Le Meridien Lattakia

I am very surprised that Syria doesn't have a death toll record like South Africa's. Be sure to try get a mainline bus company rather than a dodgy side-office one like I did. These buses are not roadworthy and the drivers drive like they are driving go-karts. Not only is the drive a scary one, but it is incredibly hot on the bus with no air-con. Had I realised the trip to Lattakia was so long, on windy roads and the bus company was so dodgy, I might have stayed in Aleppo a day or so ...

(Sim)<br><br>3 Taxis, 5 minibuses, 3 hotels.....we finally arrive in Latakia!<br><br>What a day today turned out to be, our visit from Hama to Krak des Chevaliers to Latakia was quite a mission to say the least. James will talk about Krak des Chevaliers, the Crusader castle below, I'll talk about the journey....<br><br>We left Sarah hotel, waving goodbye to Lurch the weirdo, and caught taxi number 1 to the bus station, where we caught minibus number 1 to Homs. Minibuses ...

Ja comenca a ser un costum aixo de refer la ruta cada parell de dies. Abans d'arribar a Aleppo, tenia la ruta mes o menys organitzada. Un total de 10 dies per visitar el pais. Pero et vas trobant amb gent que et recomana llocs i experiencies, i clar dia si, dia no, toca refer la ruta i encabri-hi llocs que ni tan sols la guia n'havia sentit a parlar. Aixi que al final he decidit allargar la meva estanca en aquest pais fins a un total de 15 dies per poder anar d'Aleppo ...

I really didnt do a whole lot in Lattakia, it was lovely. I intended to do stuff, ended up staying at the hotel of a tintin fanatic, who was a little odd, looking at sunsets, eatting sweets, and drinking good coffee!! But lattakia truely is a lovely name for a town ...

... me a glass of hot tea.  Those Syrian people sure are hospitable.<br>I noticed a group of chain smoking men next to me playing a game of Backgammon over a few cups of super strong coffee.  I scanned the area for a spot of clean air and when I found one I walked over to watch the game.  I soon made friends with this group of cab drivers and one of the guys offered to show me around Lattakia for a bit since I had a couple hours to kill before my ...

... to describe it: toilet, runs, bathroom, etc. He finally seemed to understand and told me that he would send up some medicine, yogurt and water. I was so relived, help at last. Fifteen minutes later the doorman showed up with a try full of goods and handed me some pills in paper packaging that did not say what they were for and told me to take two. I silently prayed to God that these were ...

November 19, 2007 Lattakia, Syria We traveled from Aleppo to Lattakia today by mini-van for 200 SP. We are staying at the Hotel Al-Atlal, which is listed in our LP guide. Our room costs 900 SP with bathroom. The caretaker is a kindly old man who shows us photos of himself sitting with groups of young foreign women who have stayed here. He told Irina that he was a big man in Jordan, but here he is only the caretaker of a hotel in Syria. He's so endearing Irina is moved to buy him a jar ...

Evrim and Ý left Lattakia yesterday afternoon on a crowded service headed towards Kesab, a small Armenian dominated mountain resort a few kilometers south of the Turkish border. Kesab is small. Really small. It´s beautiful though. Really beautiful. It´s changing quickly. If we were to visit it again in a few years (inshAllah), we probably won´t recognize it. Luxury hotels are growing out of the sides ...

... s just...uhhh...well, it does need some onion to cut the taste..." He takes a bite. I will skip ahead in time now, as we are in Lataquia, away from the Shanklish Fortress, and Rick is taking a double dose of antibiotics. Who dares escape such a dairy product unscathed! We are not afraid. This place is beautiful and in many ways more European than any other city we have been to in Syria. It has a vibrant night life (to me and Rick ...

... since he was at the wheel he asked Granny to light the pipe for him. She dutifully packed the pipe and struck a match and started puffing away when Brandon pulled out his camera and snapped a picture. Granny was livid! I seem to remember Brandon telling me that he never even developed those pics....but it cracks me up to this day thinking about her expression. <br><br>Lattakia is a bit off the usual overland route for most travelers heading south through the Middle ...