TravelStream™ news feed for member caprile on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/caprile en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:32:23 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1199548980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1199548980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1199548980/tpod.html Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:32:23 -0500 Singapore to France...Why fly when you can ride?

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Lyon, France

Itinerary : Praha - Kaiserslautern - Reims - Paris - LyonDates : 18th to 21st December 2007Mileage in Europe : 2700 kmMileage so far : 23650 km.This time I can see and feel the end of the trip really approaching when we finally left the beautiful city of Praha, to hit the autobahn in Germany where we did the first stop of our 3 day ride to Paris. Kevin wanted to take the blue road on my map but I had to revise the route he plotted when I told him that the blue road on the map was a river! Really cold ride where we regularly rode under 0 degrees Celsius...I think that the fact that the weather was cold gave me the kick in the butt I needed to reach Paris! Well, to be frank I was also excited to find my mom and sis that specially flied to Paris to welcome me, without forgetting my good friends that would also be there on the final day of my trip...I lost Kevin somewhere in Germany and I suspect him to have stopped for a beer somewhere without warning me! Anyway, I opted to stop in Kaiserslautern in Germany where I found a descent hotel at a reasonable price. Moreover, some of you will probably be surprised, but I had dinner in a fantastic Thai restaurant! Had a good chat with the thai owner that was married to a german woman. Weird because I've seen german men married to thai women (in Phuket for example...), but the other way around is rather surprising! He explained me that he was doing a 4x4 raid from germany to Thailand 40 years ago, but because of an accident in Greece they had to abort the trip and he headed back to germany where he fell in love...Hmmm...I then asked myself if I should have maybe faked an accident in Czech republic to marry a Czech woman! The next day was a relatively short ride to Reims where we decided to meet up with Kevin before the last straight line to Paris. Kevin arrived first in Reims where he went for a stroll in this nice little city before taking a break in a...in a...pub! I was not surprised! And it was 4 pm! I found Kevin alone in the pub...I guess he needed a good guiness and so we had a good last night in Reims where we re-did the trip...The next morning was "D-day" and we started the day by going to the shopping centre to buy a santa outfit. I couldn't just arrive with my dirty bike clothes and I thought that covering them with a nice clean santa outfit would be a good idea. I didn't wait to reach Paris to wear the outfit and I decided to straight away wear my red wardrobe with the white beard in Reims to ride up to Paris...Had a few smiles from passing cars on the highway but I was delighted to have probably made some of the kids day...Kevin is not as shameless so he left me by myself with the Santa oufit to be laughed at!We were a bit early to arrive at the place de l'etoile in Paris so we stopped in Euro Disney to have our last drink of the trip and burn time. Felt very comfortable in my Santa outfit and I was asked by few parents if I could talk to their kids and explain them that I was working as a stuntman in Euro Disney! When I reached the champs elysee, I was overexcited and I could feel my heart beat accelerate when I had the place de l'etoile at sight. Then, the party started and I got what any stupid people that ride around the world have when they arrive safely, which is a big champagne shower! Nevertheless, I doubted my friend's esteem when they admitted having bought the cheapest champagne they could find! Haha! 2 euros! After having had a couple of champagne bottles sprayed on me, we had a little photo session to immortalize the moment before heading to a pub and restaurant...Unfortunately, I was too tired to do a late night celebration so we were good boys and headed home for a good night rest. The next day was a cold and boring ride to Lyon so that I could finally achieve the goal of the trip which was to ride to Lyon where I would celebrate X'mas with my grandma. She's 81 years old but still on top of her game! And her cooking is still fantastic! Tu es au top grand-mere! I guess this is the end of the adventure and my journal so I would like to thank everyone that came to welcome me back home, and special thanks to my mom and sis for welcoming me, without forgetting my dad that sadly couldn't make it in Paris. I hope that you guys had as much fun reading it as I had writing it. I didn't think that I would have so many visitors on my travel blog and I want to thank everyone that showed their support by posting fun messages or emailing me. In the same time, I would like to apologize to all of those that didn't get a reply to their messages but I was delighted to read every single one of them. I would also like to thank Kev and riding with him was a real pleasure. Two thumbs up to you and to a great team work Kev. Next time, if you enrol in an anger management program, bring spares, buy a watch, invest in a phone that works and get maps, I would do it again with you anytime!Finally, I dedicate the whole trip to my father and my sister Stephanie, for their support and help. Without them, I would probably never had the privilege to do this once in a lifetime experience.See you guys on the road...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1197917760/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1197917760/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1197917760/tpod.html Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:13:41 -0500 Singapore to France...Why fly when you can ride?

