Back to Syria, web-page available again
7.12.2003 | Damascus, Syria
I left wonderful Lebanon behind and the web-page is available again. What was happening during the last days, why was the page closed? If you check last news you'll see two new updates concerning Lebanon, but now the answer about the page:
Ba'lbek - first snow
5.12.2003 | Baalbek, Lebanon
Lebanon is something special in this part of the world. It reminds me of some negligent parts of Europe, like Montenegro, Portugal Greece. Roads are much worse than in Syria (where they are excellent, by the way), but generally the country is richer and better ordered. You can notice it through western shops, which aren't abundant only in Beirut but also elsewhere, through the car-park and prices. A stranger feels welcome at any moment, they are willing to help you, but only when it's obvious you need help, and not like in Syria, where you just stop by the road only to have a small snack and you're crowded in a moment. Every fifteen minutes you come across a military check-point with machine-guns and sometimes also tanks, where the traffic slows down on a single lane (highways) or even completely stops. They were always very nice to me; when they discover I'm stranger who deals with Arabic a pleasant and surprised smile comes to their faces and let me pass.
Cycling in the middle of race-cars
2.12.2003 | Beirut, Lebanon
Cycling in Beirut was quite easy and a big fun. I was expecting a traffic chaos but there was none. The drivers were quite polite with me and during the fourth prayer rush-hour the bike was probably the fastest vehicle in town, as all the others were standing still in a jam.
Just somewhere - digging the desert
1.12.2003 | Eastern Syrian desert
Yesterday's key actors were the GPS, sand-sheets, car-jack and especially the showel, which was The Star of the day. Around noon I started the first real off-road, around 45 kilometres long. It was a stone desert with occasional soft-sand areas. The GPS was doing a good job heading me to destination, but generally I was using already established pistes. I crossed the first wadi with some difficulties and inertia after a few minute search for a good place for crossing.
Tadmur (Palmyra) - Croatian music in the heart of the desert
29.11.2003 | Tadmur (Palmyra), Syria
Palmyra certainly is something special. The whole morning I have been discovering the ruins of the old Palmyra, well covered with cap and gloves. Due to low clouds that were covering surrounding hills neither today was good for photography until the sky cleared and the desert sun showed up.