Day 151 Syria 16/2/2011, Aleppo. A trip to the visa office, a brief walk and a nice dinner.

Since arriving in Syria we have been told by a variety of people that our 15 day visa is actually valid for 30 days (some people have even told us that it is 45 days). Obviously we wanted to check this as turning up at the border late with an expired visa is not a great idea!

Joining Peter, who also wanted to check his multiple entry visa, we set off on foot to the visa office. Having read the 'Lonely Planet' guide we were reasonably confident we knew where it was, or at least where it used to be! Once again the information in the guide book was hopelessly out of date, according to a shop keeper the office had moved at least six years ago. He did however write down the new address in Arabic for us, so we could show it to a taxi/bus driver.

The shop keeper's directions proved to be correct and after a taxi trip we were outside the visa office. Inside there were people everywhere; we were looking obviously lost as we were soon approached by a very helpful official. The guy explained that we definitely did have 30 days in Syria and also told Peter what he had to do to get his visa extended. Finding out that we have 30 days is great news, as we now won't have to extend our visas in Damascus.

Back at the hotel, we helped Peter load his bike and waved him off into the Aleppan traffic. There is every chance that we will meet him again on the road somewhere, as he is heading to Egypt and then coming back up to Turkey. If you read this Peter, ride safe mate and we will keep an eye out for you on the road.

Due to the rain yesterday we had rather sped through the Al-Jdeida district, so we decided to head back and have another look today. The district was originally the Christian part of the city and is home to several Greek and Armenian churches. We had a brief look at one of the churches and then spent the rest of the time just wandering through the beautiful old alleyways.

The area in places has been extensively renovated, with some of Aleppo's best restaurants and some interesting boutique type shops. If it had been warmer and I had been less tired, we could have wandered round happily for ages. The late nights and busy days had caught up with me though, so we headed back to the hotel for a rest.

Needing to get some supplies for tomorrow, we headed to the nearby fruit and veg market. Having stocked up, we bought some eggs and some more honey (we are eating quite a lot at the moment).

Back at the hotel we did a bit of packing and then went downstairs to use the kitchen. Debs has learnt her lesson about carrying eggs in her panniers so as soon as we can we hard boil all of them. Cleaning egg out of a pannier is not the most pleasant of tasks!

While we sat in the lounge deciding what to do about dinner, we were invited by the hotel staff to join them for some food. Roast chicken, flat bread and dips went down a treat, We cannot say enough about just how welcoming everyone has been at the Kasr Alandaloss Hotel. Later that evening I sat and watched some of the football with Mathias and joined him in a drink made from some questionable ingredients. According to him it comes from Argentina and consists of a glass full of herbs?! that you add water to and then drink through a strainer equipped straw. It had an interesting flavour and there was lots of mention about it being quite mild; perhaps it's best to say that I survived the experience and then move on!

It will be quite sad to leave Aleppo, but we are eager to see what the roads in Syria have to offer.

Day 150 Syria 15/2/2011, Aleppo. Mosques, souks a famous hotel and quite a lot of rain.

Sadly this morning we woke up to rain, not the best conditions for a day of sightseeing. Nevertheless we headed out to try and see some of the things that we had missed yesterday.

Starting at the Bab Antakiya gate we first visited the Al-Qaiqan Mosque, where we were shown round by a young lad, whose father was the Imam. He insisted that we stay, as the call to prayer was about to be performed. Expecting his father to come in and perform the call, we were very surprised when the lad stepped up to the microphone. Things took a turn for the peculiar when an old man entered the mosque, stared at us and immediately started remonstrating with the lad. In a slightly awkward situation, we couldn't decide whether we should stay or go. All the while the lad was singing, the old man was shouting at him. Eventually with the call over, the lad explained that the old man was his grandfather. Either he didn't like his grandson much or he was unimpressed with his performance. In the end we gave our thanks to the lad and continued on our way.

Back in the souk we stopped to look at several of the ancient Khans (traveller's rest areas) that line either side of the main streets. While looking at one, we were approached by a stall holder who wanted to give us some biscuits in celebration of the coming of Mohammed. Today is an important holiday throughout the Muslim world and apparently the giving of food is customary. This was backed up by the sight of people crowding round the hot milk stall that I had bought a drink from yesterday. With the help of a stall holder, I had another cup of the milk but this time for free. The holiday had certainly seemed to have put people in a good mood, although there was still a lot of arguing going on between two van drivers who both wanted to get past each other on a narrow street. Clearly the good cheer only spreads so far!

Following the streets through the souk, we stopped to look at another mosque, where Debs had to wear a cloak that made her look like a wizard! From there we carried on heading north and west towards Al-Jdeida, an area of narrow stone streets where the buildings all look in towards central courtyards. By now the rain was getting harder and finding ourselves close to the hotel, we decided to call it a day.