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Prague, Czech Republic

Itinerary : Belgrade - Budapest - Bratislava - Brno - PrahaDates : 12th December to 17th of December 2007Mileage in Europe : 1600 kmMileage so far : 22550 km.Nothing really exciting on the road as it was a highway road from Belgrade to Budapest. We arrived in the early afternoon in Budapest, so we decided to ride around town before stopping in a hotel. This little ride around town was a nice way to have a first view of Budapest but it wasn't without any consequence as we got stopped by 2 policemen. Since my departure from Singapore, I'm still not entirely comfortable (or disciplined) with the road regulations in the country I visited and when I took this one way road in the wrong direction, 2 policeman jumped out from their hiding spot between 2 cars! Very cheeky! They had a police uniform but I don't know if they really were! They looked really dodgy and their uniform looked like a fake imitation...Nevertheless, they still told us that we had to go to the police station to pay a fine of 50 euros each, to which I immediately replied that surely we could pay a penalty and settle the fine on the spot...At first they refused but when Kevin started crying and explained that 50 euros was 2 days of gasoline budget, they revised their decision...Hmmm...Then they took out their "English-Bulgarian" dictionary and awkwardly explained that we had to discreetly slide the money in the fine and give it back...Anywhere in the world, it's the same technique! The fine was 100 euros but we finally settled for 10 usd! Not bad...When we found a reasonable hotel on the "pest" side of the city, it got dark quickly and so we jumped into our winter clothes and walked around town. Nice city walk and it really felt like Christmas with markets and hot wine stalls in the main squares...Needed a couple of hot wine cups to counter the freezing temperatures...We took the next day off from riding and visited Budapest by day. Went to the King's Castle on the Buda side of the city, the citadel to have a top view of Budapest, and had a quick picture in front of the parliament. Too be frank, it was a very cold day and it was a difficult day sightseeing...So you will notice that there are a lot of pictures in front of hot wine stalls! Where we must have spent most of our time! The next day we were off to Praha! Excited to finally get to discover this capital after hearing so much about it! Well I didn't get to discover Praha that day as we decided to stop in Brno, which is the second biggest town of Czech republic. It was just too cold that we decided to take it easy and stay in Brno for the night...I set a new personal record while on my way to Brno which is the shortest stay in a country. Indeed, I stayed in Slovakia exactly 46 minutes! Just the time to cross it! The only thing I can say about Slovakia is that the highway is good...And the only Slovakian I met was the immigration officer! I didn't take any picture of Slovakia as I thought that a highway picture would not be interesting...The only real highlight of the Brno stay was a signboard! Showing the direction to the motogp track, that's about it...The next day was one of the most difficult ride of the trip...Not that the road was bad but it was really cold! It was minus 5 degrees the whole time! I rode at minus 15 in Kashmir but I felt this ride to Praha was colder! I guess when I was in Kashmnir I never went faster than 60 km/h, whereas we were riding at 120 km/h on the highway to Praha. Couldn't feel my toes and thank god Kevin bought proper shoes and didn't keep his hiking shoes! He would have been really moody and probably rented an helicopter to go to Praha! We were stared by people overtaking us in their car the whole day! Probably cold themselves just by watching us! I arrived in Praha with dried snot and saliva all over my hood that I had a hard time removing it! Probably pulled out a few moustache hair with it...Nevertheless we found a great hotel just beside the old city square...The next day I finally got to discover Praha! The highlight of this Europe tour! Beautiful place and you walk in town with your mouth open as you can't help yourself from being stunned by the buildings...Everything seem so old but still well preserved...I think that they must have been spared from the WWII bombings which helps...We spent the whole day just walking around Praha. We of course had a sandwich in the old city square and went to the castle, before ending the day by a quick stop at the torture museum...Loads of nice pictures...In the evening, I went for my last evening walk in Praha and most probably of this trip, and I went to do some quick shopping before visiting the "sex machines" museum...I thought that it would be good for me to visit this museum and maybe it will help me keep a girlfriend for more than 3 months!I guess this will be my penultimate entry before adding a last one when I arrive in Paris with the finish line pictures! Then I will still add 2 more entries after the end of the trip, when everything has settled down, where I will write my conclusion and give my trip awards, so stay posted! If you are off yourself for the holidays and won't be able to log on my travelpod before next year, well have a good X'mas and a happy new year!Finally, I will end by dedicating this entry in this romantic city to my good friend Jimmy who is getting married to Sherry on the 3rd of January 2008 (I think!). I unfortunately can't make it but I'll have a thought for you guys on that day and will drink a glass of hot wine for your health and happiness! I see you guys soon...Oh and Jimmy, I hope you are not giving Sherry a pearl wedding ring! Haha!I almost forgot...For those of you that want to join the party in Paris, you are most welcomed and I will arrive in Paris on the 20th of December on the Place de l'etoile at 19h00...No invitation needed, just bring your own bottle of champagne!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1197493920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1197493920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1197493920/tpod.html Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:31:58 -0500 Singapore to France...Why fly when you can ride?

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Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Itinerary : Istanbul - Sofia - BelgradeDates : 10th December to 12th of December 2007Mileage in eastern Europe : 700 kmMileage so far : 21650 km.In the afternoon, after the BMW stop, we headed for the border where we would cross into Bulgaria and stay a night in Sofia. No need to explain the hassle to get out of Turkey as you are well aware by now...On the other hand, the Bulgarian side was quick and easy...Great feeling to finally enter Europe and not to have to deal with the time consuming border crossings anymore...And Kevin' face is starting to have colours again because he's finally out of Turkey! The ride to Sofia was a difficult 500 km ride in the fog...Halfway to Sofia, I was starting to get hungry and I thought it was time to discover the people a little bit. I love stopping along the road in the middle of nowhere as it's really then that you get to know the people. Kevin is not convinced and delighted when I do those stops but then he talks about those funny stops the next day which makes me think that he enjoys them as well...And this first food stop in Bulgaria was going to be no exception...Indeed, when I saw this "house" a long the road with nice colourful neon light flashing outside and trucks parked outside, I thought that this would be the perfect place to grab some food so I turned in. The moment I took off my helmet and glanced trough the window at the dinning area, I immediately told Kevin that this is going to be an interesting moment and to get prepared...I straight away took my camera and kept it in my pocket before going trough the entrance door where we were greeted by the lady owner...I then realized, I soon as I was in the corridor leading to the dining area that this stop would be far more interesting than what I would have thought, so I told Kevin to go ahead while I go back to the bike and pick-up my camcorder...At that moment, I still didn't know what this place really was and the only thing I could see was a smoky dining area full of Bulgarians. Then I realized what was really happening when I went back in and saw Kevin being pulled up a staircase by a woman that was probably a former heavyweight wrestling champ and when Kevin whispered to me : "Pierre (Kevin saw my passport and prefers to call me Pierre...), I'm not sure but I think that lady was telling me in Bulgarian to follow her up the room!". Then, when we both turned around to have a better look at what was happening around us and we saw a whole team of former male wrestlers sitting on their wooden chairs with big moustached ladies hanging on their arms! We then understood we were in a Brothel! Very nice deco with a live band performing...Well the guy was alone and he had an automatic keyboard playing behind him...The waiter was very funny as well and looked exactly like what you would expect a guy working in a brothel to look like...Managed to get some video footage of this stop...Oh and when we saw the body size and hair density under the ladies nose, we didn't even try to have them sit on our laps...When we hit the road again, I was paying a bit more attention to the food stops or what I thought would be restaurants, and I straight away understood that in eastern Bulgaria, they optimize their business by offering food and women in the same place! Had a hard time swallowing my food...We arrived late in Sofia so we woke up the next morning with small eyes and we had another day of hard riding as we had planned to stay in Belgrade that night. Belgrade was 400 km away so we quickly went for a quick picture in front of the "Alexander ...kov" church to prove that we passed in Sofia before riding to Belgrade.Easy day riding into Serbia with a hassle free border crossing. Serbia is not part of the EU so I thought that it would be a bit difficult but it took us only 10 minutes to do the whole border crossing. I thought that Sofia was a nice city but Belgrade is even nicer I think. Not easy finding an hotel in Belgrade but we finally managed to find a reasonably priced one in the city centre. Well, I think that this hotel is our first real taste of their communist past! This hotel looks like it was a former apartment building converted into a hotel and it is exactly how I imagined a hotel in Belgrade to look like! Enjoying this hotel actually and the feel of it...Something that I've never really experienced I guess, so I'm delighted! The walls in the corridor are falling apart, the lift is barely working, the painting in the room walls are chipping away, the tiles in the bathroom are the same as the ones in my grandma's place (my grandma doesn't speak English so I can write this), there's a dodgy casino in the lobby and the lobby greets you with a white neon light illuminating an awkwardly laid red carpet...Fantastic!After a good laugh in the room, we thought that it was time to celebrate our arrival in eastern Europe and so we went to have a couple of beers in a pub! That's the only place Kevin would go to have a beer...No choice! A bit too much beer that night that Kevin had a hard time aiming the key to open the room door...Late night...so late that I was able to help clean the streets! Well it's OK, we planned to stay the next day in Belgrade to visit...Funny little city which has a cosy feeling. I think it's because there's only 2 million people living here so it feels comfortable...Casinos all over the place like in Sofia...I think that they have a bad habit of gambling in this region...Finally, was surprised to still see traces of the 1999 NATO bombings in the city because of Kosovo. So took some pictures which doesn't look as impressive as in a real...Then a policeman approached me and told me to turn off the camera and leave...He said that I was lucky that it was him because it would have been another colleague, I would be at the police station by now...Those buildings are government property and you are not allowed to take pictures...Well I didn't know it was a government building. I am wondering why they are just living those buildings in that state and not putting them down. Thank god he was cool and didn't give me the opportunity to have a freezing night in a Serbian cell...Tomorrow, Budapest! Capital of...Hungaria.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1197318300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1197318300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1197318300/tpod.html Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:23:21 -0500 Singapore to France...Why fly when you can ride?

