08.01 The wakeup call has sounded. Good morning has been said. What might happen next? Morning shower, breakfast and belongings gathering.

09.11 On our way to breakfast. What is offered today?

09.45 Nothing plenty, no buffet. A plate with cucumber, tomato, black olives, 4 kinds of things to place on the sandwich all served in small cans, bread and tea.

10.45 The time has come to travel on. The bus station is across the street.

11.13 We had hardly come to the bus station until we got shown to a bus and hardly had we entered it before it left for Hatay, or Antakya as the town is known as outside Turkey. As I was about to buy something for the trip I got assisted by the young lady from our hotel. Here comes the bus host, I guess he wants us to pay.

11.19 He settled for 20 lira ($ 16) for both of us. It felt cheap. It is after all 260 kilometres to our destination.

12.13 We just reached Adana. Here we stop to switch passengers and perhaps something else.

13.40 We just left the high way and heading for a place called Payas. What is this? a change of route?

13.51 No change, just a passenger whowanted to travel with us. We are back on the right track. We can see the sea. We reached Iskenderun.

Our wonderful room at Hotel Orontes in Antakya.

15.45 Hotel Orontes and room 322 is our new home for the next two days. It cost us 30 lira/day/backpacker. In the room there is bathtub and telephone. If you want to take a closer look just enter www.oronteshotel.com. The way here went through a hilly landscape to say the least. It was winding roads, mountains and enormous plains. Some men in Arabic clothes gave a hint that Syria is up ahead.

18.33 Seated at a restaurant ”Antik Han”. Sitting on their terrace with a street view. We entered the place through the kitchen which is just inside the door from the street.

Here in Antakya as in Syria you get mint to chew on to the food.

19.26 Home again in the room. We had "Döner kebab", kebab that we are used from at home but still not the same. Incredibly tasty meat, parsley, red onion, bread and tomato. On a plate aside came mint (tasted toothpaste), lime and red pepper. Dessert was a kűnefe. A virtual calorie bomb consisting of bread in thin lairs with syrup, nuts, melted butter and cream cheese. We sure got satisfied. On the way home we bought an evening beer each. As we were about to enter the hotel we met an old lady with a bag and a head cloth. Suddenly a cell phone rang. The lady stopped and answered. The young woman who checked us in met us in the entrance, followed us to the room, opened the door, gave us the key and.... Well time to rest.

22.22 Having evening beer in our cool, luxurious room and watching a soccer game between Syria and Kuwait. The game is shown on Syrian TV and Kuwait just scored on a free kick.

23.27 That Syrian TV-channel had some nice pause music. A brisk melody was played and they showed clips from different parts of the country. I wonder if we will see any of these places?

A street in Antakya. View from our hotel room.

Monday 18th of July

08.28 We just wrestled us out of our top sheets and blankets. Yes blankets were needed actually; it sure is an effective air conditioner here. It is time for a shower and removing of chin hair.

09.28 The mission mentioned above is accomplished. Next thing to do is to have breakfast. It is always exciting to see what they have to offer.

10.02 They don’t serve breakfast on the fourth floor. On the fourth floor is nothing offered. There was a construction site there. Breakfast was served on the first floor. A long buffet table with bread, marmalade, sausage, cheese, tomato, cucumber, melon, olives and feta cheese. To drink tea, coffee and juice. Afterwards came something white and bitter, something brown and spicy. We have no clue what this was. There were also other things offered but we didn't try that. Next brushing of teeth before we go out on the town to buy some bus tickets. By the way we´ve got neighbours from Kuwait here in the hotel.

12.24 Back in the room for a short stop. Tickets for Aleppo in Syria have been bought. They would, according to the guidebook, cost 12 lira a piece but we seem to have got them for 10 lira. We don’t complain. There were plenty of ticket offices to choose from, will we find back, as we are about to leave tomorrow? We also bought some crackers for the trip.

The two travellers photographed by the waiter at the restaurant "Antik Grand" in Antakya.

13.36 It is time for lunch at ”Antik Grand”, a fancy but cheap restaurant in the centre of Antakya. I have ordered Tepsi kebab and beer. Christer has chosen Pepsi and Iskender kebab. I wonder what Tepsi might be? Postcards and a new diary have been bought. Postcards to send and a new diary in case I write this one out.

