Transport with a splash of color

Most trips overseas for the intrepid traveler involve overland travel.  There’s sometimes unavoidable on small islands in the Philippines and the desert expanses of the Middle East.  The road offers adventure, perspective to a new place and experiencing the local color. Some of us have quickly found that schedules in most places do not goContinue reading “Transport with a splash of color”

The best surprises found in Souks, Bazaars and Medinas across the Middle East and beyond

Much of what was the Persian Empire in the BC days were the bazaars which still remain to be the center of commerce in modern times in cities from Istanbul down to Yazd in southern Iran, and from Marrakesh to Xi’an. Long dark covered alleyways with packed stalls staffed with smiling merchants waiting to makeContinue reading “The best surprises found in Souks, Bazaars and Medinas across the Middle East and beyond”

Ancient Eastern Crossroads of Apamea Syria

Driving up to Apamea after visiting the ruins of the other great cities of the area Al Basa and Sejilla while I was staying in Hama, Syria.  This city was the center of it all at one point in time.  The former village of Pharnake was renamed Apamea by the newly appointed and former Roman general to Alexander I kingContinue reading “Ancient Eastern Crossroads of Apamea Syria”

The Howls of the Rebel River in Hama Syria

The highlight of the city of Hama is by no doubt the norias or “wheels of pots”.  Seventeen now remain standing and occasionally running above the Nahr al-Assi, aka Rebel River.   Many know it as being the Orontes River.  It’s presently the job of the office of Antiquities in Hama to make sure that theseContinue reading “The Howls of the Rebel River in Hama Syria”

The quiet town of Palmyra

The bus rolled into Tadmor, or as most know it as Palmyra, a little over 3 hours after it left the Harasta Pullman terminal in Damascus. Taking local buses is always fun and tricky if you don’t speak or understand the native language. The final destination wasn’t Palmyra and even if it was the busContinue reading “The quiet town of Palmyra”

Hama and it’s great Beehives

We were at a crossroads in Syria and needed to figure out whether the next stop should be the ancient city of Hama aka Hamah (Epiphania) or Homs aka Hims, Syria?    We then turned to the help of the internet.  We checked out some somewhat reliable travel forums, did some quick Google searches, read a little  and decidedContinue reading “Hama and it’s great Beehives”

She’s traveling to the Middle East

What a girl packs away in her travel bag will all depend on where she’s planning to go.  This case is the Middle East.   This being said, taking great care in how you dress and act while visiting. What a woman traveler wears and how she behaves will show how locals in turn treatContinue reading “She’s traveling to the Middle East”