40Km from Iraq
The following morning as I reached the bus station I was just able to squeeze onto a minibus heading for Deir-Ez Zur and paid only $1.5 for a journey at least twice as long as yesterday's. Also, I was over my illness though a dull and nameless ache, a stubborn low grade muscle contraction, as if I'd swallowed a small beach ball, remained and would do so for days.
Deir Ez Zur is south south west of Hassake and lies on the banks of the River Euphrates. Leaving Hassake, a mere 40km or so from the Iraqi border, I would never come as close to Iraq again. I'm sad that I wasn't able to get a picture of a road sign to Iraq to impress myself in later years, or who knows, maybe somebody else too.
As I understand it, three to four years ago vast numbers of trucks could be seen heading east to the border, taking food. Now no such eastward movement can be seen. Evidently, nowadays people only run away from Iraq. Actually, I met such a refugee in Qamishle who told me 'not to go to Iraq'. And there I was all looking forward to a scenic stroll though the charming gardens of Ancient Babylonia, Dammit.
Another church Stephen said I might find a room at being closed, I accepted directions to the nearest hotel, the moderately luxurious Hotel Ziad, where a remarkable conversation with the receptionist ensued. Here I was in Eastern Syria, 80 Km from Iraq, far, far from sovereign western territory (Iraq is Iraqi, if only officially), and I was not permitted to pay in the local currency. I had to use Dollars or Euros. If that is not bizarre, no bizarre thing is bizarre. I can only imagine he thought I must be some fat cat here on business (why else come to Deir-Ez Zur?), that I would obviously be walking around with only foreign currency at hand, not deigning to mix with the locals in such a way as to actually want to buy anything from them. Or maybe I'd just flown in on a private jet direct from the US or Europe? As it happened I did have the required 20 dollars so it was ok but I might not have had. Why should I have? I was staggered. Are we in Syria I asked him? I was stunned by the lack of Syrian patriotism it all suggested. No doubt I could have looked at it as a noble gesture of hospitality, if he'd allowed me to use western currency. But he was saying I had to pay in a hard currency, essentially that his own money was useless to him. Anyway, the room was excellent, the first properly clean and comfortable room I'd stayed in since Konya, so it fully justified the splurge.
Deir Ez Zur is south south west of Hassake and lies on the banks of the River Euphrates. Leaving Hassake, a mere 40km or so from the Iraqi border, I would never come as close to Iraq again. I'm sad that I wasn't able to get a picture of a road sign to Iraq to impress myself in later years, or who knows, maybe somebody else too.
As I understand it, three to four years ago vast numbers of trucks could be seen heading east to the border, taking food. Now no such eastward movement can be seen. Evidently, nowadays people only run away from Iraq. Actually, I met such a refugee in Qamishle who told me 'not to go to Iraq'. And there I was all looking forward to a scenic stroll though the charming gardens of Ancient Babylonia, Dammit.
Another church Stephen said I might find a room at being closed, I accepted directions to the nearest hotel, the moderately luxurious Hotel Ziad, where a remarkable conversation with the receptionist ensued. Here I was in Eastern Syria, 80 Km from Iraq, far, far from sovereign western territory (Iraq is Iraqi, if only officially), and I was not permitted to pay in the local currency. I had to use Dollars or Euros. If that is not bizarre, no bizarre thing is bizarre. I can only imagine he thought I must be some fat cat here on business (why else come to Deir-Ez Zur?), that I would obviously be walking around with only foreign currency at hand, not deigning to mix with the locals in such a way as to actually want to buy anything from them. Or maybe I'd just flown in on a private jet direct from the US or Europe? As it happened I did have the required 20 dollars so it was ok but I might not have had. Why should I have? I was staggered. Are we in Syria I asked him? I was stunned by the lack of Syrian patriotism it all suggested. No doubt I could have looked at it as a noble gesture of hospitality, if he'd allowed me to use western currency. But he was saying I had to pay in a hard currency, essentially that his own money was useless to him. Anyway, the room was excellent, the first properly clean and comfortable room I'd stayed in since Konya, so it fully justified the splurge.
2 comments:
It's quite hard to imagine you "squeeze"...
Yes, yes indeed I am soething of a 'fat man', as it is said...more so indeed than my vaguely chiselled jawline in the site's photo might suggest. But give me more time, more of this intense heat, and less and less beer and bread and we'll see what can be done about my sqeezability..:)
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