Syria is vibrant with shopping and history and excitement, and it combines an odd mixture of east and west and of Christian and Muslim. Slightly rougher around the edges than Jordan, but with more spice left in its cultural stew.

Dispatches

• Mukhabbaret and Me: Imagining 007 in old town Damascus.
• At The Krak: Crusader Castles.
• Whore Chic: The art of Syrian fashion.

Photos
(To come)

Random Thoughts and Tips

• Not to be missed sights in Syria: Damascus, Aleppo, Palmyra.
• We had better luck shopping for carpets and other crafts in Syria than in any other country. Better prices, lower pressure.
• Stay away from Syrian red wine. It has the boquet of pond scum and the taste of moldy socks.
• Although you can cover most of Palymra in a couple hours, leave enough time to visit the ruins at different times of the day. The lighting is amazing at sunrise and sunset, and -- especially at sunrise -- you'll have the place to youreself.
• Hama is a pleasant place, and it makes a good base for exploration of the Krak and the Assassin's Castle, but we didn't feel the town warrented being a destination in itself.
• Latakia was a total bust for us. Maybe we didn't look in the right places, but found almost nothing of interest there.
• We didn't feel the ruins at Bosra were worth the trip, especially if you've been to Jerash and/or Palmyra. Despite all the hype about the theater, we felt the Jerash theaters were actually better preserved.
• If you have a few days to spare, a side-trip to Lebanon is well worth it. Beirut is fascinating, and the drive from Damascus to Beirut is gorgeous. Baalbek is also intresting.
• The Dead Cities and St. Simeon's outside of Aleppo made for an interesting day trip.

Our Route