Random Terminal Thoughts and Impressions

Just a few random thoughts and impressions from the trip :

• Snow in the Chauff mountains and the hostel in which we stayed (Australia)
• Byblos's town & harbour's character & atmosphere
• Street food : fresh & tasty - a round pitta bread (warm from the cooking stone) filled with meat carved straight off the kebab, a bit of salad and some chips rolled and folded into an overgrown sausage roll with mayonnaise or gravy oozing from the bottom.  All for 20p each - especially good with orange juice squeezed as you watch.
• As ever, the joy of sitting and watching the population flow past. 
• The incongruity of a young girl in a plain fully modest clothing covering almost everything flashing trim ankles supported by Jimmy Choo high heels.
• The privilege of seeing Baalbeck with nobody else there and a covering of snow.
• The chaotic organisation / logic of the local traffic - so many near misses but few actual collisions : we didn't see one in two weeks.
• The ant heap bustle of the bazaar and souks - ranging from the grand vaulted ceiling of the main thoroughfare of Damascus's bazaar peppered with bullet holes to the narrow alleyways just wide enough for two donkeys to pass.  Through small doorways the courtyards of large khans (caravansaries) that hosted merchants plying their trade along the fabled Silk Road.
• Snow on the oranges still on the trees
• The melancholic calls to prayers by the Muezzin - always moving but I wish that they would all synchronise their watches instead of different mosques starting at different times : the resultant competition is cacophoconic !

My next trip is now two months away and, as soon as I arrive home, I must attempt to obtain the two necessary visas.  Both are for countries that are notorious for the inefficiency of their Embassy’s visas sections : Bangladesh and India.  Luckily, there is a Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner in based Birmingham who say they will issue a visa within five days - without having to resort to the perils of the Post Office.

The Indian visa is made more complicated in that they have now 'out-sourced' the process to a private company and that I need a visa specially endorsed for multiple visits - they now only issue single entry visas with which you are not allowed to re-enter within six months.  To follow this visit, go to my main site, see right hand column.