Villa Palmyra

... A bus trip through the desert to Palmyra followed. This time a 2nd century trading town - wow - what an amazing site (Steve's growing to love them!) although we did have to wait a day to see it as when we arrived it was rather obscured by a sandstorm. And to add to the excitement there was a place in town selling banana pancakes and chocolate milkshakes - I know but variety is the spice of life!

Next stop Lebanon... tick!

... the location of the event in the text of the post.

Anyway, I've hardly read the news at all since I've been traveling, but today (Sat Oct 10) I've just been chilling out in Tel Aviv and catching up online, when I by chance came across this gem that I had to share.

For the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, there was a street performance over ...

... but to the south we could see a dozen or more sandstone towers, some as high as 4 stories, standing mute against the mountain backdrop.

After what seemed like hundreds of photos of the ruins at sunset we hitched a ride back down the mountain into town, just in time to avoid an approaching sandstorm. As we had first set off for the citidel we had passed a taxi driver who offered us a lift – when we told him we were going to walk up he said “walk up ...

... IDs. No one from our group has taken him up on the offer... There is also an adorable kitten who keeps trying to climb up on my leg in this cafe who is keeping Cynthia quite entertained while I make this entry. The kitten also managed to climb up the wall onto a table using the carpet hanging on the wall. Our plans for tonight include a climb up to the Palmyra castle once it cools down a bit (around 545pm) and then supper at a villager's house. Tomorrow we ...

4:30am start for sunrise over Palmyra, with camels (naturally) - 2nd century AD ruins spreading over 50 hectares and an important link on the old Silk Route from China and India to Europe. The city was at its most powerful under the rule of the warrior Queen Zenobia, who came to power under suspicious circumstances after the assassination of her husband, King Odainat. Such was the strength of Palmyra, both economically and politically, that the Romans ...

... sites such as the Tower Tombs. These family crypts basically were 4 story buildings built to house the dead of those who could afford to build such stone boxes. There is one that is available to the public viewing but only 3 times a day and for an extra fee. The Elhabel Family's tomb tower housed 300 sarcophagi. There is an internal staircase and balcony (why you would need a balcony for a crypt I do not know) where you ...

March 10, Tuesday Part 2 Well, the tea get together was amazing! We ate dinner and went to the restaurant with the wi-fi. We got on for about a few minutes and then it was gone. The computer guru told us he thought we had a virus! Yikes. Then his friend's lap top went off-line, so we don't have a virus. Yeah! We noticed the young man outside waiting for us so we left right away. His home is not far from our hotel. We waited outside until he told us it ...

... Rome (ce qui donna lieu a une scene probablement mythique, la reine ayant ete mise en cage et etant paradee comme telle dans les rues de la capitale). A la suite de quoi, grossomodo une nouvelle fois, la cite tomba dans l'oubli, le pillage et les tremblements de terre faisant le reste. Aujourd'hui Palmyre, Tadmur en arabe, a une image extremement forte, rappelant sous de nombreux ...

... of the nicest locals I've met on this trip so far. He wasn't from Damascus but asked around to help, he spoke fragmented english but enough to help me. He said to take the taxi with him. We got out at some unfamiliar place where he said I was to switch to a minibus. I handed him 100 pounds for the taxi and he wouldn't even take my money. He flagged down the appropriate minivan for me and that was that, just a friendly stranger. Turns ...