Warm Middle East

Maybe if I work back, it'll be easier! The Middle East has been such a cacophony of sound and experience. But I'm finding it a challenge to write with both respect to the countries which have so warmly hosted us in many unexpected ways, and honesty to catch the true flavour of our time there. Yet our passing through only gives a glimpse of places which are so rich with age-old traditions and history over-flowing from every street corner. Apart from the ubiquitous mobile phone, on the surface, it seems the 20th centaury has failed to make a dent.
The other night we looked up a lake outside Tarsus and ended up staying on the land of a gentleman called Mr. Turkmen. I safely mention his name as we subsequently found out the whole village is by name of Turkmen. We based at the top overlooking a large lake on a piece of scrub ground and frequently were visited by curious on-lookers bearing gifts of bread, eggs, melon, tomatoes, parsley, cucumbers and lots of fresh figs. We tried to return some of the hospitality but I'm not sure if they liked our lentil curry! On the other hand Asher's chocolate cake made on an open fire was well received.
Cappadocia was a highlight in its own right, as it has a surreal sandstone landscape where numerous caves and underground cities carved out. We took a tour - it would have been impossible on our own - the caves are like swiss cheese, small rooms with tunnels leading in every direction leading off to a maze of other tunnels or shafts with foot-holes cut on either side where you straddle up to the next layer. Health and Safety non-existent as for lighting - and just great for our family as you can imagine. In Cappadocia at a lovely camp site, we met our first of the tourists and find them to be a strange breed, quite different from the 'travellers' we've met. I guess been labelled as a 'British tourist' doesn't help - and we'll do our best to avoid high concentrations of tourists as we get back to UK! Don't know if we'll succeed.
Ajay loved Syria and found the people warm and friendly and the historical towns all amazing. We stayed where it is one of the few places left where Aramaic is spoken. We called into an old monastery, and alongside a tour group from Iran (women had beautiful open faces) we listened to the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic, which I found moving. We spent time in the beautiful city of Damascus and the Lost City of Palmyra. As a woman, the Middle East was hard - and now, finally I've learnt to avoid eye contact with anyone passing by and so not to rise to the invitation/challenge at their eye contact. But that has been a difficult lesson. On the boat over from Sudan to Saudi Arabia I would happily have had a stand-up verbal with all 400 men on how rude their staring comes across as. Fortunately we were able to take refuge in the cool children and woman's room, with the other dozen women. In some countries, as Eden noted, woman appear to move about as floating ninjas. In Syria, the women's eyes and lips were visible, but frankly they didn't seem that happy, as compared to the Iranian woman. So I jumped alternate countries, from Sudan to Jordan to Turkey in being able to relate to Jo Public. The other countries mint I could only relate to Ajay and the kids, or specific needs, which left a strange feeling of being undermined or ignored. However, as the kids could tell you, there were times when I happily felt like scratching eyes out and felt very unstable in how I would react - a simmering volcano. Oh - forget the sun tan in these countries - arms, elbows and legs nicely packed out of sight!
Our first night gave us insight to another side of Syria. After a long border crossing we arrived in Damascus around 4pm - but seriously, there was no parking at the budget or mid-range hotels. The Sheraton price was out of the question, so we ventured outside the city and found a little used mountain side with a rough path just overlooking the city and set-up. It was late by this time, around 10pm. But just as the kids had fallen to sleep, we got visitors and found that we had happened onto military land. Oh my goodness - they wanted to know all our contacts and 'friends' in the area suspecting our kids as a cover-up for something more sinister of which I dare not write here. Who knows? So 4am we finally re-entered Damascus, found some parking - with hotel, and lay down for the remaining few hours of that night. After that experience, it seemed to us that all of Syria was used for purposes other than rural agriculture and 'normal' land use ... In fact, I have an amazing picture of a huge sign in the main suq in Damascus old town thanking a specific neighbouring country for their marters.
Asher made me a little book and in it I've been compiling lists! Lists of fruits that we've seen, places that we've stayed at all the way from Cape Town, dates and countries that we've seen etc. Quite interesting! In Turkey we've done some bush camping always seeking permission, but it depends on what is available or acceptable in a country. Some countries don't have camp sites. For various reasons bush camping doesn't always work but it's usually on transit, rarely more than a day because we get too hot and sticky.
Jordan remains the all time favourite country, as in me and Ajay. The hospitality was beyond anything I've ever experienced. Even locals that picnic in the park next to each other will share token food with each other - it's really ingrained and a rich country for it. I think I mentioned some of the great times we had, but not only Jordan. The other Middle Eastern countries have all had their wonderful generous people. Lots of family groups, lots of groups of men. Many villages have no women to be seen. In Turkey we've continued to meet lovely kind families as they've shared with us their simple but rich ways of living.
After this country we go to Greece, up the west coast through Albania, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy. I'm expecting that we'll be done on trip quite abruptly at some stage. Don't ask about the time - history will tell us clearly! If you've got this far, I know you want more pictures ... we lost a camera card. But we'll try and get some going.
Your turn to tell me your news! xx

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