The Road to Damascus

Leaving our hotel at 6.00 am, we went to the bus terminal to catch a local bus to Damascus. Once we got to the boarder of Jordan and Syria we had to get on and off the bus several times at different points of the border for exit stamps, entrance visas, etc and we went through many security checks. This was a big difference to what we had become accustomed to through Egypt and Jordan. Going through security zones with many armed military guards and walking through metal detectors which beeped most times.  In Egypt and Jordan, no one was checked or pulled up and the guards seemed only interested in chatting with each other.  On numerous times in Egypt, we had had to put our bags and personal items through x-ray machines where the guard that was meant to be monitoring it was reading the paper. Often the only attention given was by the guard helping to put the items into the x-ray machine - he would asked for a tip!  The entire time in Egypt we would have walked through at least 50 metal detectors (no exaggeration)! It was more about the illusion of security rather than actual security. Someone could make a fortune manufacturing mock "metal detectors" that just beeped when someone walked through.  We had asked an Egyptian tour guide at one stage and were told that it was to give people employment.  Certainly alot of the Egyptian military around tourist sites were there to make money - they frequently came up to us offering to help us take photos or show us some special spot or carvings, just around the corner.  They then wanted payment despite their official employment status.  On  principle, my mum absolutely refused to make any payment no matter how much pressure was applied (and this could be considerable!)

We passed through the Jordanian and Syrian border and after about 90 minutes we could see from the surroundings and road signs that we had entered the outskirts of Damascus.

Our hotel was in the main downtown area and only a 10 minute walk to the big bazaar and old city so after settling in and getting some cash from the ATM, we took off to explore.

P.S. Sorry only a few photos today I wasn't really keen on getting arrested at the border for taking photos in military security zones.