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Istanbul, Turkey

Itinerary : Aleppo - Gazipasa - IstanbulDates : 7th December to 10th of December 2007Mileage in Turkey : 3280 km.Mileage so far : 20950 km. It was raining when we woke up in Aleppo so our plan to walk around Aleppo in the morning was not possible. Moreover, we have a border crossing to do where we knew it was not going to be a walk in the park. This "Syria-Turkey" crossing was giving us a headache and so we decided to load the bikes and just go for a quick spin in Aleppo before heading towards the border.It's with no real surprise that we had a difficult day at the border. On the syrian side of the border they are so corrupted that they bring you all over the place to pay "fees" that you don't understand...I thought we would never manage to leave Syria because Kevin has a tendency to lose all sense of diplomacy when asked to pay mysterious fees... Then, on the Turkish side of the border they send you all over the place because they don't know how to use their newly updated computer system...I think that the EU has imposed Turkey to better monitor their border by upgrading their system if they want to have a chance to be part of the EU, but the problem is that no one knows how to use it! Nevertheless, we managed to get out of that Turkish side of the border in 2 hours...The end of the trip is approaching fast now and so once we entered Turkey, we decided to do some serious mileage and reach Istanbul as quickly as possible so that we can spend a day there. So nothing much to say about the riding to Istanbul as we didn't see much. We did 1500 km in a day and a half...The only thing enjoyable about this ride to Istanbul was maybe only the Adana-Antalya stretch where it's a nice curvy road along the coast.Was looking forward to having a "day off" in Istanbul and discover this city that is divided in 2 areas by the Bosphore river with the west side being called the European side of Istanbul and on the east, the Asian side. We stayed in the historical part of the city called Sultanamet so that we can be at walking distance from the sites to visit. So off we went to discover Istanbul the next day and we started by visiting the Blue mosque which is an incredible piece of architecture. Then just opposite the blue mosque, there's the Aya Sofia which is an amazing building as well. The Aya Sofia was a church for 1000 years, then a mosque for 500 years and in 1930 it was declared a Museum by Ataturk. After a quick walk in on of the biggest bazaar in the world, we had seen all the things we had to see in a day in Istanbul except the famous Hammam or Turkish bath! I was delighted with my Syrian Hammam experience so I proposed Kevin to go to the baths after dinner. We have to go to a Turkish bath in Turkey I thought! But without any surprise, he refused and so we opted to go the "bar area" of Istanbul in Taksim to discuss the Europe itinerary over a beer. I have one more chance in Budapest to get Kevin into the Baths...His excuse of not going to the bath was that he didn't want to have his buttocks punched by a huge bearded Turk in a red speedo...So I think in Budapest, I will have to lie and tell him that I read that Hungaria is the only country in the world where the massages in the baths are performed by women...The next day was going to be our last day in Turkey and the start of our European adventure. In the morning, we first did a quick stop at the BMW in Istanbul so that we could get equipped to confront the cold weather of eastern Europe, and finally get Kevin proper motorcycle gears! Crazy Kevin...We have 10 days left and he finally got motorcycle boots and a rain suit! He took advantage to review his bike and luggage setup as well...So now he's starting to entertain people on the road with his funny setup...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1197320580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1197320580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1197320580/tpod.html Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:05:56 -0500 Singapore to France...Why fly when you can ride?

