Cazino Lattakia

We went to aleppo knowing nothing and were swept away by a taxi to the most disgusting redneck beach I have ever been to. It even beat out Myrtle. We spent one night in a crack "Villa" which we paid to much for two days. We left the next day for Hama without a refund. I am still sick from good food that was bad for me.<br>

... due to the tattoo ) and destinations and his country, his tennis coach came over. The old guy pulled out his local tobacco and rolled a smoke, I followed suit and this clearly caught his eye. After sniffing the bag and its rich contents, I decided to show a gesture that would hopefully stand me in good steed with these fellows, so I gave him a bag of my Golden Virginia. In pure happiness, he offered me and my new friend an evening at the 'coffee shop' for some tea and sheesha. How ...

... on the other side of the bridge, and that it wasn't apparent they were there until after they marched over the crest of the bridge's highpoint. Walking it again today, sensing the peace of the river, then seeing the horizon of the far side come into view as we walked over the crest of the bridge was inspiring.<br><br>We made it to Montgomery, but too late to visit Dexter Ave. Baptist Church, etc. (too many potty breaks), so we'll visit them in the morning.<br><br>Tim

... down the hill (in a bit of huff). We waved down the first minvan we found and within minutes and we were off to the highway for a mere $2 (around 100 SYP). To get to Latakia we needed to get a bus to Tartus and transfer there. We stood on the hot highway, packs in tow and a few gypsies and their sheep in the background. It didn't take long for a van to pick us up, however it wasn't a minivan just a guy in a van who kindly gave us a ride. We didn't quite make it to ...

Believe it or not, there are 54 Championship Holes at the Capitol Hill Golf Course in Prattville, AL that are part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Jerry took the opportunity to get in a round of golf and was amazed at the beauty and pristinely maintained course.<br><br>While Jerry was hitting a small ball around Prattville, Alex &amp; I spent some time in the pool to cool off. Bella used to jump into the pool to me when she was a puppy, but I couldn't ...

We left the Gulf Coast today and headed into Alabama to visit with Aunt Kathy and Uncle D. I used to live with Aunt Kathy and Uncle D in Florida. But I haven't been to visit then in Alabama for the last 5 years. What a great reunion.<br><br>My cousin Jackie cooked up some homemade lasagna and these ...

... country. I have finally decided to extend my visit to up to 15 days to be able to go by train to Lattakia and being able to cross a mountain range and enjoy a beautiful landscape, as well as to visit the Qasar'al Saladin castle. I get up at 6AM to take the 6:45AM train to Lattakia. I get to the station just in time to buy the ticket and get in the train. The trip is quite pleasant (much better than by bus with its reckless drivers and the highways bumps) and the ...

... and take off---thermos of coffee, snacks and nerve pill. It was not long that we started to find out just how bad the interstate was. We did not get more that a couple of miles before we started to cars and trucks off the side of the interstate. Needless to say--you could not stick a pin up our butts and proceeded to drive. The roads was horrible--they have no snow removal AL. As we ...

... rain, high winds, hail, tornado warnings, and watches. We drove in some scary thunderstorms and torrential rains today. As we looked up warnings closer to home, we were getting concerned about the weather we will face tomorrow. Pray for our safe trip home. If the weather is bad we will stay an extra night in Priceville. We will update this final blog with road signs, food, and more later.

As expected, my thoughts have been filled with family for the past few days. Even though my Granny's death was expected, I wish I was home to help comfort my family - especially my mom and sister. <br><br>As a kid, most of the grandchildren spent Spring Break with my grandparents each year. Our ages are conveniently split up in pairs so there was never more than 2 or 3 of us there. Our Granny was the picture of a southern grandmother and I have many fond memories from ...