The restaurant workers are up and about early so I don't get much of a sleep in. The sea is looking too tempting and I can't resist a morning dip to start the day. Abdula makes an appearance looking slightly bleary eyed and his friend is looking even worse, I find out he still hasn't slept :)We sit, drink coffee and after saying a big "thank you" I go to leave. Abdula must notice I have the same shorts on that I wore swimming and running inside comes back out with a new pair...
"Here, take these" :)I set off around the coast and it isn't long before my guts start tying itself in knots again :( Twenty-four hour bugs are fine, any longer than that I can do without...
The walk is nice and peaceful, finding a long line of restaurants I pick one to lounge on the beach, listening to the lapping waves and drinking tea. The bill comes and I get a huge shock when the guy wants 150SYP. All the restaurants so far have been charging 25-50, because the bill is so ridiculous I give the guy 25 and walk off...
"Hey Australia, Australia. Come back, come back"
Bugger him I say :)
Making the outskirts of Banyas, I find a bench and set myself up with a fabulous fish picnic. It goes down a treat but as soon as I stand up I get knocked back down, before I realize it I've slept for two hours!
Setting off again I don't get far before some old guys call me over for a drink..."Where are you walking to?"
"Jerusalem"
"Aaaaaah, Philistine. So...are you with the Arabs or the Israelis?"
I laugh and shrug...
The guy launches into a tirade of Arabic, none of which I understand, then much to everyone's amusement his friend starts hitting him telling him to shut up :)
The sermon finishes and he goes back to speaking English with a big smile...
"Come back to my house for lunch"
I really have no desire to eat anything but telling him I'm full doesn't convince him. I'll let the Gods decide...
"If we can walk I will come..."
"Walk! No way! It's too far"
They take their leave and I'm left thinking about how funny many of the foreigners living here are. Many a time while in a social gathering in Damascus I would be asked about my walk and would reply that I'm going to Jerusalem. There were always some in the group who would gasp wide eyed and look incredibly uncomfortable, before finding a suitable time to pull me aside and explain that I "shouldn't really tell people that".
But not once have I been told it's inappropriate from a Syrian or Palestinian, they all think it's great! The only negative response I might get is disappointment that they aren't able to come. It amazes me that the foreigners here are most likely some of the more open minded people on the planet, to be here in the first place, but still can't see past their own preconceived illusions...
Banyas is a funny town, very busy and very disorganized. Trying to locate an internet cafe is near impossible but luckily a young sailor who speaks Russian and a bit of English adopts me and acts as my tour guide. Cheers mate...
After a couple of hours on the net I have a craving for spaghetti, I think my bodies telling me I need some energy as my diet has been crap lately. I hardly feel like eating anything these days...
The chance of spaghetti is pretty much nil so I settle for a falafel role. It's so good I have to have another and the owner is so happy to sit and chat he doesn't even let me pay :)
Setting off I once again start to feel ill and feel the need to crash out. The first clearing I come across looks perfect. Dumping my bag I go to set myself up when suddenly two guys appear out of nowhere...
"What are you doing?"
"I'm about to have a rest, I'm walking to Tartus"
"You can't rest here" Pointing around "All military"
Sighing "Ok, no problems. I pack my stuff up and go to leave...
"Where are you going?"
Pointing down the road...
"No, come with us. You must drink tea" :)
Go figure. I can't sit on the grass across from the military compound but I'm more than welcome to sit in it!
The guys are all good value and I have to laugh at how racism filters through into all cultures. The mother of one of the young guys is Turkish and even though he was born in Syria, can't speak a word of Turkish and has never been to Turkey everyone calls him "Turk" :)
"Hey Turk, do this..." "Hey Turk, what do you think about that?"
Still feeling ill when I leave, and in need of a sleep the walking is difficult, but as the sun starts to set my body begins to feeling better. Maybe I will walk through the night...
Stopping for a snack I'm surprised when the owner of the shop starts speaking perfect English and lets me know her sister lives in Australia. Taking a seat I'm happy to stop for a chat...
"So, are you staying at the hotel next door?"
Hotel??? "There's a hotel next door?"
"Yes"
Perfect :) I'm happy to have a room to myself for the night and a sleep-in. Hopefully it will make me feel a bit better...
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