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Istanbul, Turkey

TOTAL - 23rd September to 12th December 2007 Itinary : Singapore - Malaysia - Thailand - Laos - Thailand - Nepal - India - Pakistan - Iran - Turkey - Syria - Jordan - Syria - TurkeyTotal days since I left : 79 days.Mileage done : 20950 kmTotal riding time excluding the stops : 298 hours.Number of riding days : 58 days. Average mileage per day when riding : 360 km.Average mileage per day (inclusive of the no riding days) : 265 km.Highest altitude : 5370 meters - IndiaHighest Temperature : + 34 - MalaysiaLowest Temperature : - 15 - IndiaHighest Mileage : Gazipasa - Istanbul, 870 km - Turkey TURKEY - 23rd to 26th November and 7th to 10th December 2007Itinary : Yuksekova - Tatvan - Nusaybin - Adana - Antakya - Aleppo (Syria) - Adana - Gazipasa - Antalya - Afyon - Istanbul - Edirne My thoughts on Turkey : Didn't see much of the country apart from Istanbul. We were limited in time so Turkey was a bit "sacrificed"...Everything is expensive and it's an expensive country to visit. Borders are OK but it can be time consuming so it's important to have a bit of patience!Road : nothing to say about the quality of the roads. The road along the Mediterranean coast is nice to do. Highway is not free for motorbikes but you can take the risk to squeeze trough the gates and act stupid if you get stopped... Petrol : No problem but VERY expensive! With a price tag of...2,70 usd/liter! So stay below 4000 rpm and ride as straight as possible!Food : Food is good in Turkey and had loads of Kebabs. A descent meal is 10 usd. For a quick sandwich break, you can get away with 5 usd.Accommodation :. We slept in a "simple hotel for 25 usd/night and a descent hotel will cost about 50 usd/night. A good hotel in a good location in Istanbul was 100 usd/night. weather : Very big country with a lot of different landscape! And it's winter! There was snow, rain, ice, sun...We rode from temperatures that ranged from -10 to 18.Currency : Syrian pound, 1 usd = 1,15 turkish lira. My high : my day off in Istanbul.My low : Border crossingsTotal days in country : 8 days. Mileage done : 3280 km Total riding time : 40 hours. Number of riding days : 7 days. Average riding time per day : 5,7 hours. Average time on the road per day : 8,3 hours. Average riding speed (excluding the stops) : 82 km/h. Average riding speed including the stops : 56 km/h. Average mileage per day when riding : 470 km. Average mileage per day (inclusive of the no riding days) : 410 km. Highest altitude : 2800 meters - TatvanHighest Temperature : 18 - AntakyaLowest Temperature : -10 - Tatvan Highest Mileage : Gazipasa - Istanbul, 870 km.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196977800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196977800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196977800/tpod.html Thu, 06 Dec 2007 18:13:12 -0500 Singapore to France...Why fly when you can ride?

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Aleppo, Syria

Itinerary : Amman - Damascus - Palmyra - AleppoDates : 5th December to 6th of December 2007Mileage in Syria : 1260 km.Mileage so far : 19230 km.So we were back on the road and making our way back up to Syria.This time we can smell the end of the adventure where we are heading in almost a straight line back to the old continent. If everything goes well, we will be crossing into Europe next Tuesday (I don't include Turkey as Europe).We started the day by a difficult and tiring border crossing on the Syrian side. Well it's not really difficult but it's tiring because they bounce you all over the place to give money to everyone...Well I knew what to expect as I did the first border crossing on my own, but when Kevin decided to do this crossing together he went crazy with the authorities! He was fed up of being sent all over the place and paying everyone...And when the last guy we had to give a "tip" asked for 10 usd, Kevin turned purple and just replied "no sir"! I was curious to know the outcome of Kevin's challenge but when the guy made us understand that he wouldn't let us pass without paying this "fee", we finally gave the 10 usd each that he requested. He started to have a hot temper when we bought our visas and I only had to pay 12 usd and he had to pay 50! Merci Jacquot for your successful foreign policy...Nothing much exciting riding to Palmyra where we decided to stay for the night and discover the ruins the next day. The only stop we did in that ride to Palmyra was for the Baghdad signboard...Won't get to see that signboard often so it was definitely worth a stop for a picture.The next morning, we woke up not knowing what to expect as we arrived at night time the night before and didn't get to see anything...We have been riding a lot night time during this trip as the day falls as early as 4h30 pm! So we woke up the next day to finally get to discover the ruins of Palmyra. Was a fun and unusual sightseeing as we went in the sight with the bikes! Indeed, when we saw a few guys in moped riding around, we decided ourselves to ride around the ruins with the bikes as well! Great day and nice pictures with the bikes in the middle of the ruins.In the afternoon, headed for Aleppo which is our last stop before entering back into Turkey the next day. We decided to cut across the desert and use a road that was indicated as a track. The landscape had nothing special but it was quite an experience crossing in the desert and get to see how the people live. The towns look abandoned in this part of the country with very few cars...Kevin was not really keen on taking this road as his pessimistic mind was telling him that we would get stuck in a sand storm (and die)...There was a bit of clouds but nothing much...Kevin is not very keen on Turkey so we will try to cross as fast as possible...He has never been in Turkey before and we have only spent 3 days in eastern Turkey but for some reason he doesn't appreciate the Turk hospitality...Kevin, tell me what happened in Australia that made you feel uncomfortable with the Turks!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196794080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196794080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196794080/tpod.html Thu, 06 Dec 2007 18:09:18 -0500 Singapore to France...Why fly when you can ride?

