The Trip of a Lifetime—to the Middle East
by Alan E. Lewis
Entry: June 2011
“As the traveler’s map is redrawn, parts in unsettling and tragic ways, voices might whisper, ‘Stay home.’ Don’t. There are opportunities to be had.”
Paul Theroux, Sunday New York Times, April 3, 2011
Harriet, Charlotte, and I enjoyed the trip of a lifetime on our recent visit to the Middle East.
After decades of personal travel, and over a quarter century of leading a travel company responsible for sending hundreds of thousands of Americans to destinations spanning the globe, we usually find it impossible to single out any one trip as being truly beyond compare. But that changed when Harriet and I made a journey last month to the Middle East. We're home now and I can tell you, from my heart: This was the trip of a lifetime.
It was just a few weeks ago that Harriet and I realized we were looking squarely at a one of those rare opportunities that travel writer Paul Theroux is alluding to in the above quote. And we’re so grateful that we seized it.
Before leaving, we knew that we wanted our daughter Charlotte to come along with us. At first, she was hesitant to join us due to the recent news coverage of troubles in Middle East. But it wasn’t long before she shared our enthusiasm and quickly packed her bags (I think her exact words were, “Now that I think about it, I wouldn’t miss it for the world!”).
The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus
In that New York Times article, Paul Theroux also had some wise words to say about why we should (indeed we must) keep traveling in the midst of uncertainty. Visiting other countries during times of historic change, he said, can indeed be inconvenient—or worse—for a traveler. But it can also be “… an enrichment, even a blessing, one of the life-altering trophies of the road.” And travel right now, his article concludes, “… has never seemed to me of greater importance, more essential, more enlightening.” This sentiment echoes our own philosophy perfectly.
So where exactly did we go? The first leg of our journey was to Syria, a country that’s been in the headlines quite a bit lately. Our flight landed in Damascus. Considered the oldest continually inhabited city in the world, Damascus is at once Syria’s modern, functioning capital and a living museum spanning thousands of years of history. We were aware of news accounts touting ongoing civil unrest here—as well as in Aleppo, Homs, and Dara’a. But we explored and traveled through Damascus, Palmyra, Aleppo (and drove past the city of Homs) without incident or worries—in spite of the fact that were pretty much the only foreign visitors at the time.
We had places like the ancient ruins of Palmyra, Syria all to ourselves.
Out in the Syrian Desert—a memorable destination that we had entirely to ourselves—was the magnificent second-century remains of Palmyra. The site is a veritable treasure trove of ghostly ruins, most dating from the time of Palmyra’s most famous ruler, the warrior Queen Zenobia, who is said to be a descendant of the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra. Otherworldly and serene even when crowded, exploring the series of temples, colonnades, and towers scattered across more than 100 acres with nary another visitor in sight was an indescribable experience. And while the weather varied greatly throughout our travels, Palmyra’s desert climate served to fuel our imagination—standing in this oasis town surrounded by mile upon mile of bone-dry desert, it was easy to envision a distant era when this was an important caravan stop on the ancient Silk Route. The surreal nature of our visit even extended to our nearby lodgings—there were a total of just nine other guests staying at our 100-room hotel.
Minarets dotted the skyline on our approach to our next Syrian destination, Aleppo. A trading center since ancient times, Aleppo is home to a wondrous assortment of treasures, including the oldest and most sprawling souk in the Arab world. In contrast to the desert heat of Palmyra, Aleppo is blessed by a cooler climate and generous precipitation—as evidenced by the surrounding farmlands with their bountiful harvest of olive and pistachio trees. Situated in Aleppo’s Old City, the usual din of shoppers at the maze-like bazaar was noticeably muted, so I stopped to talk to a shopkeeper. I asked him if his business was suffering too badly with the lack of tourists. “Yes, it is,” he told me with a grimace. “But freedom is more important,” he proudly added, before breaking out into a wide grin. Many Syrians we met weren’t as open as that shopkeeper. With the escalating uncertainty and unrest of a country at odds with President al-Assad’s regime, we were left with the distinct impression that while the Syrian populace strongly desired freedom, they weren’t entirely sure what the face of real freedom looked like.
I talked to several local merchants during our travels.
Before leaving Damascus, I had the opportunity to speak with the country’s Minister of Tourism. While she confirmed the shopkeeper’s assessment of dwindling tourism, she also told me that she was thrilled at the message we were sending by visiting her country at such a transitional time in its history. She also said that she greatly looked forward to the return of foreign guests—especially Americans—in the near future. Sadly, with the increasing frequency of incidents reported in the news lately, it looks as if her dream is further and further off.
After having enjoyed memorable experiences in Syria and then traveling through Israel and Jordan, we greatly looked forward to the final leg of our Middle East journey: Egypt. One of the first of the Middle East countries to recover from revolution, Egypt was jubilant about the recent ousting of President Mubarak from power but suffering economically from the loss of tourism. One of the most fascinating aspects of journeying from Israel and Jordan to Egypt was talking to the people of each country—there was none of the caution and reticence to speak openly with foreigners that we experienced in Syria. We only witnessed exuberance and joy.
As a travel company, I know we were ahead of the curve on returning to Egypt, but our decision to head back here (as well as to Tunisia) came after extensive meetings with our ground operators, community leaders, and tourism officials. We knew Egypt was ready to receive visitors once again—and didn’t want to further disappoint any travelers who missed out on visiting one of their dream destinations. In fact, we met with several of our OAT and Grand Circle travelers during our time in Egypt—who also seemed to be enjoying a trip of a lifetime.
Harriet climbs an Egyptian pyramid.
In Cairo, we also decided it was time for return visit to the Egyptian Museum. Considered the greatest repository of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the world, the museum is situated just off Tahrir Square—which has become a destination in its own right due to its prominent role in the revolution. Strolling through the square, we spotted a couple of military men glancing our way. Pegging us immediately as Americans, they greeted us with big smiles and flashed us victory signs as we passed by. Then we saw the burned-out shell of a building. We soon learned that it was the former headquarters for Mubarak’s ruling National Democratic Party—and it made for a vivid reminder of the incredible historic events that had transpired here just a few short months ago.
We were sad to have to end our trip in Cairo, but took solace in the fact that we knew that the memories of our trip would take a long, long time to fade. Atmospheric and otherworldly, the Middle East has always encompassed all that the curious traveler desires—a unique blend of diverse cultures, ancient monuments, iconic sights, religious history, and breathtaking natural beauty. But Harriet, Charlotte, and I we were extremely grateful to have been able to visit Egypt at such a pivotal time in the country’s history. There is no doubt about it—our recent visit to the Middle East was indeed the trip of a lifetime.
Alan E. Lewis