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14th june - 21st june

Overlanding across Afica in our Land Rover Defender: Syria

Andy Lees
2006-05-14 17:27:48

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aleppo - 14th july

our arrival into aleppo could not have been more welcoming. as the budget accommodation is to be found in the spare car parts and tyres part of town there was much interest in the vehicle and us. everyone had a wave and a 'welcome'. this pleased us as we were not too sure what kind of reception we would receive in the middle-east at this present time. throughout turkey, syria and jordan we have been welcomed by strangers, offered endless cups of tea in many different places - banks, petrol stations, railway crossings, backstreet moneychangers, underneath a radiomast on the top of a remote hill - and when lost, locals have stopped their cars to see if they can help; including invitations to dinner and free watermelons. as a westerner this hospitality takes you by surprise.

aleppo is syria's second biggest city overlooked by a citadel and filled with mosques, souks, and yellow taxis. the food is reputed to be the best in syria and our first night saw us eating a delicious mezze on a roof-top terrace whilst around us an all-male clientele smoked 'shishas' (waterpipes) and drank arak.

if visting aleppo the souks are a must see, kilometres of passageways filled with traders selling their wares - scarves, carpets, spices, meats, gold, fruit and veg, you name it they've probably got it somewhere - with supplies delivered by donkey. it's a great place to lose yourself for an hour or two.

basilica of st simeon - 15th july

we drove out into the countryside to visit the remains of the basilica of st simeon of stylites - a saint who spent 40 years on top of a pillar preaching to the locals. not much remains of the pillar today but the cathedral that was built around his home still stands and the ruins and the panoramic views are worth seeing. north of aleppo the land is scattered with the 'dead cities' and on the road to st simeon we passed ...