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Amman, Jordan

Itinerary : Damascus - Amman - Wadi Rum - Petra - Amman - Dead sea - Amman.Dates : 30th November to 4th of December 2007.Mileage in Jordan : 1000 km.Mileage so far : 18480 km.After a nice stop at Damascus, we where on our way to Jordan! Tom and Georges were on their way to Jordan as well so we all took off at the same time from the hotel in Damascus. Tom was trying to convince me to follow him to South Africa, then send my bike from Cape town to Buenos Aires and ride all the way up to Alaska! I have to admit that I hesitated but I was very uncomfortable continuing the trip without having organized and prepared it myself. I had all the spares to go up to South Africa but I didn't like the fact that I didn't know all the details of where I was going to set foot. So I wisely turned down the offer. After all, if I do the whole world in one go, I would have nothing left to do! And I want to leave some countries unvisited so that I can have something to look forward to in the future and eventually do it "two up" on the bike with preferably someone less hairy than Kevin... When on our way to Jordan, I had no idea what to expect until we arrived at the immigration and was pleasantly surprised by how it was much more organized than their Syrian counterparts! Then when we arrived in Amman, the first impression we got about Jordan was confirmed when we saw that MacDonalds, starbucks, Burger kings and other big corporations were present in Jordan. Much more develpped than I would have thought and our bikes are less of an attraction here.It was a short ride from the border to Amman where Hazim and Celine where waiting for us. Hazim and Celine are old friends that are based in Jordan and that kindly proposed us to stay with them during our Jordan stopover. Not only did they allow us to stay in their house but they took care of us as well! Indeed, the moment we arrived in their house we were consulted about going to this birthday party in one of the best nightclubs in Amman! I could see a spark in Kevin's eyes (probably me too) and we accepted the offer without hesitation...It was our first nightclub since Bangkok! Sorry guys, the rest of the evening is censored...This comfortable stay in Hazim and Celine's place was a much needed break and we had our own room (with normal size beds) and I wasn't obliged to endure Kev's smelly feet for once...The next morning I took advantage of my hangover to finally fit my spare tyre and do an oil change. Delighted to get rid of the problematic rear tyre that kept on losing air! I realized that I have been carrying this problem since India and that I rode trough 6 countries with a deflating tyre! Now that I had no more spare tyres to carry, I had to solve the bike balancing problem because I can't ride with only one side pannier...So for the second time during this trip, I disposed of a side pannier in the nature and I was left with none! Didn't feel so bad as the pannier was bent and I almost couldn't close it anymore. Moreover the underneath was grinded open in one of the nasty falls I had in eastern Turkey on the snow...Hopefully now, I have just one oil and filter change left before I reach France...In the afternoon, we headed for the extreme south of Jordan to stay in Wadi Rum which is a desert known for its beautiful sceneries. It was funny because we arrived late in Wadi Rum and it was dark so we had no idea what to expect the next day. The only thing we could see when we reached the area was the 5 "mud-straw" walls of our room in the desert camp where there was absolutely nothing but 2 beds. We had the option to stay in one of the numerous tents on the sand outside but after staying in Hazim and Celine's place, we got use to comfort...We woke up the next day delighted by where we ended up...The scenery was fantastic!We started the day by a little camel ride before doing some desert riding on sand, very soft sand...It was a terribly difficult experience! Kept dropping the bike and getting stuck! Although I had left all my stuff in Amman and ridden the bike with no load on it, the GS was still too heavy, especially the front. Once the front would go, there's no way you could catch it back up by putting your leg down! It was probably ridiculous of us to ride those bikes on the soft sand but we had to at least try...That day turned out to be the most tiring day of the trip... After having dropped the bike maybe 8 times halfway in the desert, I couldn't imagine making my way back as I had no more energy! Then I had the brilliant idea to let more air out of the tyres until there was just enough air for the tyres not to go off the rims. There was so little air left in the tyres that I couldn't turn the bike once on the tarmac! This simple change in the tyre pressure made an incredible difference. It completely changed my desert riding experience. Realized that riding with almost flat tyres on desert sand was the key! Managed to go all the way back to the desert camp without dropping the bike! So ended up to be a fun experience after all! This GS is not made for this type of riding and Kevin was flying with his 650! Moreover, his tank is under the seat as well so it made it even more easy for him. He made fun of me the whole day to let out his frustration of having to ride a girl's bike around the world! I'll get him back...After this fun but exciting day, we still had some energy left to make our way to Petra.Petra is about 70 km north of Wadi Rum and is one of the "must visit" sights you have to go to if you come to Jordan. Petra is a beautiful city carved in the rocks that was inhabited by the nabataens and romans. Surprisingly it was kept secret for a long time by the local Bedouins until a Swiss researcher was informed about it and the sight was rediscovered in 1912. Since 6 months ago, this site is part of the 7 wonders of the new world. Nicest site I've visited so far in this trip. Absolutely amazing site in a beautiful desert landscape. This Petra sight is huge as well, so took a horse to enter the site and downgraded to a donkey to get back to the gate! I apparently had the strongest donkey of Petra and the stupid donkey kept on running! He wouldn't let the other donkeys overtake him so it was a more bumpy ride than the Kashmir road! After this incredible day, we were on our way back to Amman where Celine and Hazim were waiting for us for a last night out. Weird to go out on a Monday night but apparently Monday night is the mid-week outing here! Not surprising when I later learned that the week-end starts on Friday and Sunday is the first day of the week...Unfortunately, it was not to be Kevin's lucky day as his chain was back to haunt him again when it broke on the highway 30 km prior to reaching Amman. It turned up to be a minor problem as a van stopped almost straight away and helped us toe the bike to a workshop in Amman. Kevin, in his habitual pessimism, was already booking his airplane ticket back to Ireland...Nevertheless we managed to get back in Amman in no time and a long night was waiting for us...So we started by the usual beer appetizer before we discovered the "doudou" shots. Terrifying drink! It's Vodka in which they add Tabasco (a lot) and an olive. Everyone was sick the next day...Even the owner of the bar that was joyfully promoting this original shooter mix was sick the next day...Woke up the next day with a very heavy head but it was not so bad as it was going to be an easy day at the dead sea. I will finally get to see if you really float! The dead sea is about 60 km south of Amman and it's the lowest point on earth. It's about 400 meters below sea level.Was a funny and relaxing day until I decided to do the floating test...Indeed, the first thing I did was to taste the water and it stung my thong really bad...Then I put my head in the water and it was a nightmare when my eyes were painfully stinging...Incredible...I never imagined that it would be that salty that you can't put you head in! Because of its high salinity, there's actually no life at all in this sea. The only positive thing about this dead sea (apart from the buoyancy) is that people that have skin problem can come here for cure programs. So I decided to do a little bit of skin rejuvenation myself when I noticed a bucket of mud in front of the beach and decided to cover myself up. I can say that this day happened to be the dirtiest day of my life! Oh and yes you float like a cork in the dead sea...Funny feeling...In the Evening, we all went to have a fabulous Lebanese dinner in town to thank Hazim and Celine for their hospitality. A bit sad that the Jordan adventure came to an end but I will definitely come back. Of all the countries I've visited, Jordan is probably the only one where I would be keen to come back for a week or two to really take advantage of the numerous activities (apart from the doudou shooters).Thanks again to Hazim and Celine for this Jordan stay.Tomorrow, back to Syria!I'm ending this entry by a series of camel pictures...Absolutely great animal!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196981940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196981940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196981940/tpod.html Thu, 06 Dec 2007 18:01:47 -0500 Singapore to France...Why fly when you can ride?

