Travel The Unknown

Day 4 - Bucaramanga to Bogota

2010-02-26T00:31:00.003Z

For a change, slept in until 7:30 and then it was off again to explore some of Bucaramanga's other sites. Colombia has been setting up Jack Nicholas approved golf courses around the country, and we visited a stunning one in Bucaramanga. High up in the hills, it seemed a world away from the buzz of the city centre. It was no doubt impressive, but what I was waiting for was the paragliding. The vultures started to glide with effortless ease, which was a sign that the wind had started to pick up, as well as an ominous sign too!

We arrived at our take-off point where professional paragliders were taking off and landing. Jenny and I were the guinea pigs, as we were the lightest in the group, so we had to test the wind! Jenny went first and then me... 'corrrrrriente!' was the scream in my ear, meaning 'keep running!', so I did, and in a somewhat ungainly manner I took to the air. Wow! I felt the immediate lift as my 'pilot' settled me in for the 'flight'. The view of the mountains was superb and it was great to live like a bird albeit for 10-15 minutes. We manoeuvred around some trees and then approached the 'runway' for landing, which was perfect.

After the thrill of being up in the air, we went for a sumptuous lunch in the centre of Bucaramanga, where I had the best veggie food of the trip so far. We also visited the hustle and bustle of Bucaramanga's vegetable and fruit market, and sampled some of the fruits native only to Colombia, including its famous guanabana. A fruit with a green spikey skin but white on the inside with a rubbery texture. We also enjoyed banter with the local vendors who were intrigued to see foreigners here.

En-route to the airport was the quaint colonial town of Giron which was well worth the stop. Giron was a more vibrant version of Barichara. Kids returning from school were nattering away as they poured into the narrow cobbled streets. There was an impressive church in the plaza and little bars and eateries dotted around the centre. From there, we left for the airport to catch the flight to Bogota. Our Santander adventure had come to an end. We waved goodbye to our loud American/Colombian friend, Spencer, who was great entertainment on the trip, who will always be remembered as the loud American/Colombian guy with a thirst for milk, or in his words, a 'bad ass milk drinker'!

- Rahul

Day 3 - Barichara & San Gil

2010-02-25T05:07:00.002Z

I woke up early to find the whitewashed posada beautifully lit up by the bright morning sunshine. Through the courtyard was the outdoor dining area, where I had an excellent breakfast and the best cup of coffee I'd had in a long time. Many say that Colombia exports its best beans, but this place had obviously sneaked a few bags for itself!

Barichara really was something out of a fairytale. Strolling its uniform streets with its whitewashed building, blue and green doors and terracota roofs, it was hard to think of any town I'd visited which oozed so much colonial character. The churches were extremely impressive, not for their size, but their little idiosyncracies. One in particular was tucked away at the bottom of a street and built with a huge slant. I would have liked to have spent more time wandering the streets, but we had to move on to the adventure capital of San Gil.

About 25 minutes drive from Barichara we stopped off at the meeting point for our first sport - torrenting. If rappelling (abseiling down a rock face) wasn't enough, we were going to do this down a waterfall! We hiked for about 30 minutes through more stunning Colombian scenery to the top of the falls. One by one the others were strapped to various hooklines and then disappeared over the edge. It was my turn, and now the heart started to really race. I'd never done this before and it's at times like this you question your sanity, but over I went. I gingerly made my way down as the water started to cascade down battering my helmet. I took a quick peek down and just as quickly looked up again. About halfway down I heard someone bellow 'hey how's it going?' into my ear... it was Adam overtaking me on the left. Eventually I reached terra firma to much relief and excitement and joined the others for a swim in the lagoon below.

Onwards it was to the next activity - rafting in the Rio Fonce. Seven of us jumped into the raft and made our way down the rapids en-route. Dan and myself volunteered to take it for the team by sitting up front. Either side of us was lush green vegetation and various colourful birds flitted across the river gracefully. When the river became a bit more calm, we jumped overboard for a swim. Once back in the raft we took a few deluges of water, but no one was washed over. After some 10km we reached our final destination, a spot close to the Parque Gallineral.

we hadn't eaten since morning, and it was already past 4pm so we dived into our food. No one uttered a word. Colombian food has taken me by surprise. 99% of the menu is either meat or fish related, but being a vegetarian was not an issue at all. Pastas are widely served and I've tasted some excellent salads here. Cesar was particularly worried how I'd cope with the food, but I'm pleased to say it hasn't been a problem. We took a short walk in the park which was lined with trees proudly displaying their silver 'old man's beards' as more exotic birds danced among their branches. It was time to head back to Bucaramanga, but I could see why San Gil has been tipped as the latest exciting adventure sport hot spot.

- Rahul

Day 2 - Chicamocha Canyon & Barichara

2010-02-23T06:22:00.006Z

After some 45mins struggling to get all of our cases on the roofrack of the mini-van, we left the city of Bucaramanga for the attractive sounding Chichamocha Canyon, situated 2 hours away. El Parque Nacional del Chicamocha has now been set up by the Santander local government to promote the natural beauty of the park and the adventure activities on offer. Since we had come at a drier time of the year, the river level was a lot lower and the land parched dry in areas.

We started off with zip-trekking some 450m... which was a lot of fun, and would have been even more so had I not confused the brakes for the regular straps, so I was unable to come down at full velocity. No worries though, as the Mexican girl, Karla, hurtled down at breakneck speed crashing directly into the safety canvas which was supposed to cushion the landing!

