Jan 31, 2011
Hotel: Sheraton Aleppo, Syria. Cash+points
Today was going to be a long day with a lot of ground to cover. I planned on visiting the Krac des Chevaliers, the largest and best preserved of the crusader castles in Syria. I would have to backtrack to Homs, catch a minibus to the Krac, then back to Homs where I would catch a bus up to the city of Aleppo.
It was a chilly morning this morning.. I headed out to town to check if my US-issued bank card would work in any ATMs, I had heard stories that sometimes accounts were blocked or otherwise unable to withdraw using a US card... luckily I found one that worked after two tries at other banks.
Back to the Cairo hoteor a breakfast of a boiled egg, bread and marmalade. I planned to walk down to the bus station, about a mile away. The walk was nice, good to see early morning life with people opening shops, bakeries, etc. Probably should have caught a cab though, as by the time I got there I was sweating away even in the cool morning air. Similarly to Homs, there is a little booth that sells cards that then are given to the bus driver. This time the fare appeared to only be 35SYP. One minibus was ready to go a few minutes after I arrived at 8AM, and we were off. The roads in Syria have been great, there are motorways between and bypasses around the major cities.
The ride to Homs was quick, arriving there I was able to find a minibus leaving for the Krac (Qalaat al Hosn). There were only about three other passengers. The weather was still nice but as we approached the town, th e sky started getting darker and darker. As soon as the minibus pulled off the motorway, the rain and sleet started. Not looking good for running around a castle. We finally arrived at the castle about 10AM, after dropping off the other passengers in the town below. The driver asks if I want a private ride back to Homs, as it's not likely there will be any tourists/minibuses coming up to the castle later. I arrange for him to come back in 2 hrs, then private ride for the 50kms to Homs for 700SYP ($15). I left my bag in his taxi, which maybe wasn't a good idea.
The Krac des Chevaliers castle was built during the Crusades and was headquarters for the Knights Hospitaller for almost 200 years. The castle is massive, with thick outer walls and an interior keep. Nearly 1000 years old now it is still in great shape, as it never fell in battle. The inhabitants held out during a seiges by Nuruhdin and Saladin, only to surrender when receiving a forged letter.
The castle has been designated a World Heritage site. The entry fee was 150SYP, a decent bargain. I spent a few hours wandering around the dark and drippy castle. The castle is built out on a rocky outcrop at the intersection of two valleys, the clouds had descended to fog and the cold wind was blowing fiercely. I could not imagine being a knight stationed here during the winter. There are huge rooms in the castle for stables, church (later converted to a mosque) and storage.
After leaving the castle, the taxi wasn't there.. a slight panic ensued but he did show up a few minutes later. The drive back to Homs was uneventful, arriving around 12:45 where I was able to buy a ticket onward to Aleppo. You have to watch the touts at the bus stations here, as soon as I entered someone grabbed a hold of me and took me over to one of the bus companies, he kept saying give me money.. I'm like why? He mentioned the bus fare so gave him some, and of course never saw the change from it.
Grabbed a shwarma for a quick lunch while waiting on the bus, which turned out to be very nice. The ride to Aleppo was about two hours, passing through agricultural land and passing some enormous grain elevators. Arrived in Aleppo about 3:30PM. From there I tried to catch a taxi to the Sheraton. The latest book I have on Syria (2010) seems to have prices right on everything but the taxis; which have been charging me 5-10x what the book mentions. Serious case of foreigner inflation. I tried to get to town for 100 SYP, he mentioned 150SYP and would only take me for 100 if we took another passenger. I held my ground and he his; we had to wait to pickup another passenger, which ended up wanting to go clear to the other side of town.. even though I had been waiting longer. All that to save $1.. priorities are sometimes skewed.
Finally arrived at the Sheraon around 4:30PM. I hadn't made a booking yet, but was able to use their business center to make the cash+points booking. The Sheraton is a fairly new hotel right in the center of Aleppo, convenient to both the new city and the old city. The cash+points of $45+2800 was a good deal for two nights. I was upgraded to a preferred room, even if it was way at the end of the hallway. The hotel has a Club floor and lounge.
That night I headed to a nearby restaurant recommended by the Lonely Planet. Waiters were dressed in tuxedos and locals were smoking the nargileh (hookah). The menu is limited to hummus and kebabs, but both were very fresh and delicious. On the way back to the hotel, I passed the Baron Hotel. This used to be THE place to stay in Aleppo when it was the terminus of the old Orient Express. Past guests include TE Lawrence and Agatha Christie, who wrote part of Murder on the Orient Express here.
Feb 1, 2011
Hotel: Sheraton Aleppo, cash+points
Today I had a full day in Aleppo. I started off early, wandering into the Jdaide ('new') part of the city, new being relative. The twisty streets were lined with houses and shops, which were still closed early this morning. I came across an Armenian church of the unwieldy name 'St. Forty Martyrs Armenian Cathedral', dedicated to the Armenian Genocide in 1915. I continued wandering through the streets and started noticing boys running by with huge stacks of Arabic flatbread. I followed my nose until I came across the bakery where they were flinging the freshly cooked bread onto mats in the street to cool. I had seen the recent Bizzare Foods Syria episode, and I am pretty sure this is the same bakery that the host had visited. As I was standing there, the baker offered me a piece of bread fresh from the oven, still warm and puffy! Delicious for breakfast.
I got lost in the streets for awhile before heading to the old city. The old city is home to the souq, a maze of alleys and covered streets selling everything from leather to camel meat, jewelry and shoes, spices and sweets. It was still early and not all the shops were yet open. I caught a taxi to the train station to buy my tickets to Damascus. My Arabic pronunciation must be bad since the driver couldn't understand me, even when I showed him the Arabic script in the book. Finally he asks a police officer, and his response sounds exactly like what I had said.. oh well. When we get to the train station, the driver refused payment! I thanked him profusely.. finally an honest driver not overcharging.
Unfortunately they weren't yet selling tickets for the train tomorrow, they said come back in an hour. Instead I walked back to the hotel via a park for a bit before heading out to the souq again. On the way to the souq I stopped at a restaurant, Bazar Al Charq. This was a neat basement restaurant made to look like the souq with a vaulted roof. I ordered a toshka (Kurdish grilled cheese sandwich) and the cherry kabab, lamb meatballs in a rich cherry sauce, one of the signature dishes of Aleppo. Yum. Aleppo is the cuisine capital of Syria and I can see why. After that filling lunch I spent awhile wandering the hidden nooks and crannies of the old city; there are tiny mosques and hammams (turkish baths), travelers inns (khans) decorated Mamluk style of alternating white/black blocks. I had tea in a carpet vendors shop, who showed me half of his inventory before I said I wasn't interested. Also came across a Syrian-French father son shop where I bought something for my wife.
The last stop was the Citadel.. unfortunately I was in Aleppo the one day a week the Citadel is closed. It was still quite impressive from the outside.