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Aleppo, Syria

TOTAL - 23rd September to 6th December 2007 Itinary : Singapore - Malaysia - Thailand - Laos - Thailand - Nepal - India - Pakistan - Iran - Turkey - Syria - Jordan - SyriaTotal days since I left : 75 days.Mileage done : 19230 kmTotal riding time excluding the stops : 279 hours.Number of riding days : 55 days. Average mileage per day when riding : 350 km.Average mileage per day (inclusive of the no riding days) : 256 km.Highest altitude : 5370 meters - IndiaHighest Temperature : + 34 - MalaysiaLowest Temperature : - 15 - IndiaHighest Mileage : Bahawalpur - Quetta, 770 km - Pakistan SYRIA - 27th to 29th November and 5th to 6th December 2007Itinary : Aleppo - Latakia - Damascus - Palmyra - AleppoMy thoughts on Syria : Very nice country with fantastic people. Felt very safe and welcomed. Not as developed as Jordan and not as much sights to see but still interesting. Damascus and Aleppo are surprising cities to visit and of course the crac des chevaliers is a must. The other funny thing was to see pictures of their leader stuck all over the place. I understood that it was compulsory to have Bashar al Asad's picture hanged all over the place, unlike Jordan where the picture of King Abdullah is voluntary.Road : nothing to say about the quality of the roads. There's the main north-south Highway which is very good. The roads on the eastern part of Syria are mapped as main roads but they are very good and can put some good mileage. You can cut in the desert trough the secondary road but they are rather bumpy but still paved in most parts. Syrian drinving can be quite hazardous and they have a bad habit of riding in the wrong direction on the highway!Petrol : No problem in the west but it can be tricky in the east where there are petrol stations but they don't always have supply! Only super is available at 0,80 usd/liter.Food : Never had so much Chawerma in my life! And It's delicious! Chawerma with a drink is about 1,20 usd. More complete meal in a restaurant is 5 usd. Accommodation : Funnily we had a hard time finding hotels in Syria. Not that there are none but they seem to be concentrated in one area of the cities and it can be a headache finding them. We slept in a "simple hotel for 10 usd/night and a descent hotel will cost about 30 usd/night. weather : It's beginning of winter so the weather was cool during the day and cold during the night. It was cloudy most of the time. Temperature ranged from 10 to 20 degrees celcius. Had rain in Aleppo.Currency : Syrian pound, 1 usd = 50 pounds. My high : my day off roaming around DamascusMy low : the Syrian border crossingsTotal days in country : 5 days. Mileage done : 1260 km Total riding time : 14,5 hours. Number of riding days : 4 days. Average riding time per day : 3,6 hours. Average time on the road per day : 6 hours. Average riding speed (excluding the stops) : 87 km/h. Average riding speed including the stops : 53 km/h. Average mileage per day when riding : 315 km. Average mileage per day (inclusive of the no riding days) : 252 km. Highest altitude : 800 meters - Palmyra.Highest Temperature : 20 - DamascusLowest Temperature : 10 - Latakia Highest Mileage : Palmyra - Aleppo, 400 km.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196884440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196884440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196884440/tpod.html Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:17:28 -0500 Singapore to France...Why fly when you can ride?

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Palmyra, Syria

TOTAL - 23rd September to 4th December 2007 Itinary : Singapore - Malaysia - Thailand - Laos - Thailand - Nepal - India - Pakistan - Iran - Turkey - Syria - JordanTotal days since I left : 73 days.Mileage done : 18480 kmTotal riding time excluding the stops : 271 hours.Number of riding days : 53 days. Average mileage per day when riding : 348 km.Average mileage per day (inclusive of the no riding days) : 253 km.Highest altitude : 5370 meters - IndiaHighest Temperature : + 34 - MalaysiaLowest Temperature : - 15 - IndiaHighest Mileage : Bahawalpur - Quetta, 770 km - Pakistan JORDAN - 30th November to 4th December 2007Itinary : Amman - Wadi Rum - Petra - Amman - Dead sea - AmmanMy thoughts on Jordan : Very nice country with fantastic people. Felt very safe and welcomed. Much more developed than I would have thought and the tourism industry seems to be well exploited by the locals. A lot of things to see in this country and 1 week seem to be too short. On the negative side, I found that everything from food, hotels and drinks are pricy but that's maybe because I hanged out in the "comfortable" places...I dedicate the Jordan entry to Hazim and Celine for their warm welcome and much appreciated stay at their place in Jordan. It was great and I will have to come back... Road : nothing to say about the quality of the roads. There are 3 main north-south routes which are the dead sea highway, the king's highway and the desert highway. The 3 have their advantage and drawback. If you have time and you want to take it easy and explore the "real" Syria, the king's highway can be good to discover the towns and meet Jordanians.Petrol : No problem to find petrol. Unleaded is 0,90 usd/liter, the super is 0,60 usd/liter.Food : Oups! No data guys...We were invited most of the time or we gave ourselves an expensive treat! More seriously, we had food in simple restaurants in touristy area and expect to pay 15 usd/meal! Local food in a restaurant on the road, I paid about 5usd/meal. Accommodation : Once again, very little data as we slept at friends house but we stayed one night in a room in a desert camp and paid 20 usd/person per night. For a descent hotel in a touristy area, you will pay about 40 usd/night. A nice hotel in a touristy area, expect to pay 80 usd/night!weather : It's beginning of winter so the weather was cool during the day and cold during the night. It was cloudy most of the time. Temperature ranged from 8 to 20 degrees celcius.Currency : Jordan Dinar, 1 usd = 0,70 dinar. My high : Visiting the Petra ruins.My low : The doudou shooters!Total days in country : 5 days. Mileage done : 1000 km Total riding time : 11,75 hours. Number of riding days : 5 days. Average riding time per day : 2,4 hours. Average time on the road per day : 4 hours. Average riding speed (excluding the stops) : 85 km/h. Average riding speed including the stops : 50 km/h. Average mileage per day when riding : 200 km. Average mileage per day (inclusive of the no riding days) : 200 km. Highest altitude : 1700 meters - Petra, (- 412 meters at the dead sea!).Highest Temperature : 20 - AmmanLowest Temperature : 8 - Wadi Rum Highest Mileage : Amman - Wadi Rum, 300 km.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196360700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196360700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/caprile/100_daytripping/1196360700/tpod.html Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:04:40 -0500 Singapore to France...Why fly when you can ride?

