::Title: Mideast Trip Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel November 2000
::Author: Steve Engelhardt, steven_t_engelhardt
::
Lebanon / Syria / Jordan Israel trip 2000
November 9: Thursday: Mpls - Amsterdam
I leave Mpls at 9PM on a full NWA 747 headed for Amsterdam. We arraive
at 12:30 PM local time
November 10: Friday: Amsterdam - Beruit
In Amsterdam I took the train downtown and it was raining so I walked
around in the rain for a couple of hours not seeing anything. I then
got back on the train for the airport, unfortunately it was the wrong train
I really dont know where I ended up, but I took the train back into town
and then to Schipol. I had plenty of time fortunately and I caught
my airbus for Beruit. We arraive at 12:30AM
Beruit Lebanon
Beiteddin , Imir's Palace Lebanon
November 11: Saturday Beruit
After getting my bags I made my way to the hotel via taxi
they have a scam and it cost $30 for 5k trip. I am staying
at the Hotel Regis it is a dive but in a good location.
There is no problem finding a room during my entire trip.
I catch some sleep and in the morning I stop at the nearby
Hotel Palm Beach a French Hotel and I arrange a tour for the day.
It is the Beruit, Deir el Kamar & Beiteddin tour. After making
the arrangements I walk along the coast. At 10:30 they pick me up
for the tour. We head toward the coastal highway and on the way we pass a
Hezbollah camp where people are encourge to donate toward the cause.
We pass the Airport and South Beruit a Hezbolla area. Later we head inland
(eastward) through some mountain areas until we reach the Imir Palace
and current Presidential retreat. After touring the complex we stop in
the small town of Deir el Kamar a typical Lebanese town. After my return
I ate at Mcdonalds and stopped at the HardRock Cafe.
Ruins at Ajar
Baalbeck Roman Ruins
November 12: Sunday: Beruit - Baalbeck
At 7:45 they picked me up for a full day tour. We head east
out of Beruit, we pass areas with much damage and others with very
little. We pass a monument designed by a Frenchman, it is an
a collased apartment building with tanks and guns sticking out.
We pass a power station that was bombed 8 months ago. We pass
through several Lebanese and Syrian checkpoints. We first stop at
Anjar a Ancient Phoenician city very close to the Syrian border
There are a lot of ruins here, all restoration work stopped in 1975
when the civil war started and has not yet resumed. We then continue
on towards Ballbeck, we pass migrant farm workers from Syria.
There are 1.5 million Syrians in Lebanon and the ones we saw lived
in tents. The Beqaa valley is the bread basket of Lebanon and
perhaps the whole middle east. In the north end of the valley
is Baalbeck and the ancient Roman Ruins there. It is a massive
complex with the temples of Venus, Jupiter, and Bacchus.
Tyre, Southern Lebanon
November 13: Monday: Beruit - Southern Lebanon
This morning we head south again for Southern Lebanon.
We are on the coastal highway. All of my tours are in French and
English, unfortunately all the other tourist are french so
there is very little english. We first stop at Sidon the site
of a Crusaders Sea fort and we also visit the bazzar.
Next onto Tyre and we visit 2 sites there one inland and one
on the coast. The site inland had a race track for chariot
races (Hippodome). We had a good lunch at a local restarant
we they serverd baracuda. We stop at Echmoun on the way back
a very old Phoenician site.
East Beruit War Damage
November 14: Tuesday: Beruit - Damascus Syria
This morning I leave for Damascus, I take a beatup taxi
to the Bus station and for $5 I take a Bus to Damascus
The border guards on the Syrian side take there time with
forigners but they eventually stamp my passport. I make it
to Damascus and an Australian lady recommended the Hotel Sultan
so I stay there, it is pleasant place. I visit the old city
with its many shops and I visit the Umayyad Mosque.
Palmyra Syria, Temple of Bel
November 15: Wendsday: Damascus - Palmyra
I take a bus to Palmyra For $3 and 2 hours. I check into
a newer hotel the Ishtar Hotel for $15 a nite. After lunch
I hire a local guide and a 1950 Chev and we tour
the funeral pyiers first and then the Temple of Bel
We later went up to the Arab fort up on the side of the mountain
for a good view of the site. Next we went looking for Bedoin
Nomads who live in the desert. We found a family and visited for
a while and saw their sheep.
Old Damascus
November 16: Thursday: Palmyra - Damascus
At 10:14 I catch a Karnak bas for Damascus, it cost $2
I return to the Sultan Hotel. I visit Old Damascus again.
