Syria (Homs & Aleppo) Sept/Oct 2008 D-4

After breakfast, we took a taxi and proceeded to the city bus station. I stored my luggage at the bus station and paid 50SP=3.80 for this service. We waited for 45mins to allow time for the bus to fill up with passengers before departure. I paid 50SP for the bus ticket and after passing several villages along the way, we arrived at the entrance of Chevaliers castle after an almost one hour's ride.

We spent around 2 hours in the castle. At around 1.00pm, We took the same bus back to Homs. I said farewell to my Syrian's friends and collected my luggage and continued my travel to Aleppo, the northern town of Syria, which is close to the Turkish border.

On arrival in Aleppo, I took a taxi (200SP=Rm15.20) to my hostel in the city center. On the way, I was able to catch a glimpse of the Citadel, which is located on a hill top. I stayed in Spring Flower hostel (250SP=Rm19.00) as Tourism Hostel was fully booked on that day. After the hostel check in, I wondered around the city center and guessed what, I spotted Hotel Baron, a famous hotel where Agatha Christie & T E Lawrence stayed while shooting this popular film of 60's named the "Lawrence of Arabia"

In the evening, together with two travelers from Japan & Denmark, we walked to a nearby food stall and we had a set meal with kebab & rice as our main menu (175SP=Rm13.30). Across the food stall, I saw a row of fruit juice stalls and treated myself for a big glass of fresh fruit juice (mixed fruit with banana) for 50SP=Rm3.80 before heading back to my hostel.

As I had earlier bought a bus ticket (250SP=Rm19.00) for a border crossing to Turkey at 3.00am in the wee hours of the morning, I had to sleep earlier. Thanks god my travel buddy from Japan had set his alarm clock and he woke me up at 2.30am. As the bus office was within walking distance from the hostel, we arrived 10 minutes earlier before the departure time.

"By chance, I saw the Hotel Baron in Aleppo. Can't wait to see the film again - Oh ! The mighty Lawrence of Arabia and the fortress of Krac des Chevallier"