Cultural sensitivity and misgivings

(This blog is being posted by Lauren for Chris as blogger is blocked in Syria):

I’m not sure if it is just to mess with tourists and to get more money but I’ve noticed that there tends to be different bus stations in different parts of town depending on where you want to go. Now I know this probably makes a ton of logistical sense but they always seem to be on the exact opposite side of the city (meaning you can’t just walk there) and not easily serviced by public transit. Trying to get from one town to another is always a bit of adventure as you are never entirely sure that the bus you are getting on is going where you think, and having to change bus stations mid-route can make it downright stressful. You get dropped into a city you don’t know and have to try and navigate to the other side, most of the time without the use of a map because you don’t know where you were to begin with.

One of the upsides to this is it does mean that you talk to a lot of local people and when they can speak a little English you can wind up in some wonderful conversations. I think my most memorable one of this trip was with a young gay Syrian filmmaker. It was a very unique opportunity to speak with a very oppressed minority and to hear him express just how much he loves Syria but how he has to find a way to leave because of his sexual orientation. It was very moving. He cared very deeply about progressive politics but had seen too many friends go to prison and was scared of the same thing. It is not a conversation I will soon forget.

That same day I visited Palmyra, home of Syria’s largest ruins, some of which date back to 17 AD. Palmyra is located pretty much smack in the middle of the country at a desert oasis and the heat was just scorching when I arrived in the afternoon. Not to be denied seeing the ruins however I set out into the sun with lots of water and camera in tow. Upon reaching the ruins I was offered the chance to see them from atop a camel. Seeing that I’d never ridden a camel before, and it seemed liked a decent alternative to walking in the heat I set off into the mid-afternoon sun. I also had the very odd experience that night of sleep on the roof of my hotel in my tent.

Yesterday provided a new type of adventure, a rather hellish bus ride. Most of the bus rides I’ve taken so far have ranged from decent to tolerable, so I suppose it was time I got one that tested my resolve. The main problem was that the bus was full (which means some people were standing) and that the chair in front of me was broken so that whenever the person in front of me leaned back they basically wound up in my lap. Despite the best efforts of the guy in front on a 3-hour trip with a bus that full there was little he could do but sit like I was going to give him a scalp massage. This in and of itself wouldn’t have been the end of the world, but this particular bus seemed to take a page out of my South East Asia memories. Now, I have a lot of cultural sensitivity and am willing to be good spirited about a lot of things, but something that I just have not been able to understand is why on earth people would want to watch music videos on a bus for several hours at ear piercingly loud levels. Even with my hands plugging my ears I could make out every note being hit. It felt as if the music was entering my skull with a pitchfork and then trying to exit via my eyes.

After a very restful sleep and with the memory of the musical bludgeoning fading I set out this morning to visit the Krak des Chevaliers, what TE Lawrence called the ‘finest castles in the world’. Built around the 11^th century it served as a major castle stronghold during The Crusades. I really enjoyed walking around the castle and to be able to stroll down darkened passages without running into another tourist provided a sense of wonderment for the imagination. It was one of the few times on this trip that I could almost feel myself being transported back to another era and it was an excellent afternoon.