It’s the early afternoon. I’m in a stationery store. I ask the woman what time it is. She says, “8:30.” It’s not 8:30. It’s the early afternoon. I must have misheard her. I ask again. “8:30,” she says. I look … Continue reading
The Dromomaniac
I’ve never been anywhere near Ethiopia. It feels like I haven’t been in Black Africa for a long time. (Is it not PC to say that? Should I be saying, “Sub-Saharan Africa”?) though I was in South Africa only four … Continue reading
Before I get started…I was checking out the departures board in the Damascus airport and I was caught by surprise: a flight to Caracas, Venezuela on Conviasa. How about that route: South America straight to the Middle East? South America … Continue reading
I bought a one-way ticket on Gulf Air to go Damascus-Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for $281. That’s quite a change of towns. I will slather my passport in a thick layer of hummus and eat it if I see anyone taking … Continue reading
For some reason the same travelers that are staying at the cheapest hotels also like to splurge and rent cars or rent cars with drivers or get airport pickups which are all an unnecessary waste of money in Syria—or so … Continue reading
I like being back at Al Haramain hostel in Damascus, great people here, but adjacent to the common area is a bathroom with a gap at the top for ventilation, meaning excellent acoustics, meaning I can hear everything going on … Continue reading
If anyone is interested in what is going on in the Middle East, Al Jazeera International’s TV channel has as good of a coverage as you can find, says me. I discovered them a few years ago when I wanted … Continue reading
It’s weird to imagine that until recently, for a long time Lebanon was under Syria’s thumb. The two are so different. Lots of travelers aren’t crazy about Lebanon because of these differences, but I’m not among them. This is the … Continue reading
It’s a can’t-lose idea I’m giving you for free. (The Dromomaniac gives and gives and gives.) There’s really only one place to stay now: Talal’s New Hotel, $12 a night in a dorm. (There’s another that charges the same, but … Continue reading
Lebanon has a lot going for it: excellent flag, sharp license plates, good-looking currency, plus a lamentably overlooked 1980s song by The Human League (The video is here. I need to start wearing eyeliner.) What else do you want? Horny … Continue reading
