Syria, Damascus And Beyond
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Syria, Damascus And Beyond
For sure Syria is off the beaten path but after eight years of war it is looking to rebuild itself and it's tourism industry. Although it is still difficult or maybe even impossible for some to get a visa to visit Syria, a few friends and I are fortunate to do so. This report will be the highlights of my experience.
About to cross Syrian border from Lebanon
About to cross Syrian border from Lebanon
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Just before 8am I take a short walk from my hotel in Beirut and load up in a van with others for our trip to the Syrian border. While we have made some previous arrangements there are still some unknowns for our adventure. However, we have been promised by our guide that getting into Syria from Lebanon will be no problem.
Looking Down On Beriut
It's a beautiful Lebanese morning as we begin our whining ascent along a mountainous road above the city. We make a money exchange and breakfast stop before about three hours later we are at the border.
Lebanese Broder Crossing To Syria
A simple Lebanese exit process and we enter “no man's land”. In reality it's not really a “no man's land” as there is a huge and popular Duty Free with excellent prices for mostly adult beverages.
Syrian Border Crossing
Entering Syrian Immigration area the process does not go as quick as between us there are different nationaliities and combination of passports. This only presents a small delay because the code for my country is apparently not in the Syrian border crossing system and neither is the visa fee. However, in about 30 minutes we all have stamps in our passports and I am out only $100.00 before I am officially allowed to enter Syria.
Hello Damascus
Looking Down On Beriut
It's a beautiful Lebanese morning as we begin our whining ascent along a mountainous road above the city. We make a money exchange and breakfast stop before about three hours later we are at the border.
Lebanese Broder Crossing To Syria
A simple Lebanese exit process and we enter “no man's land”. In reality it's not really a “no man's land” as there is a huge and popular Duty Free with excellent prices for mostly adult beverages.
Syrian Border Crossing
Entering Syrian Immigration area the process does not go as quick as between us there are different nationaliities and combination of passports. This only presents a small delay because the code for my country is apparently not in the Syrian border crossing system and neither is the visa fee. However, in about 30 minutes we all have stamps in our passports and I am out only $100.00 before I am officially allowed to enter Syria.
Hello Damascus
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In our new set of wheels we're headed truly to.. The Road To Damascus.
Hotel with open garden and roof top for nice views of Damascus
Our hotel is located right next to the original.."Road To Damascus" where Saul was blinded by Jesus and converted to Christianity.
Still celebrating Christmas in February
Even though it's February, at the hotel they are still celebrating their Christian tradition.
Hotel with open garden and roof top for nice views of Damascus
Our hotel is located right next to the original.."Road To Damascus" where Saul was blinded by Jesus and converted to Christianity.
Still celebrating Christmas in February
Even though it's February, at the hotel they are still celebrating their Christian tradition.
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Roman Gate
Just a few minutes from our hotel still stands an ancient Roman gate which marks part of the original road to Damascus. Our initial exploration of this historical city begins along this road as we take a walk towards what is now known as the "Underground Church".
Paul Being Baptized
The Underground Church is where it is believed Saul who became Paul was baptized into the Christian faith. There is some discrepancies as to whether the original building was actually underground or if the city has just been built up around it. Since earlier Christians faced persecution the underground theory is more popular as maybe they would have wanted to worship in secret.
As we descend into the windowless chapel we are greeted by the sounds of worship as a singing rehearsal is in progress. It is no surprise to me that the acoustics in the building is amazing.