Note: please see updated pics from last 3 posts including video from "Welcome to Syria" postSo we bid goodbye to Syria yesterday and have arrived safely in Jordan. We had an uneventful boarder crossing but for some reason the process still takes a couple of hours. Amman is our current location and we are strategizing for the next week or so. While Amman is no Damascus it is still a nice city. It has a few cool arch sites including a large theatre and citidal. We did see what appeared to be slum-like housing on the outskirts of town which we read may be Iraq and/or Palastine refugee camps. Our intial take of the city and Jordan in general is much the same of Syria, but much smaller. The country is smaller and the cities our smaller which which is fine. Everybody we have met has been nice and helpful. Are intial plan is to rent car for a few days, exploring some of the more rural desert castles to the east, and then take a tour south in the direction of our ultimate destination, Petra.
A few departing thoughts on Syria… While we have been raving about it, the single greatest downfall was their environmental practices. We read that Syria has the worst environmental record in the Middle East, making them one of the worst in the world. The most ‘surface level’ evidence of this is the profuse levels of trash and waste is strewn about the landscape, alleys and near any traveled road surface (city centers seem to be cleaned regulary). Often the nearest receptacle is over the nearest wall or in the nearest depression which serves as a temporary landfill. Temporary only in that for longterm disposal, the trash is simply ignited and burned. This waste is further enhanced with large area of blackened soil stained by used motor oil. Often the oil has standing puddles associated with them. It is sickening sight. This is the evidence of the environmental stewardship of the average Syrian. This further supports the theory that in order to provide better enivronmental protection on a global level and the we must first address the global poverty issue. It makes the US argument that we ‘can’t afford’ greener policies and more stringent environmental protection sound pretty feable.
Otherwise things are going pretty well. Chandra stomach is a little funky and she has bouts of not feeling 100% but for the most part we are happy and healthy. We did admitably have our first day of traveller fatagiue two days ago. We have been going hard and long everyday and we hit a wall (we also went 36 hours without good protien). Travel of this nature can be exhausting and demanding and can take a toll. It is not always all fun and games. We are just very happy and thankful that we have had safe travels up to this point and we can continue on our journey. On less postive side note, we are very saddened by the tragic and unexpected lost of a former Crested Butte friend, Jack Hannon. We will be thinking of him and wish his family and friends the best during this difficult time. Even though we are halfway around the world, we are never far from those we care about and love. -CB
A few departing thoughts on Syria… While we have been raving about it, the single greatest downfall was their environmental practices. We read that Syria has the worst environmental record in the Middle East, making them one of the worst in the world. The most ‘surface level’ evidence of this is the profuse levels of trash and waste is strewn about the landscape, alleys and near any traveled road surface (city centers seem to be cleaned regulary). Often the nearest receptacle is over the nearest wall or in the nearest depression which serves as a temporary landfill. Temporary only in that for longterm disposal, the trash is simply ignited and burned. This waste is further enhanced with large area of blackened soil stained by used motor oil. Often the oil has standing puddles associated with them. It is sickening sight. This is the evidence of the environmental stewardship of the average Syrian. This further supports the theory that in order to provide better enivronmental protection on a global level and the we must first address the global poverty issue. It makes the US argument that we ‘can’t afford’ greener policies and more stringent environmental protection sound pretty feable.
Otherwise things are going pretty well. Chandra stomach is a little funky and she has bouts of not feeling 100% but for the most part we are happy and healthy. We did admitably have our first day of traveller fatagiue two days ago. We have been going hard and long everyday and we hit a wall (we also went 36 hours without good protien). Travel of this nature can be exhausting and demanding and can take a toll. It is not always all fun and games. We are just very happy and thankful that we have had safe travels up to this point and we can continue on our journey. On less postive side note, we are very saddened by the tragic and unexpected lost of a former Crested Butte friend, Jack Hannon. We will be thinking of him and wish his family and friends the best during this difficult time. Even though we are halfway around the world, we are never far from those we care about and love. -CB
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