One time while I was visiting Lebanon with my parents around 16 years ago, a slight mix up resulted in our flights being rescheduled to leave Beirut 2 weeks after we originally had planned. With school set to start, this was sort of an issue. My Grandmother suggested that we take a long distance taxi to Damascus which is about a 2 hour drive from Beirut and catch a flight out of there instead since there were more options out of Damascus. Sure enough, there was a flight leaving in 2 days, so we booked it, hired a taxi and off we went. The only problem is Canadian citizens are only allowed to enter Syria with a visa which must be applied for about 2 months in advance. So without a visa we got to the border, bribed the officer around $50 per person and we entered the country without a problem. To make a long story short, the one day I spent in Damascus was one of the most memorable trips of my life. The people were extremely friendly, the city was very clean and the food was superb. The history and culture in Syria is like nothing else I have experienced. There was, however, an underlying sense of fear at all times. As if you were constantly being watched. Before we got into Syria we were told specifically not to mention anything about the government. Not even in the hotel room because the government tends to bug any rooms that foreigners are known to stay in. It was a bit of a relief getting onto the plane heading back home. I can't believe what it would be like to live under that constant fear your entire life. I do, however, have a soft spot for the Syrians. It is tragic to see these images and I hope everything works out for them.
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