Later that evening Debs, Peter, Munther (a very interesting Tunisian guy who lives in Germany), Victor (from Spain) and I, went for a drink in the Baron Hotel. The Baron Hotel was once one of the premier hotels in the Middle East. Agatha Christie wrote the first part of 'Murder on the Orient Express' while staying there and other guests include Charles Lindburgh, Amy Johnson and T E Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). Unfortunately you can't see the visitor's book as it is kept in the safe, but Lawrence of Arabia's bar tab is on display in the lounge. The hotel is now wonderfully dilapidated, and is rather trading on its history. Nevertheless having a drink in the bar had to be done, even if the beer did turn out, rather disappointingly, to be a can of Efes!

Leaving the Baron Hotel we stopped in a restaurant for some food and this time a Syrian beer. Debs rather wisely had the marginally more expensive Lebanese beer, where as I had a truly awful Syrian beer. Perhaps the Baron Hotel knew what they were doing when they only served Turkish beer!

Having grabbed a few more beers from the off-licence we headed back to the hotel and had a great deal of laughs as Mathias (one of the hotel staff members) gave a speech about all of us.

Rain is forecast for tomorrow, so we will spend one more day in Aleppo and then move on.

Day 149 Syria 14/2/2011, Aleppo. Souks, Mosques, museums, a soap factory and a Citadel.

Happy Valentines day! That's what I should have said when I woke up, but unfortunately I had forgotten!

It had been raining during the night, but luckily by the time we were ready to go out, the weather cleared up and we set off for a day of sightseeing.

First stop was the tourist information office to get a map of the city. Map in hand we braved the traffic and headed towards the souks (market/bazaar). It has to be said that we found the souk by a somewhat circuitous route, clearly we are yet to find our bearings in Aleppo.

Breakfast for me was quickly found in the shape of a falafel filled wrap for the princely sum of 20 Syrian pounds (approx 30p). I followed this up with a strange, but not altogether unpleasant, cinnamon and nutmeg topped hot milk drink for the same price.

Debs being somewhat more discerning in her eating and drinking habits, declined both. One thing about Syria I have learned so far, is that I am definitely not going to starve. We are going to have to work a bit harder to find things for Debs to eat though.

Walking through the souk, brought back just how much I love the Middle East. The clamour of people, sights, sound and smells from the many stalls is quite enthralling. Unlike the sanitised and very touristy Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, the souks here are living and breathing. People come to buy their clothes, shoes, spices, meat almost everything you can imagine. Just when you stop to try and take it all in, you are jostled by traders dragging overladen sack barrows, small vans driving through the too narrow streets and the general throng of human traffic. The whole thing is overwhelming and compelling at the same time.

Seeking a little peace away from the souk, we stopped for a tea and some breakfast for Debs at the foot of the Citadel, Aleppo's looming fortress. Suitably fortified by the tea and food we plunged once again into the heart of the souk.

Coming out into daylight, we stopped to visit the Great Mosque. Of the mosques we have seen on our travels, Aleppo's is by no means the most impressive, it will remain notable for the hilarious costume that Debs had to wear though!

From the mosque we followed the souk until we came out at the Bab Antakiya gate, one of the original entrances into the old city. As we headed slowly back towards the hotel we passed masses of shoe repair stalls. After taking a photo of one of the stall holders, Debs was invited to stand and pose by the machinery. Everybody has been genuinely friendly and welcoming, without placing any pressure on us to buy anything.

Walking up Bab Antakiya street, looking for a ATM machine that would accept our cards, we bumped into Barbara, a lovely Canadian woman who is staying at our hotel. She showed us where the ATM was and we then accompanied her to a museum (Bimaristan al-Arghuni) housed within an old mental hospital. We were shown round by a young Syrian guy who she had met yesterday. Seeing the tiny, cold and dark cells where the dangerous patients were housed, makes you glad that medicine has moved on. The museum itself is more about the beautiful building than any exhibits and demonstrates the sympathetic restoration work that is taking place in the old city.

Following some advice from Barbara, we visited the Al-Joubaili soap factory opposite the museum. We were taken on a tour of the factory where they have been producing soap using olive oil and bay laurel, the traditional way for hundreds of years. The best soap that they produce is aged for 14 years and we are the proud owners of a block of it!

Before leaving us Barbara had informed us that the Citadel and museums are closed on a Tuesday, so we decided to stay out for a little longer and head back to the Citadel.

Although standing on the sight of a much older temple, the Citadel as it is now dates from the 12^th Century. Entering through the fortified keep we walked through the huge structure, which contains the remains of a palace, newly restored hammam, mosque and many other buildings. For us though, it was the view of Aleppo from the fortresses ramparts that held the most interest.

