Our friends had lots to find the gray Parisian and we continued on our own journey in ancient Syria, also had to decide to leave the hotel Dar Halabi, a place of peace in the heart of the suq of Aleppo.
The search for a car with driver comes more difficult than expected: the driver of a Mercedes of the 60 contacted the day before was not to take, so we decided to return to the bus terminus and rates to see if we would have had more luck. The prices were exorbitant, some drivers did not want to leave for several days, or did not understand the route we wanted to follow ...
All of a sudden, a couple came forward with shyness, wanted to look at our map and asking for help to translate his words, s'informa on our destination. With the help of gestures, deeds. Traduttori improvised Zoer heads that we wanted to start five days in the north following the road along the border to reach turkish
Hassake,
Der Er Zor,
Rassaffa,
hama,
Malula,
Bosra and finally
Damascus.
Now propose a fair price and after a handshake to say we start now!
Climbed aboard his mini bus and the time to make contact, Zoer was called by his colleagues who wanted us to get off the vehicle. We listen to merchant .... Police arrived and ... Zoer after a long debate, asked us to wait, his friend stayed with us while the other drivers always tried to make us fall, without notice goodwill on our part, the mini van ...
A thousand questions without answers we passed through the mind, Zoer again ensuring that everything would be arranged in less than an hour, and wait for Dar al Halabi Hotel, all explained with gestures and few words of mixed Arabic - English, and his friend there accompanied the hotel and began the wait ...
We had decided, without consultation, trust them, was so timid and gentle. Quanta Zoer after five minutes in the lobby was still being explained by the porter and we started our journey ...
Zoer always helping us explain the deeds and words of poor English and we knew that with our knowledge of very limited Arabic that the police wanted to put in jail because they had no right to rent his mini bus terminus in the Coach (outside is possible) because his mini bus is a vehicle traveling on the public road Aleppo - Kurkunia, located about 50 km. Zoer had managed to evade jail by paying a fine of about 1,000 Syrian pounds (a great sum for them) and the day will continue to meet the police ... a real nightmare: every km 50/100 police stopped us, and if not c'infastidivano never, ever had Zoer instead displaying documents. The second day we noticed that Zoer paid the Police: all drivers must submit to pizzo unless carrying tourists. Modest and naive, Zoer always parked far from the block to make us not see these scenes degrading to the image of the body of Police. He did not know that if the police are aware that tourists may notice the existence of legalized bribery, let the driver leave without claiming the lace.
This travel writing forever in our minds has enabled us to cross the little-known areas, deserts, enchanting, meet people who welcomed us with open arms offering us the little they possessed, but the encounter with Zoer and his family living in a tiny village in the desert that will remain memorable because they challenged the police and risk the prison to accompany us. What we had said or done to deserve such a sacrifice on his part, especially because it carried the first time dared to plunge into the transport of tourists? We were his first customers, the first time, his first big trip in his native Syria and was able to enchant due to its availability and greatness of soul, always trying to make us pleasure, finding a way to guess our want to make us live the splendor of a thousand and a fairy tale like dream in the West ...
Graziella (angy8@bluewin.ch)
1. THE HOTEL DAR in Halab Aleppo suq can be contacted:
TEL: + + 963 21 222 65 51 / 224 84 97 FAX: + + 963 21 221 96 57 or E-mail: halabiatour@net.sy or www.halabia-tours.com
2nd Zoer: search for the bus terminus and the rates front door Bab Antakia