The river Orontes in Antakya, lacking water at this time of the year.

15.32 Having a break by a table at "Sarmasik" in the Antakya Belediyesi Park. Sarmasik is a "tea garden" but we are drinking soda, writing postcards and look at some older gentlemen playing different games. My food was a large oven baked minced meat kebab filled with red peppers, delicious but most of all spicy. During lunch one of the waiters took a picture of us.

Peter just had a "Tepsi kebab", a bit spicy.

16.45 Back in our nice cool room. I bought one litre of soda. Tepsi makes a grown man thirsty. The post office was crowded with people but stamps could be bought in a separate queue less counter. The man in the reception first gave us the key to room 320. He then gave us the right key and asked us how many nights we planned to stay and if we wished to pay. We didn't want to pay since we´ve already had done that as we checked in. We thought that that was enough. Now it is time for a siesta before we return back outside.

The roundabout in central Antakya.

19.39 Back at Antik Han. We have ordered hummus to start with. The main course will be Döner kebab for Christer and Et Sote for me. I hope it isn’t as spicy as the lunch was. I might add that there is plenty of peppers in the food here in Antakya, according to our guidebook is it an influence from Syria just as the mint as a side dish.

21.14 That food wasn’t as spicy. It was worse. But it was tasty. Something that wasn’t tasty was the hummus, strange taste and consistence. After that we bought beverage for now and tomorrow and also washing powder. As I was paying Christer got to see a man in a small grey car hit three, in the road placed, cones. Some road workers that were gathering the cones applauded all this. Whether we want it or not it is now time to pack.

Tuesday 19th of July

07.58 Just had a shower and now I sit and watch pool diving from the World Championships in Montreal (on the TV that is). Soon we will have breakfast.

08.46 Recently by the breakfast table a new question was raised. How do women with an all-covering head cloth do as they eat? All you can see are the eyes. The reason this question was raised is due to our neighbours from Kuwait. It is time to leave this room and soon this country.

09.13 As we got to the bus station they were on us like flies on a lump of sugar, the bus hosts. We explained that we already had a ticket. As we got to HAS, our bus company’s office, I made a joke about a minibus that stood there. ”It´s this one which will take us to Syria”. Pretty soon a gentleman said ”Aleppo?” As we answered yes he took our backpacks and loaded them into that minibus. Another gentleman kept claiming that it wasn’t possible to exchange dollars in Syria. We should exchange with him instead.

09.31 Onboard the minibus. Here we go. It is a total of six persons in the bus. I hope it won´t be this warm all the way.

10.00 In the part of different jobs we´ve seen on this trip it´s now time to tell about the bus host. He tells you about the final destination, help you with the luggage and to find a seat, offers snacks, perfumed water and mineral water, arranges with a movie and also help people get off and gets their luggage. A man for everything

At the border. On our way out of Turkey for this time.

10.16 We have reached the Turkish boarder. Here there are plenty of vehicles. Let´s see now if we are allowed to travel out of the country.

10.35 Our trip continues with five people onboard. A guy took his sport bag and walked away in anger. We will leave Turkey, he might not?

10.46 At the Syrian border. Just filled in a blue card. There I wrote information about myself. This card plus the passport has been handed over to the passport police. Here goes. Did I write all that I am supposed to do and did I do it right?

SYRIA

11.02 There was a small problem with the passport police. The problem consisted of the fact that the valid dates in the passport stands from left to right, 17 07 2005 – 16 01 2006. The passport police read, as Arabs do, from right to left. This leading to his expression "visa finished”. Christer explained and the police knocked on his head.

11.15 Immediately after the border it was time to fill with petrol. Our driver wanted to take advantage of the lower prices here. Everywhere you can see portraits of the dead president Assad and his succeeding alive son.

12.11 We got to Zahert Al-Rabin, "The spring flower hostel" in Aleppo. But the small brochure we got claims that the hostel is called “The Spering Flower”. More can be read about it at www.Springflowerhostel.4t.com. It is time to get up to the room. At the Karnak bus station a man kept claiming that we should go by taxi. He even phoned his friend and handed us the cell phone. The friend said something in Arabic and we returned the phone and walked away in haste.