By the time we arrived back at the hotel, it was at the end of a very long day of sightseeing. For Debs going out for dinner was the last act of a tiring day. The restaurant was nice and I got to try a cherry kebab, an Aleppan favourite dish, which was small Kofte meat balls, served on pitta and covered in cherry sauce. It was different, but I think Debs' salad and dips were probably a better choice.

Back at the hotel, Debs settled down for the night while I went to socialise with the other guests and encountered another cycle tourist. Peter is a young German guy who has been on the road for a couple of months having travelled through Europe and Turkey, he is also the first person we have met who also has a Rohloff geared bike.

For reasons still unknown it was party night at the hotel, so we were treated to lots of food and some questionable music selections. Debs was sadly too tired to join us, but other than some socialising and the smoking of some shishas she was probably in the best place. By the time I rolled into bed at 12:30am I was shattered. More sightseeing tomorrow!

Day 148 Turkey/Syria 13/02/2011, Reyhanli – Cilvegözü – Aleppo. 41.89/67.63km, 4hr12minutes, Av 9.9mph.

Our last morning in Turkey and we woke feeling refreshed in mind if not in body. Today would be our sixth straight cycling day and it has taken its toll on our limbs. Hopefully the border crossing and the 65km to Aleppo wouldn't be too testing. At least we would be cycling with the knowledge that we plan to have two days off, maybe more, when we get to the city.

After having breakfast in our room, we carried our gear downstairs and prepared to set off for the border. Having checked to see which direction to head in, we pedalled out of town into a grey and chilly morning.

We could tell we were close to the border when we encountered an enormous queue of lorries all waiting to get into Syria. Fortunately we didn't have to wait with them and for some reason some of the lorry drivers didn't seem that keen on waiting either. There was a certain amount of queue jumping going on, which culminated in a car driver running into the back of another vehicle somewhere behind us. How anyone could be going fast enough to crash in that slower moving traffic probably goes to show the diving standard of some Turkish motorists.

Safely reaching the border we were ushered through to passport control, where the border guard took an age to sign us out. We have no idea what the problem was, other than maybe he was checking to make sure we hadn't overstayed our visa. After clearing customs we began the long ride, about 2km, through no man's land to the Syrian border. We were pointed in the direction of the passport office and filled in our arrivals card. Even though we already had our visas, there was still a long wait while they checked and double checked everything. The process would probably be quicker if any of the Syrians/Turks understood the concept of waiting your turn. Eventually our passports were handed back and we joined the queue to get through customs. We got a slightly bemused look when the vehicle inspectors saw us coming. To be fair we weren't sure where we were supposed to be, so we had just joined the queue with the car drivers. With a grin we were waved through and after one more passport check we were in Syria. The whole process had taken 1hr30minutes.

The difference to Turkey is immediate, everything is a little shabbier and the signs are predominantly in Arabic.

Picking up the correct road we began the 45km ride to Aleppo. Like Turkey before, there was no shortage of friendly waves and several people beckoned for us to stop. Unfortunately today all we really wanted to do was make it to Aleppo, get to a guest-house and rest.

The traffic in Syria has a bit of a 'wacky races' feel to it as there are no clear road markings, so people seem to drive all over the place. Nevertheless it doesn't feel any more dangerous than the traffic in Turkey, with most people giving us plenty of room.

Sticking to the main road, we were a little surprised when it continued through a busy town centre and promptly bottle-necked in a sea of pedestrians, mopeds, mini-buses and trucks. Taking advantage of the mayhem, we stopped and bought a drink and were promptly surrounded by school children. They were all quite good natured and while Debs stayed with the bikes, I went to try and get some snack food for lunch. Across the road there was a man rolling flat breads filled with a paste, not sure what it was, I bought two red filled ones and two green filled ones. We decided against eating them in the town and instead rejoined the mayhem, to try and find a quieter spot.

The flat breads were quite nice, although the red one was clearly chilli filled and fairly hot. I couldn't tell you what the green one was, but it tasted similar to something I have had with lamb in an Indian restaurant though.

Back on the road we slowly made our way towards Aleppo The road wasn't that hilly, but with our heavy legs everything felt like hard work. Stopping at a garage we bought some more drinks and in a random act of generosity a man came up and gave us each a pastry he had just bought.

Eventually Aleppo came onto the horizon and we began the entertaining task of trying to negotiate our way through the city traffic. Despite the noise, crazy traffic, suicidal pedestrians and constantly stopping taxis we eventually found the hotel we had been aiming for. Debs may well disagree, but I quite enjoyed the ride, despite the mayhem drivers let us through gaps and across the traffic. You simply need to pretend you know what you are doing and be bold.

The hotel is great, the staff are really friendly and our bikes are stashed upstairs behind reception. Quite by coincidence we are also staying at the same hotel as an Aussie couple we met at the border this morning. Travelling by bus they obviously got here a bit quicker than us though!

Resting today, tomorrow we will explore the city properly. I think we are going to like Syria.