From there we moved on to the cable car to experience the world's longest cable car ride. The ride was smooth, and the views of the canyon were breathtaking. Large birds of prey jostled for position above (hopefully not looking out for us!) and cacti resembling long prickly skyscrapers reached for the sky. We passed over the occasional villager who was riding atop his burro (donkey) carrying home his wares. The first part of the ride descended deep into the canyon and the second part rose up again to the other side. A boat filled with large metal sculptures depicting Santander's key role in the struggle for independence from colonial rule, sat atop one of the peaks. Further down from there we jumped into buggies for a ride around a dirt track circuit that had been created.

After that extra adrenalin rush, we finally made our way to what many people have dubbed as Colombia's most charming and genuine colonial town - Barichara. More often than not, when a place is hyped up it turns out to be disappointing, but Barichara really is a town of the most elegant beauty. We arrived late evening, so it was rather dark, but nonetheless after checking into the superb posada where I was staying, three of us (Dan, Adam and myself) wandered to the main plaza where we had a drink by the fountain, absorbing the atmosphere of this old colonial town. Later on, we joined the others at an excellent Spanish restaurant sat in the middle of a courtyard enjoying delicious tapas.Afterwards we wandered some of the narrow streets, which resembled something from another era, with its small churches eerily lit up, and locals silently slipping home after a hard's day work. I returned to the comfort of my posada and can't wait for tomorrow, which is going to be a day of adrenalin-packed sport.

- Rahul

Day 1 - Bucaramanga

2010-02-21T05:15:00.004Z

After a long flight via the US, I finally touched down on Colombian soil. I met up with some of the other operators on the FAM (familiarisation) trip and we were met by the Pro Export representative who escorted us to our hotel. Just five hours later we were back at the airport for our early morning departure to Bucaramanga, the capital of Santander!

It was a short flight above the lush green mountains, and on arrival it definitely felt warmer and more humid than Bogota. Our charasmatic reps, Spencer, Siby and Omaira, greeted us and briefed us on the plan for the next few days. It certainly seemed action-packed. Spencer was a colourful character, after many years growing up in Boston, he made his home back in Bucaramanga and could only speak highly of the city and Colombia in general.

We didn't get much chance for a break, and before we knew it, we were whisked away to an excellent Colombian restaurant for lunch. Judging by the menu, being a veggie in Colombia was going to be a challenge, but I was pleasantly surprised by the truly delicious avocado and honey salad along with fried yuka and spicy dip. Albeit a carnivore's paradise, Colombia is also home to some of the most diverse and delicious vegetables and fruit in the world. After dragging myself from the table it was back in the mini-van for an express sightseeing tour of Bucaramanga.

There were some intriguing sites, such as the residence of Simon Bolivar, the South American hero who fought against Spanish colonial rule, as well as the lively marketplaces and an Ecological Park hidden in the middle of the city. Vivid red birds and parrots flitted through the trees as we strolled around taking in the scenery. And then, as if lunch was not heavy enough, we made the obligatory stop on the outskirts of Bucaramanga, a place called Floridablanca, for Colombian sweets - arequipe - milk and sugar boiled together to form a caramel-like paste which was then spread between two round wafers. It was also the place where I first sampled Colombia's infamous aniseed-based liquor, aguardiente, which was not as harsh as I had anticipated and quite a nice contrast to the extreme sweetness of the arequipe.

Spencer continued to enterain us in the back of the mini-van as we weaved through Bucaramanga's grid-like streets. After a two hour break, we went out for dinner to another superb restaurant, with a tranquil outdoor setting, tall plants, candle-light ambience, all to then be 'disturbed' by the sound of Colombians going karaoke mad! Jenny, the girl from Ecuador, seemed to know the lyrics of every South American song as they popped up on the big screen. It was a fun night, full of singing, excellent cuisine and fantastic hospitality... I could immediately see why the Colombian tourist board had come up with the slogan - Colombia... the only risk is wanting to stay - after just one day, I definitely wished I was staying a good while longer!

- Rahul

Ishak Pasa Palace and making my way home

2009-12-08T16:07:00.002Z

After catching a bus to Dogubeyazit and arriving ahead of schedule I decided to walk the 6km up to Ishak Pasa Palace. After walking past an enormous army camp that seemed bigger than the town itself the road started to climb and soon Ishak Pasa Palace came into view in the distance. A stunning location on the side of a mountain, the building itself I soon discovered easily matched its surroundings. The beautiful stone building contains a mosque, a library, a bath house, dining quarters and a haram, where the women used to live. Many of the stone carvings are simply exquisite, and the location is breathtaking. This has to be one of the most beautiful buildings anywhere on the planet. However as it was already December and at an altititude of almost 2000m it was fairly chilly. Winds whipped in through the glassless windows and my hands turned a shade of red I had not seen before. But I just couldn't put my camera away.

After an hour exploring the building it was time to get some dinner and have an early night. The following morning I caught the bus back to Van and a flight back to Istanbul. After a couple of nights in Istanbul, and days filled up with various meetings it was time to leave. I felt sad to leave this great country but really excited about the tours we will be starting to East Turkey next year. All my expectations have been exceeded. There's just so much to see, huge variety, an unbeatable history and some of the friendliest and most welcoming people anywhere. Tesekurler Turkey!

- David

Ani

2009-12-02T16:36:00.003Z

After a rather dull day yesterday (the humour of the idea of a bus from Van to Kars wore off pretty quick but the journey lasted about 7 hours), today's schedule was significantly more rewarding. After breakfast my taxi driver arrived as agreed and we drove out through the surrounding flat landscape with snow-peaked mountains in the distance, including Mount Ararat, Turkey's highest mountain. After about a 40 minute drive we arrived at the historic Armenian site of Ani. This former Armenian capital that once rivalled Constaninople is hugely atmospheric and set in a stunning location with snowy peaks and green river valleys for decoration.

