Syrian Arab Republic - Day 2

Day 2 - Saturday 

We started the day with breakfast at the hotel, which was a basic Turkish-style breakfast with fresh cheeses, cucumbers/tomatoes and hummus. We also had eggs and fresh bread. The hotel had tea, but I brought my own coffee as I need coffee to start the day. 

On our way out of the city, we saw much of the leftover destruction in Damascus from the war. It still looks like complete devastation, but as I said there is some rebuilding efforts going on. I just can’t imagine how it feels to drive past it every day. It is a constant reminder of the war and how much was stolen during that time. 

Maaloula

Our first stop was the city of Maaloula to visit the Christian area and experience some of the monasteries there. This is the city where they still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus. I was fascinated by this fact and couldn’t wait to hear it in the church and used by the people. Before we headed into the church, we found a shop selling fresh bread, hot out of the oven, so of course, we all had to have some bread to help us on our journey. 

Monastero Saint Takla 

We started with the Monastero Saint Takla, a convent built in 1935. The legend has it that Thecia was a Christian girl whose father wanted her to marry a pagan, but she wanted to be married to a Christian. So, she ran away and prayed for God’s mercy, which opened a safe passage through a mountain (grotto) where she lived the rest of her life. She spent her life healing the sick and preaching her faith. She is also buried in the site and it is dedicated to her.

Before the war, there were 15 nuns living there, but now there are only 8 as some left and died. We visited the church that is decorated with many saints and the place where Saint Takla is buried. I received a blessing from a nun there where she tied a small piece of white string and said, “may the Lord bless and keep you” - a blessing for me. I was moved by the blessing and the beautiful of the monastery. Additionally, I took a cotton ball that was dipped in holy olive oil. I am supposed to use it to help head something in my body or someone else who is sick. I am keeping it for a special occasion. The saddest part is to hear about some of the nuns being kidnapped and some of the monastery being destroyed during the war. There are still rebuilding some parts of it after the war, but it is a beautiful place to visit and you can rent a room there as well. After visiting the church and Saint Takla’s grave, we walked the same mountain pathway that she did until we reach the top of the mountain. The views were stunning on the way and apparently during Good Friday, there is a pilgrimage at this exact area up the mountain. 

Saffeer Hotel

As we continued up the mountain, we came upon a 4-star hotel that was destroyed in 2014. Apparently, the opposition forces used to use the hotel as a base because of the view it provided to see the whole city. It’s been sitting like an empty shell for nearly 10 years. It was fascinating to walk around and see the lobby, pool area, even a bar that was completely in ruins. The hotel was quite big and it almost feels like an eyesore on the top of the mountain. I often wondered how I would feel if this was my village to see such a tourist place destroyed and never rebuilt. The guide told us the government won’t invest in it because there are few tourists. 

Convent Saint Serge et Baccus

Next, we walked up the hill to the Convent Saint Serge et Bacchus, built some time in the 4th century by the Romans/Byzantine. We attended a prayer service and walked around the alter. I find it so interesting to hear people worship in Arabic, but it was such a familiar church choir sound. We also listened to the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic. I bought an Aramaic language book at the bookstore and I can’t wait to dig into it.

Krak des Chevaliers (Fortress of the Nights)

We drove for another two hours to a beautiful castle close to the Lebanese border. On the way, we saw so many pomegranate and olive trees with beautiful sweeping views of the valleys from the mountain. When we arrived at the castle, it looked big from the outside, but I didn’t really expect so much more on the inside. This castle was found in the 11th century and it is one of the most preserved Medieval castles in the world. There are signs to help you with recognizing the various rooms and imaging the way life used to be during those times. The castle survived the war, but there are tales of various people occupying it. 

On the way back to Damascus, we saw many, many gas tankers on the road and apparently this is the route that Iraq uses to ship their oil out of the country through Syria. They used to use the Straight of Hormuz, but obviously with it shut, they are finding more creative ways to export oil. The guide said they started exporting oil in March or so and it hasn’t stopped since then. It was a real reminder of the toll that this war with Iran is taking on other countries and the creative solutions they use to survive.

Once we got back into Damascus, we had dinner together and I ordered these delicious cherry meatballs. Of course, the meal can't be complete without Arabic sweets and fruit. It was the best way to finish up a long, but rewarding day.

Syrian Arab Republic - October 2-4, 2026 (Day 1)

I traveled to Syria with Trekkup early Friday morning to Sunday afternoon. I was excited about this trip because there is so much history connected to Christianity. I know it is a privilege to travel to so many countries within just a few hours of where I live. This is my 89th country. 

Day 1 - Friday

This trip started with an early morning alarm at 2:30 because I had to travel to Dubai for a 7:15 a.m. flight. The transportation came around 3:30 a.m. and I arrived in the airport a little after 5 a.m. I withdrew and exchanged money and then met the rest of the group. There are 12 people in the group and 4 of them I have traveled with before on other trips. That’s the funny thing about traveling, you often meet people you have traveled with before. The plane was about half-full and I had an entire row to myself, which was nice. I was able to take a short nap to make up for early morning wake up call.

After the very long airport immigration line and a $200 visa later, we boarded the bus and headed to Bosra, our first city. On the way to Bosra, we saw the reality of how civil war has destroyed the infrastructure as there were so many destroyed buildings. While some rehabilitation has been done, there are still a lot of buildings that are destroyed and need to be rebuilt. The guide told us the areas are slowly coming back to life with people returning to their homes.

Bosra

Before starting our tour, we had some very sour, fresh-squeezed pomegranate juice to power us through our walk. Bosra was an important city for Prophet Mohammed because it is where he spent some of his childhood. This area is also a UNESCO World Heritage site with many ruins still in tact. During Roman times, it was a major city and was the juncture of several trade routes. In the Byzantine Period, Christianity was the major religion so you see symbols of the church all over the site. Many of the Christian sites were converted to Islam over the years and several mosques were built. A good majority of the relics were destroyed in the war, but there was still plenty to see. As we were walking through the relics, it was interesting to see the different styles on the columns and gates. You could tell exactly who built them with telltale signs of carving, style and structure. 

The highlight of the day was the Roman theatre of Bosra, which was just breathtaking when you first see it. I don’t think I expected it to be so big and so well-preserved. When I visit places like this, I often imagine what types of activities must have happened in that place. I think I watched too much Spartacus, because I imagined very violent entertainment instead of operas and plays. The acoustics in the theatre were incredible. You could hear someone easily talking from the stage when sitting on the top row. We also wondered through the museum and explored the stage a bit. 

Once we came back from walking around the site, a late lunch was waiting for us. We had so much good food including salad, hummus, sliced potatoes, lamb, chicken, beef and fresh bread. They also served these huge, sweet, green grapes for dessert. We were all starving and the food tasted delicious. After lunch, we headed back the two hours to Damascus. 

For these trips, all of the rooms are shared, unless you book an individual room. I always used to book an individual room, but after my summer trip where I shared for nearly two weeks, I decided to try to share again on the trip. I got lucky because on this trip I shared with one of the girls I know from a previous trip and we stayed in a suite with one room upstairs and another downstairs. It was perfect. The hotel looks like something from centuries ago with stone seating areas and fresh air flowing throughout the lobby. There is even a small stone pond in the middle of the lobby area. Although some of the group went out for a wonder around the city, I decided to go to bed early. I find that if you catch-up on sleep on the first night, the rest of the days are more enjoyable. I slept for 9 hours. 

Lobby Area

Hotel Via Recta

My Bed