Several months ago we made arrangements to travel to Iraq with Wandering Earl Tours. As time passed, we watched as tensions continued to rise and war threatened to spread beyond Israel and Hamas and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Finally September 30 arrived and we were packed and ready to go to the airport when Turkish Air notified us that the flight segment from Istanbul to Baghdad had been canceled for "operational" reasons. After several phone calls, our entire flight was rebooked for October 1. Unfortunately, while we were flying toward Istanbul, Iran sent about 200 ballistic missiles over Iraq to Israel in retailiation for killing Iran's Hamas and Hezbollah allies. Upon landing, we found that our flight segment from Istanbul to Baghdad had been canceled once again. Again, Turkish Air said it was canceled for operational reasons. Iraq had closed their airspace.
No longer able to get to Iraq, we hoped to make lemonade out of lemons. We thought about staying in Turkey for the two weeks, we thought about flying to Greece or Rome, we thought about going anywhere new to take advantage of our time. Unfortunately, Turkish Air told us their policy when a flight is canceled with no resumption date is to send the passengers back from where they came on the first flight out. The day after arriving in Istanbul, we were returned to the US.
In March of 2010 we traveled to Syria. We visited churches, mosques, markets, and ruins and enjoyed meeting the Syrians that crossed our paths. Somewhere between Palmyra and Damascus, we stopped to have a bite at the "Bagdad Cafe." The cafe/backpacker lodge is near the turnoff to the road to Iraq.
The Syrian Civil War started just one year after we visited, it is ongoing. Here are some photos of people we met in Syria in 2010. I always wonder where these people are, whether they survived, and if so what has become of their lives.
These women are teachers chaparoning their classes on a visit to an early 2nd Century AD Roman Theater in the ancient city of Bosra. They were a kick! The teacher on the left in the upper row is named Rena. The theater was built to hold 9,000 persons.
We visited a theater in Qanawat that had its peak during the time of Trajan (AD 98-117). There we enjoyed watching a visiting group of students from the University of Damascus. One student played the Oud while the others sang and danced. Qanawat's inhabitants are entirely from the Druze community.
And, from Aleppo, Syria, two very cosmopolitan women enjoying espresso and sheesha at the top of the citadel.
We continue to hope that the Middle East doesn't devolve into an even more terrible war. Wandering Earl Tours has already refunded our money. We are waiting to hear from Turkish Air.
Iraq next year, fingers crossed.
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