Syria
One of reasons I like cruises, is that I find myself in places that I would not normally visit. Generally, this works out just fine, with the daily experience trending from pleasant to fabulous. Once in a while though, a port is an absolute zero, and I wonder why the ship would include it on their schedule at all.
A stop in Syria offered one of these xperiences. It is a pit with a capital “P” and scary as well. Nothing says totalitarian government like pictures of President Assad on virtually every vehicle, sign-post and building.
Allyn and I walked all over the city, and did not see any women. I have been to many Muslim countries and even the most conservative have many women around (of course appropriately attired as per their custom).
Every place was filthy. In the photo below, Allyn is standing in front of a typically ugly and debris infested establishment.
We did not feel safe again until we reboarded the ship.
