I was planning to visit Syria already in spring 2008, when i wanted to combine it with my journey to Iran, but time available didn't allow this. So now 8 months later, in February 2009, when i wanted to go somewhere for a short one week trip outside of Europe, the decision where to go was pretty clear. Malev Hungarian Airlines had a special winter offer for flights to Damascus, so i applied for Syrian visa, which i got in only 2 days, paid the air ticket and 2 weeks later i was on the way towards the Middle East.

Countries visited: Syria
Travelperiod: 2/2009
Total costs: 260 Euro (air ticket) + 150 Euro (in Syria) + 700 CZK (syrian visa)

I managed to leave my office a little bit earlier, so without hurry i'm getting to the Prague airport and at 8 o'clock we are departing. My flight from Prague to Damascus was not direct, so after one hour in the air we are landing in Budapest, where i'm having a 2 hours long stopover. The airport in Budapest was nearly peopleless as there were only few flights to depart on that day and also the services were very limited in the Terminal 2B. Shortly after 23 o'clock we take off and the more than 3 hours long flight to the Middle East begins.

nearly peopleless Souq Hamidiya on friday morning

Ummayad Mosque by dusk

At half past 3 in the morning local time we are in Damascus. I did read about some bad experiences with long customs and passport controls on Damascus Airport, but it was not that bad. I started to fill out the immigration form and as i was nearly finished an officer came to me and said, that if i already have a visa, then it's not neccessary and that i can proceed to the passport control, which was pretty quick. They just checked my visa, asked me what's my occupation and which locations i'm about to visit in Syria. In the main hall was fortunately open a small exchange place with quite a good rate (nothing like the rip off exchange offices on the european airports) so i'm changing some USD and EUR to Syrian Pounds and can buy ticket for the bus going to downtown. I'm catching the one departing at 5 AM in 30 minutes i'm at the Baramkeh station, which is pretty close to the city centre.
I was very sleepy, just good to take a nap on a bench somewhere in a park, but still forced myself to walk around the peopleless streets. I headed to the historical Hidjaz railway station and the Old City, which pretty much impressed me. At 9 AM i'm trying if there would be chance to check-in at the Al Haramayn hotel, which was recommended on travel forums on the web, but i'm told, that they will have free single rooms only after 12 o'clock.

call for prayer in the Ummayad Mosque

Marjeh Square (Square of Martyrs)

So i headed to a park by the Four Seasons Hotel and took a nap on bench :-). At noon i'm back in the hotel and getting a small, but clean room in the ground floor. I took another 3 hours of sleep and then heading to the Old City again. There were significantly more people in the streets than in the morning. I spent more than an hour inside of the famous Ummayad Mosque, which is the main sight in Damascus and is one of the "big" mosques for Muslims. It was build in the beginning of the 8th century, has 3 minarets and a big courtyard. It's very recommendable to be here by dusk when the muezzins start to call for prayer. I did hear the adhan hundreds of times, but here it was, also thanks to the acoustics, the most impressive. On the way back to hotel i bought some fruit, ate some delicious salty pancakes and good mango juice.
Next day i woke a bit later, than i wanted and checked out only after 10 o'clock. I walked a bit around the Square of Martyrs and then started to look for minibus to the Harasta Bus Terminal from where i wanted to take a bus to Hamah, which lays some 230km to the north and from where one can visit some interesting sights. A random guy helped me to find to the correct bus to the terminal and another one helped me to buy ticket, so at 13 o'clock i'm leaving Damascus.
After few kilometres we start to climb slowly up to the mountains and after maybe half an hour ride i saw, that the cars going in the counter direction are snow-covered. As we got to higher altitude (roughly around 1000 metres) it really started to snow and at the highest point, which could have been some 1200 to 1300 metres high was laying good 15 centimetres of snow. As we descended towards the city of Homs, the snow disappeared again and only the mountains on the border with Lebanon, which were to see in the far, were snowcapped. It was quite interesting to see snow in places, where in summer the temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
It was a bit before 4 PM when the bus stopped on a terminal in Hamah. As usual, it was again somewhere on the outskirts, but as the city is not that big, i decided to walk to downtown.

snowfall in Syria... going by bus from Damascus to Hamah

wooden wheels (norias) in Hamah

Masyaf fortress

In the end i had to walk quite a long way as i made one wrong turn, but at least i saw 2 big norias (large ancient wooden wheels), which are outside of the city centre. Around 18 o'clock i finally got to the Riad Hotel, which offers a very good price-value accommodation. I got a very clean ensuite double bed room for 700 Syrian Pounds (roughly 12 Euro) a night. The hotel also offered transport to sights around Hamah, which was just perfect because some of them are hard to reach using buses. They had one more free place for next days tour to Masyaf Fortress and to the famous crusader castle Crac des Chevaliers. The price is 700 SYP, which i'm taking without long thinking. The planned evening walk to the wooden waterwheels didn't happen as it was raining quite a lot.
I woke up before 8 AM, took breakfast and a half an hour later we departed towards Crac des Chevaliers. Two French people, one Japanese girl and a guy from Argentina were going with me. But the driver wasn't very friendly. After one hour we reached the fortress of Masyaf, which was not bad, but the main target was the Crac. We made a 30 minutes long sight-seeing and then jumped back to our microbus and via a very zigzag mountain road (on the highest part, there was snow laying again) and with a stop at a Saint George Monastery we made to the Crac des Chevaliers. As first we reached a viewpoint above the castle and made some photos. Then the French and Japanese wanted to eat something, so we lost some time and the meanwhile the weather got worse. So we were entering the castle with black clouds flowing the sky and a light rain. What a pity. The entrance to the castle was 150 SYP. In the very beginning couple of "guides" will try to convince you to use their services, but don't do that. The best is to explore the castle only by yourself as you will have time to see various "hidden" rooms and corridors and will not be disturbed by the guide who will tell you walk here or there.