Our little place in Aleppo.

12.32 In our new room, that is room 308. Our Turkish money has been exchanged by the owner/receptionist Usama. Now it is time to prepare for a walk in our new hometown. Usama differs from his namesake bin Laden; instead it is a young man that speaks perfect English.

12.56 I am back after a new visit to the reception. The dollars I had exchanged were exchanged according to the rate of Turkish money instead of the rate for dollars. In other words 35 pound instead of 51.75 pound. First I was helped by Usamas right hand Sharif. He counted and pointed at Usamas chair saying, ”cheated you”. Then came Usama down the stairs and Sharif left the reception and told Usama what was wrong. Everything was solved by Usama and here I am richer than before.

View towards one of the less beautiful streets in Aleppo.

15.56 Had a shower and relaxed. Soon it is time to head out in the town´s swarm. The most dramatic so far is the fact that Christer’s on Cyprus bought bottle of Raki has shown a tendency to leak. That matter was solved with duck tape.

16.28 On a new terrace. This one above (where terraces usually are) our room. We have ordered tea and coffee. Out there calls to prayer can be heard. In here we found Usamas girlfriend, a German lady who sits and studies Arabic.

17.41 We are resting in park after walking the neighbourhood. Here we found several stores selling tires, to be precise it is a whole part of the town with people selling tires. In another area all they sell is spices. Wouldn’t it be easier with different stores in all areas? We are now planning the evening the day to come.

18.03 We decided to leave the park. The reason for this was the fact that a man passed with a gun stuck in his trousers. He didn't look too criminal so I guess he just was a police or something. We went to a small store and bought 2,25 litres beverage each. The guy in the store asked me ”one or two”. I thought he meant me and said one. It turned out that the question was to both of us and concerned the amount of bottles. Here the streets are crowded. Cars and people everywhere, minor suicide missions to cross the street. On top of that the cars doesn´t slow down, instead they speed up to scare away the pedestrians.

19.51 At the restaurant Al Andalib not that far from our hostel. We ordered lamb shish kebab. The appetizers just arrived. The waiter has spots all over him. Might be some pigment decease.

The beautiful clock tower and the beastly traffic in Aleppo.

20.44 Home again after a delicious dinner. First salad, hummus (yuck), baba ghanoug (puree of grilled aubergine, tahini and olive oil), cucumber in yoghurt. The main dish four spit of minced lamb meat, salad and bread. I drank Al Chark, the local beer and Christer drank Ugarit Cola. It was tasty and really satisfying. Now it is time for some rest before we get up on the terrace.

22.39 We´ve been up on the terrace for some tea and Turkish coffee. First I ordered Nescafe (instant coffee), that will take 10 minutes said the guy in the bar. Then came the final notice, they don’t have any instant coffee. Something else they doesn’t have is change so we will pay for this at breakfast tomorrow. I went for a little stroll on the town after the coffee. I wanted to buy some more Syrian beer to have before bedtime and went to two different liquor stores. Different stores, different answers/ways of getting treated. – Don’t have them, said the first one, bitterly. – I am sorry we are out of them, will not come back, was the reply of the other older gentleman.
We haven’t seen many tourists in Aleppo, but inside the hostel we´ve seen them, Czechs, Americans, German, Brits and others. The ones with the smallest wallets sleep in sleeping bags up on the terrace. We decided that we deserved a room instead.

Wednesday 20th of July

08.09 Woke up for a little while. Sounds can he heard from the terrace, our room has a small window facing the stares up to the terrace. Sounds can also be heard from the street. It feels way too early to get up for breakfast. The mattresses are made out of foam rubber, not bad. Bad is the fact that the pillow seems to be made in the same material. 5-6 cm thick, compact. well.. some fluids and more rest.