The site was chosen in 961 as the new capital of the Bagratid king, Ashot III. Since then it has been home to the Byzantines, the Seljuks, the kingdom of Georgia, the Persians and even the Monguls! The buildings are in various states of repair but there are some true stunners here including the 11th century Church of the redeemer, the 13th century Church of St. Gregory, a late 10th century cathedral and Menucer Camii, believed to be the first mosque built by the Seljuk Turks in Anatolia some time around 1072.

I spent about 3 hours wandering around the sight and soaking up the atmosphere and partically had the place to myself. There were only 4 other visitors the whole time I was there, difficult to imagine for such a stunning and important historical site. Tomorrow I will go to Dogubayazit to visit the fortress palace of Ishak Pasa. And from there back to Van and a flight back to Istanbul.

- David

Hosap Castle and Van Castle

2009-12-02T15:57:00.003Z

I met with Remsey this morning and we drove about an hour to Hosap. There, perched on a hll is the stunning Hosap Castle. After exploring the castle built in the mid-seventeenth century and stopping for pictures at various angles we stopped in the village below for some tea. From Hosap we drove to the site of Cavustepe, an ancient site dating back to the 8th Century BC. There are no buildings here to wow you but the history of it is very important and interesting.

From Cavustepe we drove back to Van and I caught a minibus to the extensive site of Van Castle. After Hosap castle I was sure Van castle would disappoint but I was quite wrong happily. This picturesque castle sprawls over a hillside overlooking the city of Van with some stunning views. The castle itself is also very photogenic and I quickly filled up my memory card snapping away in the lovel afternoon light.

There are also various other buildings in the vacinity, in what is known as Eski Van or Old Van including a church, several mosques, stone bridges and tombs. After wandering around for a couple of hours I was getting tired and caught a bus back to town where I arranged by bus ticket to Kars. A bus from Van to Kars! A little surreal...

- David

Akdamar island and its Armenian church

2009-12-01T20:32:00.002Z

The day started with one of Van's famous breakfasts on what is casually known as breakfast street. This street is full of "breakfast places" that serve up the copious breakfasts that Van is famous in Turkey for. After a long bus ride from Diyarbakir to Van and catching up that evening on a few business bits and pieces I was off to Akdamar island the following morning. After a bus ride, a short taxi and ferry ride across the lovely blue waters of Lake Van I was on Akdamar island.

This small beautiful island 3km from the shores of lake Van is famous for Akdamar Kilisesi, an Armenian church from the 10th century with stunning relief stone carvings on all the exterior walls of the church and some lovely frescoes inside though some colours have faded. The trip to the island and the wonderful church are a must for our trip I think for both the natural beauty and the church itself which is one of few Armenian remains that survives in such good condition in Turkey.

When I got back to Van I had a lovely chicken kebab in a local restaurant and then went back to my hotel and chatted with Remsey, a local guide and organiser and planned out my next few days. He will drive me to Hoshap castle tomorrow morning and in the afternoon I will check out Van castle. after that I will go to Ani, a former Armenian capital with supposedly stunning architecture, then Ishak Pasa Palace, which is a UNESCO heritage site and one of the supposed highlights of East Turkey (though there seems to be a real abundance of highlights in this region!).

- David

Diyarbakir

2009-12-01T19:28:00.002Z

After Gulay went to work I grabbed a minibus into Diyarbakir centre. The city is known as Amed to the Kurds and the capital of a would-be Kurdistan. The population is also predominantly Kurdish. After arriving at the walls I sepnt a couple of hours walking around the walls, sometimes outside, sometimes inside, and sometimes on top. They are very impressive and stretch for about five and half kilometres around the ciy centre. I noticed that if I walked around with my camera in my bag and my sunglasses on no one noticed I was a foreigner (the beard probably helped), but with the camera out or the sunglasses off (the blue eyes stand out here) I was immediately noticed, which mostly meant offers of tea, but sometimes kids following me, which gets a bit annoying after a while, but all I had to do was pop into the nearest mosque for a minute and they would disappear.

When Gulay was finished work I met up with her and a friend of hers, Kadir and they showed me around the city. The Ulu mosque and the Armenian church were particularly impressive, and Hasan Pasa is a lovely square in the market area, perfect for a tea break. I also found a lovely 16th century Han (house) that has been converted into a hotel. the rooms were fairly functional but the hotel itself is lovely and full of charachter.

We then met up with Gulay's brother and a coupleof his school friends who were visiting for a few days and we decided to hit a bar. I had a lot of fun, and the levels of English varied quite a bit, but I managed to communicate with everyone pretty well, though some required a little translation,mostly from Gulay.

After a few beers we went back to the apartment for some food and a couple more beers. It gets a little hazy there but whenImleft in the morning everyone was gone as one of the girls was flying to Istanbul. I was sorry tomiss them but we had exchanged details the night before and I will certainly stay in touch, and hopefully some day I can repay the kindness.

- David

Hasankeyf and arrival in Diyarbakir

2009-11-28T18:15:00.003Z

I left Midyat after breakfast and quickly found a bus to Hassankeyf. I arrived shortly afterwards, and after depositing my bag in a cafe it was time to explore. I didn't get far however as I was soon met by a kindly older Kurdish man who spoke German (as many older Kurds do, many having worked in Germany). He insisted on buying me tea and we chatted about Germany, the Kurdish situaion and the issues hanging over Hassankeyf. He was a true gentleman and told me if Iwanted to I could come and stay in his house, five kilometres from Hassankeyf. I had to decline and started out to discover the sights of Hassankeyf.