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Damascus, Syria

Itinerary : Antakya - Latakya - DamascusDates : 27th to 29th of November 2007Mileage in Syria : 510 kmMileage so far : 17470 kmThe pub was a real pub! Well I consider it as a real pub because there was beer! Only one type and only us in the pub, but that's still made our day, especially Kevin's...So had a pint of draft and headed to sleep as we knew that the next day would be a difficult one with our third attempt to get out of Turkey!I woke up the next day with a headache and Kevin as well. We straight away questioned the quality of the beer as it couldn't be the quantity...But enough time wasting, so after having convinced Kevin to abandon his attempt to set a new world record by going around the world without lubricating his chain, we swallowed a quick panadol and headed for the border which was another 40 km away...And hoping that luck would be on our side this time...Being the biggest border, I thought that surely someone had the power to take a decision and let us go to Syria!When we arrived at the border, I was surprised by the huge queue of trucks waiting to cross into Syria. I quickly glanced at my odometer to measure the length of this queues and it was a 3 km waiting line! As we were passing beside those trucks I told myself that this is going to be a hard day...And maybe the travel guide was right to mention that it could take 16 hours to cross this border...But when we overtook the long queue of truck to arrive at the car section, I was pleasantly surprise to discover that it was relatively quiet. I later understood that it was quiet because the immigration officer, that works in this "open 24 hours" border, was taking his lunch break and just left his desk unattended! So we sat on the pavement waiting without really knowing when he would decide to come back...Hopefully he won't do a "two-in-one" and go pray at the same time! Not too bad as we waited only for 45 minutes.When he came back, we were the first in line and he started to look for us in the computer...With no real surprise, he couldn't find us anywhere and so he decided to put our documents aside and do the rest of the cars first before coming back to our case...Argh...Didn't say anything as I didn't want to get him upset...Nevertheless, after having settled all the other cars in the queue, he came back to try to find us somewhere it the bloody computer...Although we tried to explain him that we were not in the computer because the other border didn't enter us as the computer was down...But he still insisted on his computer until he took the brilliant decision to call his superior that finally gave him the green light to just redo a fake entry into turkey and then do an exit...It was still a hassle but it was moving forward. I spare the details but it still took us 2 hours just to get out of the Turkey side of the border...When we headed out of the Turkish side of the border, we had a 4 km ride to the Syrian side where another challenge was waiting for us. Only half of the job was done and I know that the Syrian crossing can be difficult...I had no Visa and apparently French people need to have a visa in advance...As I was "kicking out" my side stand a Syrian guy jumped on me and introduced himself has being from the ministry of tourism, and I hesitated to reply that I was from the fraud section of the French ministry of tourism...But the guy looked very descent, was very nice and looked to be an honest liar with a good face...So I gave him a chance, especially when he started to talk to me in French with almost a perfect accent! So Kevin, stayed at the bikes to look out and left me to do all the paper work again which I am glad to do as I get to live the administrative hassle of each country and that I consider entirely part of the trip...I would be actually disappointed not to go trough it...So off I went with this guy to do all the paperwork and I have to say that it was great to have him. I went to about 4 different offices and did maybe 8 different process without having to do anything! The only thing I really did was to pay this guy at the beginning. It was a fair amount of money but I thought it was worth it. I cannot imagine doing what we did by myself and I would take this guy back anytime. He basically asked for a lump sum that included everything and he settled the visa fee, the express telegram for the visa, the under table money to everyone, the insurance for a month, road tax, and of course he surely didn't forget to pay himself. The whole thing cost me about 100 usd. He thought that I would believe in his pure generosity in helping me until everything was done and he asked me for a tip because of the help he provided, to which I replied that it was a real pleasure to do business with him and that I hope the money he deservedly took for each process he settled for me was good enough (I paid attention to all the little details and could see what was going on and how his system worked). my reply was in a nice tone, without any aggressiveness (I was really delighted and I thought he was good in how he dealt with me) but he still turned red with a little corner smile. So I added that, in appreciation for his impeccable work I am delighted to give an extra bonus and handed 10 usd. Haha...I like those type of guys...Smart, clever and on top of that genuinely nice...He's just doing a living and trying to run a business...And I thought his business was very well setup. The only way for him to have his system work and get some business was to fake his identity and hide his "system" otherwise no one would use him but I think he is actually a must when you are not aware on how the Syrian border crossing works. But trust me, this saved me a lot of time and he knows which strings to pull in the immigration...I don't really know how much of the cake he took for himself and the only thing I know is I paid in total 100 usd. When I see what I went trough in this immigration, I wouldn't understand why people would be stubborn enough to not use this guy. I guess it's a choice, meaning do you want to do a little business transaction with this guy and how much you're time is worth, because at the end of the day it's just time that you buy. So managed to get 2 guys without any visa and with 2 bikes into Syria in an hour and a half! Can't imagine the time it would have took me had I been by myself... Great feeling to be in Syria, and the people are very nice in this country. You can straight away feel the difference with Turkey. Not that the Turkish are not nice but there's something really welcoming in the people here. I think they only learn the word "welcome" because they seem to reply everything you say by "Welcome to Syria!". My feeling about the guy helping me at the border was straight away confirmed at our first stop at the petrol station where everyone was just so nice, polite, respectful and not aggressive at all. Then we did another stop at a little shop along the road in the middle of nowhere and once again it was a great moment. Kevin doesn't feel very comfortable when in those situations where you melt with the crowd and get to transact with them, es[ecially when it gets too long. They are not exposed to tourist so they are extremely curious that they want to talk to get to know the "outside world" and how we think. So when you decide to play that game in this type of countries, you