NOVEMBER
2002 FROM PETRA, JORDAN
Photo Galleries of: Syria,
Palmyra,
Jordan &
Petra
Dear friends,
I am writing
to you from rainy Petra. Finally I have a moment to tell you about
the trip to Iraq in a bit more detail, as it has been a hectic itinerary.
My mind is still boggled trying to reconcile the pre-conceived ideas
I head about Iraq and what I actually saw, perceived and experienced.
The trip
was wonderful and in spite of a crazy schedule, was actually quite
relaxing, as we were oblivious to the relentless media onslaught regarding
Iraq we are used to at home. Mahmood is aside from my friend Benno,
the best tour leader I have encountered. In his quiet and unassuming
ways he ensured that everything went smoothly and without incident.
At times I wish I could be like him - a class act. The group of people
I had the pleasure to travel
with was an interesting mix of travellers, who came to the country
with open minds and eyes and very interesting discussions came about.
I guess due to the nature of the historical moment this tour was bound
to attract fascinating people, from artists to heart specialists,
all sharing a passion for travel.
Now to
some snippets of what I remember the most:
- The
children in a village near the site of Hatra who came to greet us
and insisted to have their pictures taken, carefree with a smile
and not asking for pens, chocolates, bonbons or money. It was refreshing.
The villagers (on a number of occasions) invited us to their houses,
so we could see how they live. All done with the traditional welcome,
so characteristic of the Middle East.
- Most
people on the streets, in the souqs and in the villages, upon finding
out that we were from USA & Canada said welcome and greeted
us with open arms. We did NOT encounter even the slightest hint
of hostility throughout. That even goes for customs and other, usually
unpleasant authorities. As a matter of fact upon leaving Iraq, on
the Syrian border, we were just leaving the customs house, when
a tray with fresh tea arrived for the inspectors. I remarked "Ah
chai" with a smile. About a minute after that the chief inspector
called me back to the customs house and had me drink a cup of tea.
That was my last and lasting impression of Iraq.
- I feel
that having been to the most important sites in Mesopotamia
has somewhat completed my collection of pictures of antiquity. Ur,
Babylon, Hatra, Nineveh and Nimrud were places I read so much about
in my youth and to see them was wonderful. The archaeological sites
were both impressive and well maintained. At some sites, however
the place has been reconstructed recently and rather than being
a pile of rubble you actually get and idea of what it might have
been. I do however have a bit of mixed feelings about this, as this
reconstructions at times do not possess the magic of the old stones.
- The
road infrastructure in Iraq was actually excellent, aside from the
aggressive driving, so typical of the region. Nothing, however beats
the horrible monsters behind the wheel in Tehran, where the most
likely way to get killed here is not by terrorism, hijacking or
robbery, all you need to die is easily achieved by crossing the
street.
- We
went to many holy sites for the Shiia Muslims, as the majority of
the shrines are actually in Iraq and not Iran (Kerbala, Najaf, etc.,
etc.) so many in fact, that I developed a certain degree of mosquephobia),
however I hope that the pictures will be wonderful, as I do love
Islamic architecture, with all of its exquisite details. I did however
gain a better insight into the history of Islam (mostly thanks to
Mahmood who explained it in terms, which were both simple and easy
to comprehend). After the shock of seeing the self-flagellating
individuals in Mashhad, I feel it was necessary. It is too bad that
so many people take religion as a path of rites and rituals, rather
than a path to betterment and spiritual enlightenment. That so much
mayhem and destruction is committed in the name of God (who in reality
ought to be an ideal of love and peace).
- The
No-fly Zones: The United Nations has established two No-fly zones
over Iraq. This is completely untrue, as we were pestered by flies
in both Basra in the South and in Mosul in the North. What came
all the time to mind, given the current situation is the movie "Wag
the dog".
- Every
where we went the threat of war was not apparent, not in the bazaar,
not in the faces of the people, nothing. Zip. Zilch. It was like
visiting another planet. The
image of Saddam Hussein was on all public buildings and some squares,
but not everywhere, unlike in Syria where the image of Hafiz Assad
(and now his son) are posted literally everywhere you care to look.
It is a miracle that the Triumphal Arch and colonnade in Palmyra
did not carry their images.
Syria
this time was bit of a disappointment. In the three years since I
last was there, tremendous changes have occurred. The bazaar in Damascus
is cleaner, but now filled with cheap merchandise from China and trashy
toys and clothes. Quite a bit of the magic is gone. Also the city
is now plastered with publicity for mobile phones, etc. It killed
quite a bit of the magic the place had before and the traditional
hospitality has given way to shoddy services and attitudes.
On the
other hand Palmyra
was magnificent. The moment I went was just after the worst downpour
they had had in more that 20 years, and the stones glistened in the
red light of sunrise. I feel that I definitely have improved upon
those images.
Amman
is just what I expected it to be, quite a commercial city with little
of interest, with the exception, perhaps of seeing Mac Donald's written
in Arabic. Yesterday I went to see the magnificent mosaics of Madaba
a, Mt. Nebo (where Moses came to die) and went to the Dead Sea, which
is amazing as always. The hotel I am staying in Petra
is empty, me being the only guest, a situation Charles and I experienced
in India & Nepal last year. |