Sprawled over a hillside the site of Hassankeyf is still being excavated and not fully discovered. What can been seen now however comprises a very pretty set of builidings including a castle, some mosques and various domestic buildings of a honey-yellow colour. The setting is superb as well, looking down over the Tigris plain below. I met with Derick again after about an hour and we explored together before having some lunch in a restaurant recommended by some friendly locals carrying out the excavations. From there we took the bus to Diyarbakir (known as "Amed" in Kurdish parlance), where I was to stay the night and Derick was to continue on to Urfa.

We said our goodbyes and I got a taxi across town to meet with Gulay, a friend of Sehmus', who had offered to show me around and offered me a room in her appartment while I was here. After a quick shower we headed out for some dinner with a friend of hers and then found ourselves in an appartment on the other side of town, drinking beer, eating snacks and watching the Man United - Besiktas game, which they were all very pleased to see Besiktas win. A very nice evening and a really good group of people. Tomorrow I will head into Diyarbakir, famed for its walls which the 2nd biggest in the world after the Great Wall of China, and alledgedly can been seen from space but I have yet to verify this.

- David

Mor Gabriel Monastery and Midyat

2009-11-28T18:10:00.002Z

Today I had only one sight on my schedule but it was a little bit out of the way. After catching a bus to the bus station, another bus to the wtown of Midyat, yet another along the highway towards Cizre I was dropped off by a turn-off on the road. From here I walked the 2.5km through sandy silent landscape nonetheless populated with many hardy tress to Morgabriel monastery. This beautiful Christian monastery is the home of the archbishop of the Mounatin of the Servants of God and is where St. Gabriel was buried. The sand near his tomb is believed to have healing properties. The monastery dates from the late 4th century and its frescoes, carvings and subtle architecture are a real treat.

Here I met the first Westerner I had seen in several days - an American, Derick, who is teaching English in Istanbul and with whom I shared a taxi back to Midyat. He brought me to a beautiful old Han (house) which now serves as a restaurant and we had some lunch and tasted some of the areas wines, reputed to be the best in Turkey. Although served cold, which may just have been the result of where they were stored, they were certainly very palatable.

Tomorrow I will check out Hassankeyf, a village not far from here that is famed for its history, its beautiful honey-coloured buldings and its setting above the Tigris river. It is due to be flooded however, (if and) when the government builds a dam that will flood a vast region and many historic sites. Hopefully an increase in visitors to this area will deter the government and the project will be pulled.

- David

Detour to Mardin

2009-11-28T18:06:00.003Z

Ok so the title of the blog is slightly misleading as it was not to Mardin that I made a detour but to a town on the Syrian border called Nusaybin. I left Urfa after checking out a few hotels (there are some decent options) and got on the bus to Mardin. On the bus I got talking to a Kurdish junior doctor, Sehmus (pronounced the same as the Irish name "Seamus" for those who know how to pronounce that).

We chatted for a couple of hours and then Sehmus invited me to spend the night at his house in Nusaybin, a half an hour past Mardin. As it was already beginning to get dark and I would have little sightseeing time in Mardin that evening I accepted and we continued on to Nusaybin and went to his house. When we arrived his sister welcomed us, and even my miniscule Turkish was no help here as she only spoke Kurdish but the wide smile made it clear I was welcome. Her young sons greeted me by kissing my hand and touching it to their forehead, a traditional greeting of respect amongst the Kurds.

Then his sister brought out an enormous plate of food and put it in front of us. Chicken, lamb, couscous (or something very similar) and very thin pasta were piled onto one enormous plate from which we ate together. On the side was bread, olives, a tomato and cucumber salad dressed with a pomegranate dressing and delicious Kurdish bread. We were hungry and both tucked in. When we were finished eating his sister and the four boys continued where we left off. When I wandereed into the yard there was a turkey staring up at me. A turkey in Turkey! That was first for me! We watched some news on the Kurdish channel (the Denmark-based one as opposed to the newly established official government one) and chatted about music, politics (mostly Kurdish politics) and football. Myself and Sehmus then went out for a wander through the town and stopped for tea before calling it a night. The next morning after a delicious breakfast prepared by Sehmus (who burnt the bread though!:-)) Sehmus insisted on buying me a scarf as a memento of my visit and left me to the bus back to Mardin. A fantastic ambassador for his people he even invited me to his wedding penciled in for August of next year in Izmir in the West of Turkey. I will certainly go if I can.

After arriving in the beautiful Mardin - clinging to the side of a mountain with a lot of blue and white houses- and finding my hotel I set out to explore the sights. A very popular site for Turkish tourists Mardin boasts impressive mosques, churches, centuries old buildings with fine stone carvings, a meandering bazaar and a lovely monastery nearby. I was not disappointed despite the hype about the place I had heard. The highlight was probably the market despite having seen quite a few already but it was a close call. After spending the day walking around I rewarded myself with a meal at the famous Cercis Murat Konagi restaurant where local heroine Ebru Baydemir has set up a fantastic restaurant specialising in local dishes and pioneering the concept of the working woman in the area. A ground-breaker both in the culinary and social life of Mardin, the meal was an experience for the taste-buds and the imagination.