Amman, Jordan
November 17 : Friday: Damascus - Amman Jordan
I catch a service taxi for Amman Jordan, I am riding with the Syrian
Karate team headed for a contest in Amman. It takes 3 hours
and there is lot of waiting at the border, I buy a visa for 10 Dinars
or $14. I check into the Canary Hotel in Amman and I walk down
town and visit the city and have dinner.
DeadSea, Jordan
November 18: Saturday: Amman - Dead Sea
This morning I start my trip to the Dead Sea, first I take a Taxi
to a bus station and then I take a mini-bus to a small town and
then I take the local bus that stops at every driveway bus. We desended
quite a ways leaving Amman and it took quite a while until
we reached the Dead Sea Rest House where you can rent a locker
a shower and a towel. Yes the Dead Sea is very slimey, it
is over 30% mineral. And yes I can float. We are about 1300ft
below sea level but my GPS will not register it? It is about 70F
today so it is pleasent, we are told it can get very hot in the summer
well over 100F. I return to the hotel the same way I came first
spending 45min on bumpy roads.
Western Wall, Jerusalem
Church of Holy Sepulchar, Jerusalem
November 19: Sunday: Ammman Jordan - Jerusalem Israel
I take a service taxi to the border traveling the same roads
as yesterday. I go through Jordanian Customs and then a short
bus ride to the Israel side. I convince them not to stamp
my passport because I have a Syrian Visa. I then take a service
taxi to Jerusalem. There I wonder the narrow streets with
desperate merchants trying to sell me there things. I visit
the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchar. However
the Dome of the rock is closed to non-muslems for now.
I deceided on staying overnight so I check into the New
Swedish Hotel. It is a hole in a rock but it will do.
I venture out for dinner to find everything closed, the whole
place has been taken over by stray cats.
Petra
November 20: Monday: Jerusalem - Amman - Petra
I take a service taxi back to the border and back into
Jordan. I take another service taxi back to Amman where
I pickup the rest of my gear at the Canary Hotel. I then
take a taxi to a bus station where I catch a mini-bus for
Petra. I am in the back of the bus with some locals from
Wabi-Mousa we have a good time. In Wabi-Mousa I stay in
the Valley Stars hotel.
Petra, The treasury
Petra, The monastery
November 21: Tuesday: Petra
In the morning I am given a lift to the entrance to Petra.
A one day pass cost 20 dinar. It is a long walk into petra
and is goes down and on forever. There are a few things
to see on the way down and you reach an area called the Sig.
It is a very narrow way that winds forever downward. Eventually
before you is the building called the Treasary. It is the
most well known of all the buildings or should I say sculpures
since they are carved out of rock. I spend the whole day visiting
the sights including taking a trail to the place of high sacrifice.
There are just an incrediable amount of temples, houses ect.
I walk all the way to the Monastary a grueling walk and then
I have to walk all the way back to the entrance. I catch a taxi
back to my hotel.
Wabi Rum
Wabi Rum
November 22: Wednesday: Petra - Wabi-Rum - Aquaba
Early in the morning I catch a mini-bus for Wabi-Rum.
There I hire a local and a jeep for 2 hours and we ride
into the desert. This is the most incrediable Desert -
Mountain Scenery I have every seen. We visit many places
before returning to Goverment House. There I wait for a bus
to Acuaba. A taxi driver going that way offers to take
me there for 10 Dinar so I accept. I takes a couple of hours
and I check into the Red Sea hotel which is listed as one
of the cheaper hotels but it is just fine. I visit the town
and walk down to the beach. I take a glass bottom boat tour
of the Read Sea.
Aquaba Jordan , View of Israel across Sea
November 23: Thursday: Aquaba - Amman
At 6:30 AM I go to the Jett Bus terminal and I catch the 7:00 AM
bus for Amman. It is a double decker bus and I am sitting up
front on the second deck above the driver. During my whole
trip I haven treated very well by everyone and been given
choice seats and helpfull attention. During this trip
I have not seen any other Americans and to everyone it is
novelty to see a real American. Back on the bus we have a stewardist
and a galley / bathrooms. It is lovely drive back to Amman.
I return to the Canary Hotel and negociate 1/2 rate until 9:30 PM
when I leave for the airport. I vistit downtown once more.
The bus leaves at 10:00PM for the airport and takes 40 Min
to get there. My flight does not leave until 2 AM so I have a
couple of hours to kill.
November 24: Friday: Amman Jordan - Minneapolis
At 2 AM my flight leaves for Amsterdam and it will take 5 Hours.
I reach Amsterdam at 6:30AM and I then camp out upstairs where
they have a very nice area with soft large chairs.
As I have said I have been treated very well by everyone on
this trip, more then I would have thought concidering how
American policy is viewed as being slanted toward Israel.
I have a direct flight to Minneapolis and home.