cannot avoid the political and religious topics which they always put on the table (after football of course). It can get difficult when you abort certain topics or subjects but I love the feeling of having managed to get out of it and when it finally ends by a good laugh. Kevin hates the discomfort and hates having to get involved in those topics that he disappears! And leaves me to deal with it by myself! Usually, when I decide to stop (when he allows me), I am limited to 10 minutes per stop before I hear his bike start! Like I said in one of my entries, the people make the country so it's important to meet them! Meeting a well off Syrian in a nice hotel in a big town like Damascus is not Syria! So you have to take the opportunity and provoke the moment by stopping in the middle of nowhere and melt in the scenery. Anyway, to come back to the stop, it was fun and people are fun here. I have a 45 minute footage of just that stop. Priceless...The whole village entered the 2 m2 shop and I got to talk to almost everyone! After this exciting stop, we headed for Latakya which is a coastal town and a holiday getaway for Syrians. Nice city which is apparently different from the other cities as it is very liberal (the women don't have scarves and wear tight fit jeans). The next day was a ride to the capital of Syria Damascus with a quick stop at the "crac de Chevalier". They call it "crac" which actually means citadel but to please my good friend Rahan, I will continue to call it "crac" in this entry. It's a castle that has been invaded time and time again and it has been occupied by the Kurds, the Arabs, the Ottomans and the French! When I arrived, I immediately put my tourist hat on, bough the little guide book and opted to have a guide bring me around the castle. Kevin was pissed off at me as he just wanted to take 2 pictures from the outside and leave! Explaining me that it was just a citadel and that he has hundreds of them in Ireland...So I replied that I lived 3 years in a town that had its own citadel as well and although all citadels look alike, I'm still curious to learn the story behind it! So an hour visit with a guide for 2 usd was non-negotiable! Kevin finally came back and gave in so we did the tour together which ended up to being really fun! And the guide was entertaining as well...It's a very nice castle where each one of the invaders left their imprint that you can see in the architectural styles of the building. It was without a doubt worth it, especially when he explained that it was the nicest crac of Syria and the most visited one...We arrived in Damascus quite early that day and so we straight away went to the "Souk" (more commonly called the market) which is for me one of the highlight when you stop in a new city. Kevin doesn't agree and says that I'm a woman! The market for me is the heart of the city where you can see how a lot of things work...You see how people live, interact, see what people sell or buy, how they negotiate, the living cost,...It's a bit the life of a city and going to the market when you are limited in time is great because it gives you an idea of the people relatively quickly. Once back to the hotel, we bumped into 2 guys riding their bikes from London to Cape town! Quite a trip as well...So we decided to all head for a tea shop in the old city to exchange all the bike stories...Walking to the tea shop and discovering Damascus by night is just amazing...It's such a nice and cool city. I don't know how to describe it...It's modern but at the same time it has a lot of charm because they knew how to preserve their historical buildings and heritage. The teashops with people having their tea and smoking their narguile is just great to watch...No wonder the French invaded this place!The next day, we were suppose to head for Amman but for some reason I couldn't resist staying one more day just to see a bit more of this place. So I woke up early to take full advantage of this day and I left at 9 am from my room without knowing where I was going. I just left with my camera and decided to walk and try to interact with people. Fantastic day and felt like I did everything! I walked in the main roads of the old city and went in the back streets as well to see how people live...Then went to the mosque where I didn't pay when I entered! I didn't know that you had to pay until I overheard the guard asking a tourist to go and pay at the counter...I realized that he took me for a "good" Muslim just coming to pray! Once the tour of the mosque done, I couldn't avoid going back to the market which is just in front of the mosque exit! I wanted to buy a "safe" scarf and couldn't resist buying the Iraq and Syria football jerseys. After half a day of walking around Damascus, I was starting to get tired so I looked for a teahouse where I could sit down and relax. The one I went last night was too high class and I was looking for a really local teahouse...Something equivalent to our PMU in France...As I was searching the teahouse, I noticed what looked like a laboratory of a big cosmetic company...So I had to go in to understand...Apparently it's a perfume shop where you choose your perfume and the guy does the mix on the spot in front of you...I didn't take any perfume with me for this trip so decided to have my own perfume done for 4 usd...Funny encounter. Then my search for a teahouse got even more interesting when I went into a back alley and saw a "hammam" signboard in front of a closed door. I couldn't just pass without having a go! So off I went for an hour and half of beating! When you see a huge guy on TV beating the hell out of a guy in a hamman, it's not fiction and it's true! I got this huge guy on my case...So huge that I thought that it was a joke at first! Great invention the "hammam" because it was really good and relaxing...Will do it again on my way back from Jordan and will bring the Irishman with me this time...Finally, after my perfume purchase and hammam beating, I found the perfect teahouse that I was looking for. Super local, no foreigners, only old guys playing cards and smoking their narguile, the ever welcoming white neon lights, and foggy smoke lurking. Perfect I thought! So hanged out in there by myself for an hour drinking my tea and smoking my narguile. Had a couple of stares but no problem, the Syrians are incredibly nice people and didn't feel uncomfortable at all. I actually feel even more comfortable in Syria than in Iran. I don't know why Bush wants to blow up this place?Finally when I went back to the hotel after my 10-hour day getting lost on Damascus, I saw this 1950 Cadillac which I thought was fantastic and in perfect shape. When the owner saw me take a picture of his car, he popped out of excitement and started talking without inhaling about his car! Not to show off but by pure excitement that someone was actually interested! Nice old guy and when I told him I was French, he started speaking to me in French as well! The older generation still speaks French in Syria. Today was one of the best days of the trip. I am glad to have made this detour to Syria and get the opportunity to meet the people. Tomorrow off to Jordan where I will meet Celine, an old friend that lives in Amman and that kindly offered me to stay in her appartment. Really cool and can't wait...Especially when she mentioned that the beer was in the fridge already!
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