Syria will come as a surprise.  Originally I thought it like the curates egg – good in parts however to the people of Syria I apologise.  In truth it is a nation of charm where as you wander the streets of ancient Serjilla you may find yourself approached to debate the works of Hardy or Byron by earnest young people eager to make contact with the west for we are still few in number in these parts.

When it comes to practical matters in Syria it is rather like the Romanian Dacia cars and old Soviet jeeps that throng the streets which is to say they work but perhaps not always quite as one might expect.  I think it fair to say that Syria is for the traveller rather than the tourist for here you will not find beaches, night clubs or MacDonalds.  For those who wish to explore now is the time.  Mass tourism cannot be far off, come now and you may yet wander quietly in the footsteps of Romans, Crusaders, Saladin, Ottomans, Churchill and Lawrence (Of Arabia).

Many of you have travelled with me in Jordan and may expect Syria to be similar.  It is not for, while Jordan is a new Kingdom, Syria may claim to the cradle of civilization.  Damascus is believed by many to be the oldest continually  inhabityed city on earth:  Straight street, in the old quarter, is the only street mentioned in the Bible (Acts 9:11), the city museum houses the worlds oldest known alphabet and the worlds first recorded music notation.  At the Dura Europos synagogue there are stunning wall paintings almost 2,000 years old.  Though Syria is of course predominantly Muslim the population is about 15% Christian and all live in harmony.

Since 2000  President Bashar al-Assad has been slowly bringing about political reform.  A watershed in Syria’s political orientation was her alliance with the west in the First Gulf War.  Today Syria is encouraging tourism as a valuable source of income.  My view is that Syria, despite being blessed with a wealth of attractions, is  still in the early stages of gaining the confidence of western travellers.  This is likely to change as a result of the charm of her people and the welcome they extended.  In   addition I suspect the thaw in east/west relations will continue as Syria looks west and the American administration softens its attitude.  In fact one can envisage a time when due to her close proximity to Europe and unrivalled historical sites she will become rather like the currant fashionable destination that the world has recently “discovered” – Macha Pichu!  For us there is still time to explore Syria without the usual press of tourists.