Crac des Chevaliers

Crac des Chevaliers - early Gothic

Especially don't miss the very upper part, as there one can see nice examples of early Gothic (the castle was built in 12th century). During my visit, it a heavy rain started, but on the other hand i was nearly alone there. After maybe 2 hours we all gathered again by the bus and drove back to Hamah. This time we didn't go over the mountains, but down to the highway, along the border with Lebanon to Homs and then back to the north to Hamah. In the evening it stopped to rain, so i took a walk along the lively streets and finally could see the norias by night, nicely enlightened. As i got back from to the hotel, the receptionist told me if i still want to go to Apamea and the Dead Cities on the next day (as i was asking for these already day before). I immediately took that, because Apamea is a ancient city and i was actually more interested to see this one, than the Crac des Chevaliers.
Next morning we again leave the hotel at 8:30. This time we go by car - 2 guys, one from Germany and one from Japan go with me. The driver is much better and friendlier than the one the day before. After some 1 hour drive through some small local roads we get up to the plateau where ruins of Apamea are standing (i've read that these are as old as 3rd century BC). Already the first view of the columns was astonishing.

ancient Apamea

Apamea - view towards the Central Column

Serjilla - dead city north of Hamah

view from Apamea towards fortified village and snowcapped Coastal Mountains

We are given 1 and half hour time to do the sightseeing. Except of us, there were only 2 other tourists. If this would stand in a country like Egypt, there would be at least 50 buses of western tourists and hundreds of touts offering some crappy souvenirs. Here were only 3 or 4 villagers who were offering me some ancient coins, which they reportedly found on the fields around. The whole column road is 1870 meters long, plus there are some ruins nearby, so the 1 and half hour was just ok. After Apamea we drive further to the north, nearly to the border with Turkey to see Serjilla and Al-Bara, two of the so called Dead Cities. Serjilla was much bigger and better than Al-Bara. It was founded in the 5th century AD and some of the houses (even 2 storey ones) still stand here nearly undamaged. It's also interesting, where these cities were build up. Quite high in the mountains, on a kind of a rocky plateau, where one can barely find some stream or river. Then we visited Al-Bara, which was interesting mainly because of pyramid-shapped houses, but as already said, Serjilla is more interesting to visit. On the way back we stopped yet in a mosaic museum, where one could see up to 100 sq meters large mosaics, predominantly from the 5th century AD. I spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in the streets of Hamah shopping and enjoying the atmosphere.
Next day i checked out from the hotel and walked to the bus station again from where i left at 10:30 to Damascus. The snow from 4 days before has already nearly melted away. After 2 and half hours long drive we are at the Harasta bus terminal. Together with one girl from Japan and guy from Korea we take a taxi to downtown to Square of the Martyrs. The leave to the hotel and i'm getting lost in the Old City. It was great to walk around the old narrow streets and enjoy the atmosphere. Later in the evening before i leave to the airport i decide to climb at least a bit up the Mount Qasioun which is nearly 1200 meters high and stands right above Damascus. I was nearly shocked, because as i got below the mountain, the picture i saw anywhere else in the city was different here - luxury western shops, KFC Restaurant, nearly everything written also in English, no garbage on the streets, traffic lamps on almost every crossroad etc. The streets were getting steeper and steeper, but the view was getting better and better. I did stop maybe in a half way of the climb and was enjoying the view. The large Ummayad Mosque was easily recognizable. I took some photos and walked back to downtown and from there to the bus station. At 11 PM i'm taking a bus to the airport and starting to wait for my flight to Budapest.

in lanes of the Old Damascus

mosque in the Old City

Ummayad Mosque seen from Mount Qasioun

The airport was undergoing some reconstruction, but it was not that bad. At 1 PM they opened the check in, so i'm starting to wait the queue. After check-in, everybody has to pay so called departure tax, which is high even by european standards - 1500 SYP, which is a bit more than 25 Euro. After paying i got thru the passport control, which was again pretty quick, and headed to the shopping area, where i wanted to spend my last Syrian Pounds. But everything was extremely overpriced there - f.e. can of Coke costs more than 4 Euro. Before 4 AM we start boarding and at 4:15 follows the take off.
It was a short trip, but i was satisfied. Syria is definitely worth visiting - you will hardly find a country, which on less than 200 000 sq km would have so many sights and interesting places to visit.
In Budapest i again had a nearly 2 hour long stopover and then finally the short flight to Prague with nearly empty Boeing 737-800.