- David

Harran and Gobekli Tepe

2009-11-28T17:59:00.002Z

Ismail arrived at my hotel after breakfast (and this hotel's buffet is even better, my particular favourite is a grape syrup mixed with Tahini, one of the essentials of hummus!) and we walked down to the bus station. We hopped into aminibus for Harran and after a short nap we were there. Famous as a place where Abraham (from the bible) lived for some years and mentioned in the book of Genesis, Harran has an impressive history. First We headed to the walls which once stretched 4km long and had 187 towers. Little remains of this but the nearby minaret dating from the 8th century is said to be the oldest in Anatolia. Nearby are the ruins of the first Islamic university in the world.

Harran is full of beehive houses (baked-mud structures whose genius is the constant temperature through the year regardless of the blazing sun or the winter's cold outside. However there are two that are particularly elaborate and now done up inside as cafes and lodges. Each dates back well over 250 years. After a short visit to the castle we went back to one of the beehive homes for some tea and to wait there as they called the bus to come and collect us. That's what I call service.

As I waited one of the locals spotted a foreigner (me) and insisted I come to eat with them as they had just prepared lunch. I sat down with them and chatted over bread, yoghurt with cucumber and a delicious red-pepper and olive oil paste, washed down with Turkish tea. After saying goodbye to my gracious hosts we hopped on the bus back to Urfa. After a quick stop at the cave when the Prophet Job holed up during a tough time in his life and filling my water bottle up with some holy water (drinking water too I was assured) myself and Ismail hopped in a taxi to Gobekli Tepe.

After a drive through some exquisite scenery we arrived at the site. Discovered only two years previously the site of Gobekli Tepe is thought to be the oldest human site in the world, dating back twelve or thirteen thousand years. More impressively the site is said to have completely redefined how we look at the history of humanity, the origin of religion and pehaps even the truth behind the garden of Eden! One prominent archeologist descibed the discovery of the site by a Kurdish farmer as "simply the most important historical find in the history of the world"! The site is too new new for a consensus to have yet emerged on what it really means but there is no doubt it is a very, very important place.

Fortunately however the site is also interesting to look at as well as ponder its significance. There are some very impressive stone carvings that are very well preserved including foxes, lizards, boars, ducks and big cats (as yet no one is sure which cat, or even if it is even something that still exists). The surrounding views are also quite spectacular with a stone-studded landscape and ridges and troughs of various colours.

I am not sure I have done justice to this site so Iam posting a link to an article about it here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1157784/Do-mysterious-stones-mark-site-Garden-Eden.html

Anyway after coming back from Gobekli Tepe, myself and Ismail had some Kurdish lamb kebabs in thick bread and headed to a cafe for the vening's entertainment: an Istanbul derby, Besiktas vs Fenerbace. The cafe was a male-only preserve and I was the only foreigner around (in fact I have only seen about four of five foreigners since I left Istanbul). Besiktas won 3-0 (after a scoreless first half)and this seemed to please most people, though mostly as they were Galatasary fans and this meant a win for Galatasary tomorrow meant they would share the top of the table with Fenerbace. At half time everyone reverted to their games but returned to the match as soon as it restarted. I'm sure I have lost a few of you over the last few sentances but it was a most entertaining evening and I made many new friends, and despite the obvious passions during the game, it was all very friendly, perhpas helped by the fact that everyone was drinking tea instead of something stronger!

- David

Halfeti, Rumkale and Urfa

2009-11-28T17:53:00.004Z

My driver, Murat, picked me up at 8.30am after my final buffet breakfast at my hotel, something I'm sure I will miss. We drove about an hour and half to the village of Halfeti, though some beautiful landscapes, the most beautiful of which was the descent into Halfeti itself. The village clings to the side of a hill on the side of a beautiful lake surrounded by cliffs. We met with our boatman and headed across the lake and up the river. The scenery was lovely and the boat decked out in Turkish carpets and comfy chairs.

Murat hugged the front of the boat and I grabbed on of the comfy seats. As we the village of Rumkele came into view I could only gasp at the beauty of the village, with its honey-coloured houses and simple but beautiful minaret sloping gently up on the hillside. We stopped for a tea and to admire the tranquility before heading back towards Halfeti. After Halfeti we drove for about an hour chattign in Murat's broken English and my hundred words of Turkish, before we arrived in the holy city of Urfa. I said goodbye to Murat and set out to explore.

I wandered thorugh the old town with some beautiful stone buildings going back more than one hundred and fifty years and down to the bazaar. The bazaar is a riot of colour in the textiles and fruit and vegetable sections. Any time I got lost I would ask for what I was looking for and a smal child would be summoned with a whistle and lead me with an inquisative smile to where I wanted to go. Tucked away in the heart of the bazaar is a little square where men drink tea and play cards, chess, backgammon and other games I didn't recognise.

From there I headed down to the mosque quarter where a whole series of beautiful mosques are spread across a lovely park. Urfa is also a place of pilgramage and there were plenty around. From there I headed towards the citadel and met with Ismail, a friendly local guide whooffered to whow me around the citadel and some more of the sights of Urfa. The citadel itself is nothing special but the view across the city as the light began to fade were stunning.

The next stop were the two rectagular ponds that are home to holy trout (I swear I'm not making this up!). The pilgims buy fishfood by the side of the water and feed the rather large and plentiful trout in between visiting mosques. After speaking a bit more with Ismail we decided to go to Harran,an Arabic village with some ancient ruins and beehive houses the following morning and to Gobekli Tepe - an ancient archeological site that first came to light two years previously - in the afternoon. Now it's time for bed!

