My watch closes in on 4am and we’re dozing lightly on our small bus at Aswan’s bus depot. It feels like we’re waiting for clearance on an airport runway. Our guide Ahmed is finalising our departure time in a non-descript office as we experience a mix of anxious anticipation and an overwhelming need to slumber. …
Our bus casually rolls through Palmyra, an ancient town lying against a backdrop of a fertile oasis and Roman ruins dating back centuries. It’s located in Syria’s central desert and pays homage to its prosperous history as a major caravan stop along the Silk Road trade route. Palmyra is also one of those towns that …
My driver speeds down a highway that is lined with kilometres of barbed wire to my left (turn-off signs to Lebanon beam overhead) and crumbling sandstone homes to my right. As I near the inner realm of Damascus, I’m bombarded by erratic traffic and convoluted streets. My mind is spinning but my quiet driver knows …
