and Jordan were not as interesting as I have always imagined them to be...
So is it that there's not much to do and see or was it something else?
No, no, there are interesting places. It's just that our moods were functions of the little fellow's! The Old Towns of Aleppo and Damascus have infinite variety and much to savour. In Jordan, though, I found little of interest other than Petra; the country is far too touristy, and even Petra seethes with visitors. But I would certainly encourage you to visit, esp. Syria. Lovely people there!
Did u get pestered every which way u went by the traders ? My hubby certainly was in a great shade of red when he was bothered unrelentlessly !
Once, enroute to Egypt, we read a travel magazine abt how grimmy the banknotes were due to the locals hoading it (a distrust of the baks apparently. And true enough, the money-changer gave us a wad of notes that were nearly beyond recognition with dirt - arrghhh. Good thing we had wet paper-towels to sanitise our hands after each contact. That is one country we wont be visiting ever again !
Dutchie: Indeed, no, there's not much of that hard-sell in Syria as you would find, say, in Turkey. There were grubby notes, sure, but hey, we're Indian, we're not bothered. I think the reason the notes are grubby is because they are maintained in circulation for much longer, and in much warmer climes, than the West.
Why aren't you guys in any of your pix???
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