Riviera Lattakia

... that was not the case, I carried on resting my head on the burning glass window and attempted to sleep through the nightmare. I could see that Syria was going to be the challenge I had expected, but I was prepared for it and eager to take it by the horns. Did mention Lattakia is on the coast of Syria? Its got the whole 'Med feel' going there so I was in search of its beaches. Did I also mention the beaches, to the ignorant like me, are nearly impossible to find? Well, now I have ...

... big packs are a bit of a pain I have to say, you have to hire one extra seat for one bag and basically nurse the other or try to put it somewhere out of the way, often difficult in small bus with about 15 people! From Homs we decided a taxi to Krak des Chevaliers would be the easiest bet and worth spending a bit more (it only cost around $8).<br><br>We ended up with the strangest taxi driver, he had a permanent smile and it seemed like he'd had one too many Redbull ...

... Lattakia en tren i poder aixi atravessar les muntanyes i fruir d'un bonic paisatge, i visitar el castell de Qasar'al Saladin. Aixi que m'aixeco a les 6 del mati per prendre el tren de les 6:45. Arribo amb el temps just per comprar el bitllet i pujar al tren. El viatge es forca agradable (molt millor que en autobus on sovintegen els sotracs i la conduccio temeraria), i les vistes tambe. Estic tan rebentat que em passo mes de la meitat del trajecte dormint. Quan ...

... you think? And it was right on the meditteranean. Just beautiful. I had EXACTLY the right amount of money to check out of the hotel, get a taxi across the border to beirut, pay for my departure tax and my lebanese visa, with 2 american dollars left over.. not bloody bad.

... departed.  I took him up on his offer and I soon found myself whisked around in a cab seeing all the nice parts of Lattakia that I could not see from my hotel room window.  He took me to this awesome beach with a long promenade and we got out and walked down to the ocean.  <br>Even though the people in Lattakia are not as conservative as they are in other parts of Syria -the woman do not cover their heads with black scarves instead they wear tight ...

... pills and not morning after or constipation pills before swallowing them down. Its night time now and I am feeling much better, in fact, I am also able to eat - if you call a spoonful of yogurt and a sip of orange juice eating. If I keep this up I will look like a supermodel in no time. I think by tomorrow I will even be able to walk around and check out the beautiful town of Lattakia Take Care Teresa

... his favorite apricot jam and assorted teas. He directed us to a great restaurant, pronounced Jenin. You probably won't find it without directions so turn left outside the Al-Atlaln and go down to the end of the street where it meets the harbor road. Turn left and go about 50 meters and you'll find it on your left on the second floor. From our table at the Jenin we overlooked the busy harbor with its tall cranes loading standard shipping containers labeled "China Shipping" from a line ...

... the mountain around the entire village. Tourism is big here. Mainly Syrian tourism, but Kesab gets it´s share of foriegners too. Today, we were it. We sat and had tea (sadly, most tea in Syria is the Lipton or Lavalina teabag variety) and coffee overlooking the mountains in the distance where a raging wildfire burned out of control. We smelt burning timber with every light breeze. Kesab watched the ...

... least) an amazing coastal walk above the Meditteranean and the people here have been just as honestly kind as anywhere (a man drives us to a hotel simply because we look tired and lost). There is a lot people can learn from this kind of behavior, so simple and freely given. It is not a big deal here, but it is changing. With so many people coming how can you treat everyone as an honored guest. May it always be. We'll write more soon, Evrim

... Although a number of dead cities can be visited from here, most combine a trip to Krak des Chevaliers farther East on a day trip from Hama or Homs. Lattakia is not a typical Syrian town - a busy port since Roman times, the area is more liberal (for Syria) than the rest of the country. <br><br>I chose to come here to meet up with a guy I met on one of the travel websites while researching for my trip. I was originally going to bypass the area as well, but the bus ...