10.24 I slept on until nine o clock. Carried on with a shower. The shower is a story of its own. It is situated in the ceiling of the bathroom causing everything to get wet as you shower, sink, toilet, walls, you name it! We just went to have some breakfast just to get the message ”finished!” They had apparently stopped serving breakfast at nine. It is strange that a place that has people isn’t able to serve some bread, drinks, cheese and yoghurt. The debt from yesterday has been placed on our bill. Now we are planning today’s activities. We read about a place in this town where the owners recite Oscar Wilde.

The Citadel in Aleppo.

13.08 Home again. We´ve been and looked at the Grand Mosque with its minaret from 1090. A little later we got invited to a store called ”Sebastian". We said that we first wanted to take some more pictures and then we´ll see what we do. We´ve also seen and taken pictures of the Citadel. On the way back we once again were invited to ”Sebastian”. After some sweet-talking we decided to follow them into a cool, quiet store. We were offered and served tea with cinnamon flavour. It was tasty. During the tea drinking a bookshelf swung open and out came yet a man. I wonder if it was a door to a secret room and was offered to come upstairs. The road lead up through the secret door. Up there were carpets of all colours, sizes and origins. One of the guys talked high and mighty about carpets but we didn't buy anyone. They mentioned that the authorities didn't know of their business upstairs. On our way out we saw a poster of Oscar Wilde. We had been to the very store that we read about. We walked through the souq (the bazaar area) but didn't buy anything. It was crowded in that area. We had to step aside for cars and others stuff. Before we got home we bought more soda. To cross a street is as mentioned a suicide mission. You have to look way ahead to see a possible spot in good time for your next step. To cross a four way street is like playing chess. He who thinks that cars remain in the lane they will be surprised. A change of a couple of lanes is made swiftly. With us up on the room we have brought the bus tickets we bought from Usama before we went out on the town.

As you can see there are plenty of yellow taxis in Syria.

15.13 Back on terrace after writing postcards. It is hot out there, +36. I have no clue what happens next.

15.56 Sitting having beer in a place with the imaginative name "Beer Garden". We just ordered a beer each. I hope it is Syrian beer. To find a place that serves alcohol is hard.

Christer enjoying Syrian beer in a cosy "beer garden" in Aleppo.

16.08 Sitting drinking our beer. They come in 62 centilitres bottles, has strength of 3.5% and no peculiar flavour. But it sure takes care of the thirst. It is peaceful here. A fountain squirts and murmurs by our table.

17.08 Back in 308. Bought more soda, Spiral orange and Almaza a Lebanese non-alcoholic malt beverage. I also bought a large croissant and a small piece of chocolate. Cost for all this 50 pound ($ 1).

18.42 Just had a shower and an afternoon snooze. It is about to go out for supper.

The Armenian family that our new friend (and king Carl Gustaf´s?) invited us to.

19.28 We went out for supper. First we met a man who called himself Michael. He collected coins and also wanted to show us a great restaurant. After this we kept strolling down the pedestrian street and saw a man lying on a stretcher. We turned away from the street and soon we were caught by another man. This thin-haired fellow knew a little about Sweden and asked us to say hello to his old “friend” king Carl Gustaf and his wife. He took us for a trip down the allies and suddenly we stepped into a yard. There lived an Armenian family that our guide wanted us to take pictures of. After that he showed us an Armenian church and just like that we stood outside a (Armenian?) restaurant, Kan Za Man. We said bye to our guide and went upstairs in a glass lift. We were led to a table and ordered by adding numbers before the dishes in the menu. How will we find our way home?

The excellent dinner was disturbed by the fact that we had no idea how we had got to the restaurant or how we should find our way home.

20.27 I just finished my coffee, espresso this time. As the waiter came with the coffee he looked at my empty plate and asked, ”finished?” This word has begun to haunt us! Next follows payment and getting home. On my tankard it says ”assilla”. I wonder what that might be?

21.07 It was quite easy to get home. We´ve also been and settled the bill. The room cost us 450 pound for two nights and one person. It gives a cost of around $ 4 per night. The bus ticket to Damascus costs 160 pounds, around $3 for 5 hours ride.

22.00 There are ants in our room. There are ants on the floor and in Christer’s bed. There are ants defying the wind from the fan. There are ants biting Christer. There are ants being sprayed with deodorant by Christer.