Road to Ruins

Israel/Jordan, Nov 2005: From Jerusalem to Petra via the rift valley, Amman and the desert highway- in five and a half minutes…

Border Country

Turkey/Syria, Nov 2005: Hatay– Turkey’s southernmost province- has changed dramatically since my visit to the area in late 2005. Near the border town of Reyhanli there is a huge refugee camp for the thousands of Syrian’s who have managed to escape over the nearby border to safety- and other camps scattered throughout the province. Locals […]

Qadisha

Lebanon, November 2005: Prior to traveling to the Middle East I had read William Dalrymple’s 1997 book “From the Holy Mountain: A Journey in the Shadow of Byzantium. It was in these pages that I’d first heard about the Qadisha valley. The mystery of the place intrigued me, so I was determined to visit it […]

Desert Tracks

The Sun Is In Our Eyes

Tripoli, Lebanon, Nov 2005: Tripoli is the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in the country. Situated 85 kilometres (53 miles) north of the capital Beirut, old Tripoli dates back to at least the 14th century BCE. It is home to the largest fortress in Lebanon- the Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles- […]