Hama is located in the middle of Syria and is known for the giant Norias (waterwheels) which are located along the Orontes River which ran through the town. The Norias were historically important because they scooped up water from the river and channeled it to aqueducts where it would be taken to water the local crops.
We stayed at the excellent Riad Hotel in Hama because Muhammad, who we met through CouchSurfing works there. When we first arrived he took us to his favorite Falafel place and told us about himself and his home town.
In Hama we took some time off from our travels and rested up. We caught up on errands, slept a lot and generally forgot about moving about for a few days. We took leisurely walks around the city. We met Jordi, from Barcelona and had a great time hanging out with him. We hope to possibly meet up with him again when we go to Spain in January.
Our hotel arranged a one day excursion with a Dutch couple by minibus to the dead cites of Serjilla and Al-Bara. These old cities are from the time before Christ and have stayed pretty well conserved despite their age. There are many "Dead Cities" in the middle of Syria and they are of varying interest and state of ruin. Some are far away from civilization while others are in populated areas with crops surrounding them and livestock grazing inside of them.
Serjilla and Al-Bara are considered by some to be the most interesting of the dead cities because of their isolated location on a hilly area with lots of white stone, red dirt and almost no vegetation make visiting them an eerie, almost otherworldly experience. While we were at this terrific place there was almost no one else around. It was a fantastic experience scrambling through the ruins and seeing the different buildings.
Before we left Hama we had a taste of the wonders of Syrian bureaucracy. Our visas, like most given out were for 15 days, and on our 15th day in Syria we went to the immigration office in Hama for an extension. The office was a taxi ride from the hotel and from the entrance we were directed past the lines of waiting locals to a corner office. The office had one computer (20 years old and still ran on DOS) 5 immigration officers who chain smoked and shelves stacked with old files. It was clearly the "special case" room and we were made to wait a while. When it was our turn we turned in our passports to the head official and were told that we needed a signed proof from our hotel that we were staying there. So we took a taxi to the Riad, listened to the obscenities directed toward Syrian bureaucracy by the Riad employee, and with our note took a taxi ride back to the immigration office from the hotel. Then it was back in line again to wait. When the chain-smoking official decided to see us again he told us the note needed an official stamp from the hotel we are staying at. So it was again taxi, Riad, obscenities directed toward Syrian bureaucracy, stamp, taxi, wait for a while, then immigration official. Then we had to go to an other office where we fought through throngs of people jockeying to get to the counter (Syrians don't know how to wait in line) to pay money and get a stamp. Another office to get our names entered in a 20 year old DOS computer by a chain smoking official, up to the next floor to have the head guy of the whole place approve it, down to the original office to wait in line, then get our visa extensions completed and back up to the next floor where the head guy signed our visa extensions. In the huge, plush corner office where the head guy signed our extensions he shook our hand, said "Welcome to Syria" and a man brought us cookies and coffee to drink as a symbolic act. Now legal but punch drunk from the hour and a half experience we shook the officials hand and smiled. We finally left.
It was time to head to Palmyra.
We stayed at the excellent Riad Hotel in Hama because Muhammad, who we met through CouchSurfing works there. When we first arrived he took us to his favorite Falafel place and told us about himself and his home town.
In Hama we took some time off from our travels and rested up. We caught up on errands, slept a lot and generally forgot about moving about for a few days. We took leisurely walks around the city. We met Jordi, from Barcelona and had a great time hanging out with him. We hope to possibly meet up with him again when we go to Spain in January.
Our hotel arranged a one day excursion with a Dutch couple by minibus to the dead cites of Serjilla and Al-Bara. These old cities are from the time before Christ and have stayed pretty well conserved despite their age. There are many "Dead Cities" in the middle of Syria and they are of varying interest and state of ruin. Some are far away from civilization while others are in populated areas with crops surrounding them and livestock grazing inside of them.
Serjilla and Al-Bara are considered by some to be the most interesting of the dead cities because of their isolated location on a hilly area with lots of white stone, red dirt and almost no vegetation make visiting them an eerie, almost otherworldly experience. While we were at this terrific place there was almost no one else around. It was a fantastic experience scrambling through the ruins and seeing the different buildings.
Before we left Hama we had a taste of the wonders of Syrian bureaucracy. Our visas, like most given out were for 15 days, and on our 15th day in Syria we went to the immigration office in Hama for an extension. The office was a taxi ride from the hotel and from the entrance we were directed past the lines of waiting locals to a corner office. The office had one computer (20 years old and still ran on DOS) 5 immigration officers who chain smoked and shelves stacked with old files. It was clearly the "special case" room and we were made to wait a while. When it was our turn we turned in our passports to the head official and were told that we needed a signed proof from our hotel that we were staying there. So we took a taxi to the Riad, listened to the obscenities directed toward Syrian bureaucracy by the Riad employee, and with our note took a taxi ride back to the immigration office from the hotel. Then it was back in line again to wait. When the chain-smoking official decided to see us again he told us the note needed an official stamp from the hotel we are staying at. So it was again taxi, Riad, obscenities directed toward Syrian bureaucracy, stamp, taxi, wait for a while, then immigration official. Then we had to go to an other office where we fought through throngs of people jockeying to get to the counter (Syrians don't know how to wait in line) to pay money and get a stamp. Another office to get our names entered in a 20 year old DOS computer by a chain smoking official, up to the next floor to have the head guy of the whole place approve it, down to the original office to wait in line, then get our visa extensions completed and back up to the next floor where the head guy signed our visa extensions. In the huge, plush corner office where the head guy signed our extensions he shook our hand, said "Welcome to Syria" and a man brought us cookies and coffee to drink as a symbolic act. Now legal but punch drunk from the hour and a half experience we shook the officials hand and smiled. We finally left.
It was time to head to Palmyra.
Steve
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