- David

Gaziantep

2009-11-20T19:36:00.004Z

Gaziantep used to be known simply as Antep but after some heroic defence against French troops in the 1920s "Gazi-" (meaning "Veteran" or "War hero") was prefixed to the name of the city. Ataturk, the nation's hero and founder said that the heroes of Gaziantep had not only saved their city, they had saved the whole of Turkey. After a very early start (waking up at 2.40am) I caught my flight to Gaziantep, and arrived in the early morning sun. After checking into my hotel, I started out to visit the city. First stop was the impressive citadel,towering over the city and giving some excellent views across the city. Inside there is a was memorial detailing the defense of the city against vastly superior French forces that has since passed into legend.

From there I visited the colourful markets and the impressive and very friendly coppersmiths markets where I had various offers of tea and no strong arm sales tactics often found in Middle Eastern markets, some ancient houses and finally the museum of Gaziantep.

The mosaics inside are probably the best I have seen anywhere in the world, particularly the famous "Gypsy Girl mosaic" which is totally captivating. After checking out some lovely boutique hotels housed in builings over 100 years old, I then had the tough task of assessing Gaziantep's culinary claims. Where I live in London there is an abundance of baklava (pistachio pastries) shops and I have tasted Damascus' finest too but I have to say the baklava in really is something special here. The fresh kebabs with succulent lamb and fresh salad are also worth writing home about, even if only to make your friends jealous.

- David

Istanbul

2009-11-20T19:04:00.003Z

So I arrived yesterday in Istanbul and the weather is not what you might expect for Turkey - chilly and a bit overcast - but it is November and a little out of season. Anyway after a relaxing first evening north of the Bosphorus, it was time to check out the sites. First I headed to the world-famous Blue Mosque, the exterior of which is simply stunning for its elegance, subtle curves and perfect proportions. Inside it is decorated with tens of thousands of blue tiles, from which it gets its name (though officially it is called Sultan Ahmet Camii). The stain-glass windows inside are particularly impressive.

About 300 metres east of the Blue Mosque is Aga Sofya (or Hagha Sofya), Istanbul's most famous attraction. In between is a beautiful park from where you can see two of the Middle East's star attractions from the one spot. It really is quite something. Hagha Sofya itself is quite spectacular. While not as impressive from the outside as the blue mosque, this former church is a mish-mash of styles from the outside, which while not as elegant as the Blue Mosque certainly have their charms. However it is the interior that is the really genius. Built in 6th Century under orders from Emporer Justinian it was the world's greatest church until the conquest in 1453 when Mehmet (the conqueror) had it converted into a mosque. It remained a mosque until Ataturk, the secular-minded founding father of the Turkish nation had it turned into a museum. The domed roof is really something to behold. A sublime structure resting on pillars hidden in the builing's walls and constructed of specially designed "light bricks" it seems to hover above the building magically. Inside there are also some stunning mosaics - of the Madonna and child, archangels Gabriel and Michael, The Last Judgement and one of Christ, the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist.

After visiting these fantastic buildings I wandered around the Grand Bazaar, one of the Middle East's largest markets and the Spice Bazaar, one of it's most exotic. I'm not a shopper, but if I was I know this place would be a mini-paradise! Later I had a series of meetings with some local ground handlers and then tried some more of Istanbul's excellent cuisine - not something I think I would ever tire of researching. Tomorrow I will fly to the East - to Gaziantep, known as the culinary capital of Turkey. Mmmm, I can't wait.

- David

Retrospective blog: Maalula, Deir Marmusa and Bosra

2009-10-29T16:59:00.006Z

Ok so I haven’t done this before but I wanted to put in a little note on a couple of places that I visited as day trips from Damascus, not on this trip but in 2007 when I first came to Syria. Firstly, there is Maalula, a picturesque village north of Damascus with blue and yellow houses set against a steep cliff. The village is home to one of the last communities in the world to speak Aramaic and the Christian character of the town is immediately obvious with crosses everywhere and a couple of convents, monasteries and churches.

Not far from Maalula is the stunning Deir Marmusa monastery. This 6th century monastery is hidden from most angles, and even when seen straight on is easy to miss. It is 17km from the nearest town and the only way of getting up to it (as of now) is to climb the steep steps for about 20 minutes (tough going in the sun). The monastery was abandoned in the 1830s and only reopened after Father Paolo, an Italian Jesuit, undertook to have it renovated in the 1980s. It is home to some beautiful frescoes from the 11th to 13th centuries and the monastery is both mixed sex and even mixed denomination with Syrian Orthodox Christians and Syrians Catholics both represented. An overnight stay at the monastery was one of the highlights of my trip to Syria in 2007.

About an hour and a half south of Damascus is the stunning black basalt Roman theatre of Bosra. The amphitheatre is in a fantastic state of repair having been covered in sand for centuries. With so few tourists around you will often get on of the best sites in the country almost completely to yourself. There are a few other ruins around the village that are worth visiting and seeing people going about their daily business between these beautiful basalt remains really brings them to life – the children playing football up against an ancient church wall, an old woman resting her shopping on an old mill stone. Bosra is a very easy and worthwhile day trip from Damascus that won’t disappoint.

- David

Retrospective blog: Maalula, Deir Marmusa and Bosra

2009-10-29T16:59:00.001Z

Wadi Rum

2009-10-29T16:52:00.002Z

A very early start yesterday morning. The bus left Wadi Musa (the village adjacent to Petra) at 6.20 and arrived in Wadi Rum desert about 9am. From there we climbed aboard a 4x4 to explore the desert, and it is quite a spectacular desert. Red sand, multicoloured mineral-rich rocks, springs, Sprawling sand-dunes and natural rock bridges (and some scary climbing) means there is plenty to fill up a whole day in the desert.

