Trip to Syria

This article is about the trip we are going on next week to Homs in Syria.  I know that recently you have heard a lot about this city in the news, the bombardments by the Syrian army, the casualties in the streets and hospitals and the guerilla forces fighting the Syrian government.  I have spoken to our travel agent and they have told me that these are all just stories invented to sell newspapers.  But they have sent me some recommendations so I thought I would give them to all of you too.

Firstly they recommend that we all take warm clothes, it is summer in Syria and very hot but at night it can be cold especially if we are sleeping out in the desert because our hotel is being shelled.  Remember to take good shoes, hiking boots or shoes, something that you can run in in case we are chased by the army or need to escape the tanks.  No heels or platforms please girls!  Don't forget to take a flak jacket, this is not for the bullets or the bombs but apparently they are very warm and perfect for sitting outside on the terrace of a bar in the evenings. 

I asked about wearing hats or caps in the mosques in the city, they said that you can't wear them in the mosques but helmets are fine.  They have also said that there are a lot of people selling souvenirs in the city at the moment but we must remember that you can't take Kalashnikovs or live ammunition on planes these days so it is better not to buy them. 

You can't drink tap water in Syria, you'd better only drink bottled water and we should take some medicines like Fortasec just in case.  We might also take aspirin, morphine, penicillin, bandages, dressings, splints, forceps and a scalpel too, just in case.





The agency has said that the main mosque is not open at the moment, it is closed for rebuilding, but that we can visit the trenches which are around the northern part of the city.  I have been asked to remind all students not to stand around in the streets in case of snipers and to always get out of the way of police cars, ambulances... armoured personnel carriers, tanks and men with automatic weapons.

 

Finally don't forget your picture of Bashar Al-Assad which you have to show at the Syrian army road blocks but remember to hide it when we see the rebel army ones.

Remember this advice and I am sure we will have a wonderful trip!

See you all next week.