We lunched in the shade of an enormous crevice in the rocks, and finished the trip in a Bedouin-tent where we would spend the night. Our dinner was cooked in the sand in a grid-like grill and was delicious- roast chicken, peppers, onions, aubergine and potatoes. Two of local Bedouin men who work in the camp also came and played the Oud and the drums, and even let us have a go, though that wasn’t the wisest of moves on their part.

At night you have the choice of sleeping in the tent or just sleeping on a mattress under the stars. The second option was just too tempting so I slept out in the open and while it did get pretty cold in the early hours the blankets were ward enough and the views of the night sky were spectacular. Tomorrow back to Amman briefly, then back to Damascus and the end of the trip nearly.

- David

Petra, the gem of Jordan

2009-10-27T05:46:00.003Z

Visited Petra today and am completely knackered. But it was certainly worth it. Not only is the site extremely impressive as a historical record and site, the natural beauty of the site is, if anything, even more impressive. It is not what I would describe as off-the-beaten-track at all, but the extent of the site means it is not difficult to get away from the crowds. Entering through the long passageway known as As-Siq with high sides resembling a narrow canyon you feel a sense of history and of how many important processions passed just this way to enter this ancient red-rose city. At the end of As-Siq is the treasury, the best preserved and most impressive structure in Petra. It is quite a stunning site and the state of the iron-laden sandstone structure is nothing short of remarkable.

From here there are many possible routes around the site and to explore the whole site would take several long days. We (myself and two very nice Slovenian girls – one with Iraqi roots – that I had met at the hotel) took the steep route up the steps to the High Altar of Sacrifice and the lion fountain. The scenery here is simply breath-taking! I have done a lot of travel but I don’t recall anywhere that has the combination of mind-blowing scenery and ancient history and monuments that Petra boasts. It’s not hard to see why it was voted one of the World’s Seven Wonders in a recent worldwide poll. After taking some less travelled routes and hiking through stunning Bedouin territory where there was no shortage of impressive structures and carvings as well as beautiful “natural graffiti” where the reds, blues, yellows and whites of the mineral-rich earth creates some of the most lovely patterns and designs like a skilled graffiti-artist.

Back on a more regular route we hiked up the 800-odd steps to the monastery known as Ad-Deir (simply the monastery in Arabic). This is a busy narrow path with tourists and mules jockeying for position but the monastery itself makes the trip worthwhile. A tomb dating from about 86BC it is believed to have been used as a church during the Byzantine era. Nearby is a viewpoint known as “View from the end of the world” and the views are stunning, though unlike the monastery which is best viewed in late afternoon this is probably best seen in the early morning.

On the way back there are a whole array of spectacles from the colonnaded street to the street of facades and a selection of tombs of which we had time only for a few. After a long day’s walking (we started at 8am and finished about 5.30pm) a shower was the first thing on my mind, and once that was achieved, dinner was a close second, and the excellent buffet dinner at my hotel was one of the culinary highlights of the trip so far. Jordan is more expensive and certainly more touristy than either Syria or Lebanon but it is certainly not without its charms.

- David

Into Jordan...

2009-10-27T05:40:00.002Z

After a brief overnight in Damascus it was time to head south to Jordan. I took a shared taxi from Damascus and apparently my fellow passenger was in a hurry as after 25 minutes waiting for the car to fill up (to 4 passengers) he decided he would pay for the 2 spare seats and we were off (and I had the whole back seat to myself!). After about an hour we stopped for coffee and a snack, and we sat unhurriedly and drank our coffee together and all chatted, myself, my supposedly hurried co-passenger and the driver. There was something very civilised in this unhurried coffee and getting to know each other that really struck a chord with me.

The formalities were fairly straightforward at the border though the car was very thoroughly searched on the Jordanian side. And on to Amman. The town itself is rather ugly but it bustles and its people are friendly. I climbed up to the citadel which is still under excavation and doesn’t look like it will be finished anytime soon. The views however are excellent and the “ugly city” has a certain beauty from above. In almost every photo appears the world’s tallest free-standing flagpole at 127m high!

After the citadel I wandered down to the Roman theatre and then around the noisy but interesting fruit markets where vendors scream endlessly of the fantastic offers they have. I then organised to get to Petra for the following day to see the ruins there, Jordan’s premier tourist attraction, and where Indiana Jones was filmed. Next stop Petra.

- David

Ksara winery and the Umayyad town of Aanjar

2009-10-21T18:15:00.002+01:00

This morning I got a shared taxi from Zahleh to the nearby winery of Ksara, Lebanon’s most famous. Set up in the 1860s by a pioneering Jesuit, the winery is also home to an underground set of natural caves stretching for 2kms that are ideal for storing the wine barrels. The winery produces 2.2 million bottles a year including 7 reds, 3 whites, 3 rosés and a desert wine. The annual summer harvest lasts about 8 weeks and takes place around July and August. After a short tour of the underground caves we were brought to the tasting room and sampled a white, a rosé, the desert wine and a couple of reds. The quality across the range was quite impressive though the reds would definitely get my nod.

Getting from Ksara to Aanjar was not straightforward, and after many misadventures and confused locals (the Armenian-dominated town of Aanjar is about 2km from the historical site but locals don’t seem to know about it, and my Arabic was insufficient to describe it) I finally arrived. The site of Aanjar is the only remaining Umayyad city in the Middle East and this walled town, discovered in the 1940s dates back to the first centuries of Islam. Inhabited for a mere 50 years the city is a historical snapshot of an important period of Lebanon’s history and the site’s constructs are mostly built with recycled Byzantine, Hellenistic and Roman stones. The tetrapylon is particularly impressive and there are some nice but faded mosaics as well as 2 palaces, a mosque and several beautiful archways. There was also an abundance of lizards and some beautiful butterflies fluttering around the site. Getting back to Zahleh was more straightforward thankfully, and another delicious dinner of barbecued sheep rewarded the day’s efforts.  Tomorrow back to Damascus and then on to Jordan for a short visit there.

- David

Temples of the Sun City and the culinary capital

2009-10-21T18:10:00.002+01:00

It was time to visit Lebanon’s most celebrated site yesterday so after dropping my bags off in a hotel in Zahleh, Lebanon’s third city I continued on to Baalbek (a.k.a. Heliopolis), the “Sun City” of the ancient world. After Syria it was hard to imagine a country that could compete with its impressive history and monuments but Lebanon makes a very strong claim. The stunning site of Baalbek temples – which took about 120 years to build - is one of if not the most important Roman site in the whole Middle East and in its heyday far outshone anything even Rome could muster. It is considered by many to be one of the Worlds wonders and mystical powers are attributed to the stones of this temple. In short a visit to Lebanon is not complete until you have been to Baalbek.

The site lies in Hizbollah territory, a fact hard to miss given the preponderance of posters, logos and their famous yellow and green flags. However this is not a dangerous region and it is not here that they are militarily active; here it is more a question of regular politics – and there is no tension among the mixed Christian/Muslim population.

Baalbek dates back to the third millennium BC when the Phoenicians lived here and during its history housed sacred prostitutes and witnessed many bloody forms of worship. Here is a grisly quote from the ancient tablets of Ugarit in Syria about the sister and wife of Baal, the chief deity of Baalbek: “…waded up to the neck in human blood. Human heads lay at her feet, human hands flew over her like locusts. She tied the heads of her victims as ornaments on her back, their hands she tied upon her belt. When she was satisfied she washed her hands in streams of blood before turning to other things again”. Charming!

The ruins themselves are stunning and in such a good state that it’s not hard to imagine how the city must have looked in its heyday. Some of the largest stone structures in the world are used in the temples of Baalbek, some weighing over 1000 tonnes and how they were moved and positioned so accurately remains a mystery. The Jupiter temple and the temple of Bacchus are particularly impressive. Not far from the ruins is what must be the kitschest mosque in the world. Quite tasteful from the outside, inside everything sparkles and glitters and the effect is almost comic!

I returned to Zahleh and with a few people I had met shared some lovely mezze by the river in the restaurant area of this culinary capital of Lebanon and some delicious arak. Tomorrow I will visit Ksara winery, Lebanon’s most famous, for some wine tasting, and Aanjar, Lebanon’s only extensive Umayyad site.

- David

Hiking in Qadisha Valley

2009-10-20T18:40:00.006+01:00

Yesterday’s hike in Qadisha was beautiful and some badly needed exercise for me too. The hike was supposed to be a level 6 hike (though in the end we were not able to complete the full hike due to a couple of slower walkers - not me, I swear!).

We left Beirut at about 8 in the morning and drove north along the coast for a while before turning inland and up into the mountains. After about an hour and a half we arrived at our starting point, at an altitude of about 900m. There are mountains of well over 3000m in this range but they were not the schedule for today’s trek. We hiked through various valleys and along some ridges, stopping off at a monastery that initiated the Middle East's first printing press and dates back about 1000 years (and where it is possible to overnight), a hermitage (where we had lunch) and a historic church.

The group was a mix of Lebanese and foreigners and the atmosphere was friendly and communal. In all we hiked for about five and half hours, nothing too strenuous for a serious hiker but a decent walk. As I said there are all kinds of options in these mountains and most importantly of all everything was well organised and run and our guide, Michel, really knows the mountains of Lebanon very well, and was the brains behind the Lebanon Mountain Trail, a project that developed trails together so you can now walk from north to south all the way across the country. We stopped off for ice-cream in a popular place on the way back and a couple of beers too. A thoroughly enjoyable day.

- David

Byblos and Jeita's grotto

2009-10-20T18:34:00.004+01:00

Yesterday I headed north along the coast to the beautiful town of Byblos (a.k.a. Jbail, yes another town with 2 names!) I wandered around the quaint port area, a simple port that belies an impressive history. It was once the nerve-centre of the world’s trade, being on the main trade route between Mesopotamia and Arabia and the Mediterranean. Byblos once supplied its much coveted Cedar wood to the world’s ancient castles. After a walk through the beautifully restored market area, that now caters mostly to domestic tourists I headed to the site of the famous ruins of Byblos. My ruin-fatigue quickly vanished amongst the stunning ruins of Byblos that overlook the sea. A crusader castle also overlooks several temples including an obelisk temple, a church, a Roman theatre and some royal tombs.

The setting is peaceful, and the sounds of the sea soothing, and surprisingly there were very few tourists around. In one of two small but decent museums I got talking to the man working there and he offered me tea and we chatted about the similarities and differences in the history of Lebanon and Northern Ireland amongst other things. After a delicious mezze lunch in the market area, I headed back towards Beirut stopping in the famous caves of Jeita, a stunning series of caverns with some of the world’s most impressive stalactites and stalagmites. The caves stretch for about 6km. Despite the tacky toy train and an abundance of tourists, more than I have seen anywhere else in this country, the site cannot fail to impress with its sheer scale and natural beauty. Unfortunately photos are not allowed so I will try to find some pics elsewhere on the net and post a link later on.

Today is a rest day, but tomorrow I will join a hike to the Qadisha Valley in North Lebanon.

- David

PS OK so I found some decent pics here, though I accept no responsibility for the grammar found on this page!