Feeling the sun rise I role over and try to catch a little more sleep. Next time I wake my stomach is doing backflips, I should make a move. My energy levels are fine and I don't feel sick but my tummy is not in a good way... :(I start walking and don't have to travel far before my first invite for coffee :) As I go to leave one of the customers runs inside and comes back with some biscuits and a juice...
"Energy, energy..." :)
Next stop is a 7-up, which of course the owner doesn't let me pay for, then 500m down the road another tea seller starts yelling at me from the other side of the highway. Trying to convince him I want to keep walking is impossible and he is so enthusiastic I can't refuse. These guys are great value and once again I get loaded up with biscuits before leaving.
The plan is to complete the 15kms to Jableh before lunch, then attempt the next 18kms to Banyas in the afternoon. Four kilometers before Jableh a young guy rides past on his bike, does a u-turn and comes to chat...
"Come back to my house for tea"
"How far away is your house?"
He points at a house 100m away...
The house ends up being a shop run by his brother and he insists I drink a fizzy drink instead of tea. Suits me fine... :)
I go to leave just as his friend, Yassir, turns up who can speak English...
"You must come back to my house for lunch"
"Thanks, but I'm going to try to make Jableh before I eat"
Even though I haven't eaten anything today I still don't have an appetite, and the thought of trying to force down food under the watchful gaze of a Syrian mother isn't too appealing...
"No, no. You must come"
"How far away is your house?"
He points at a house 100m away... :)
"OK, sure..."
Sitting out in his front yard we get presented with a huge feast. I start tentatively but once I get into it my stomach settles. The neighbors come out to join us and it isn't long before they are trying to marry me off to all the eligible girls in the area. I suppose that's what I get for being thirty and single ;)Arriving in Jableh around two I feel like an afternoon nap but coming to a great little restaurant overlooking the sea I decide to catch up on some blogs first. Ordering a tea I sit down to write and suddenly feel incredibly nauseous. Five minutes later I realize if I don't go and lie down very soon I'm going to vomit. Quickly packing everything back up I head off in search of some shade...
Luckily for me I don't have to go far, a restaurant is being built next door and is only half finished. A perfect spot to crash out...
I wake to a rock scuttling along the ground and I can hear kids down stairs...
Was that aimed at me?
Another rock comes flying over the balcony, skittles along the ground and comes to rest after hitting my sleeping mat...
Fuck! Little bastards!!!
Getting up I tentatively sneak over to the edge, scared another rock will come hurtling over at any second. Spotting the culprit, he has another rock in hand ready to throw. The funny thing is he isn't looking in my direction...
He lets loose with his missile and I hear it clatter around in the room below, but he still hasn't even glanced up. I have to laugh, after sitting and watching for a minute it appears they don't even know I'm here. It must have been a fluke the other rocks almost hit me...
Going back to sleep it isn't long before I'm discover, I wake to three kids giggling and pointing at the strange looking bum who's made himself at home in their cubby house. They sit around and chat for a few minutes before leaving me to go back to sleep.
Waking with the wailing if the mosque I realize it must be getting late. I'm feeling better and the good news is I have a big appetite. Locating another restaurant down the road I ask if they are serving food..."Yes yes, take a seat"
"I dump my bag and set myself up to write. The waiter comes over...
"Sorry, we don't have any food. But if you want we can order you a sandwich that will get delivered"
"Sure, no problem"
I order a tea and start writing. Another tea and ninety minutes later I go to ask about my sandwich...
"Maybe in an hour..."
What the....!!! I can't believe he still has a straight face and I have to laugh. Obviously I'm not getting any food here so I pay for my teas and head off in search of nourishment elsewhere...
Town soon ends and I get a wonderful walk around the coast. No Restaurants but a magical view. The really exciting thing though is the missile sites right next to me. Just like the movies...real, big missiles sitting there waiting to be fired! I'm impressed :) I'm also itching to sneak a photo but I'm sure that at some stage while walking through Syria someone official is going to want to look at my photos and the last thing I want to have on my computer is pictures of Syrian missile sites...
As darkness starts to set in I search around for my torch, shit! I've either lost it or have packed it in my tent. Just then a car pulls up next to me and a guy pokes his head out from the window...
"If you have a couple of minutes please come back to my house for tea. Just five minutes then you can keep walking"
Mustaffa is extremely polite and well spoken, I can't refuse :) He use to work as a translator for the last president and five minutes quickly turns in to an hour as we sit chatting on his rooftop, eating grapes and drinking warm milk straight from the cow next door. It's well dark by the time I go to leave and even though Mustaffa offers to let me stay the night I want to keep moving. While I'm sick I figure it's best to walk when I can, who knows how i will feel tomorrow...
Many people call from their balconies as I wander past but i have to refuse their offers as politely as I can. Five kilometers later I hit a restaurant, yes! Finally some dinner :)
I order fish and set myself up to write. The owner, Abdula, and a couple of his friends sit at the table next to me drinking and it isn't long before I have a glass of Akrak in hand. Maybe that will help kill all the little beasties in my stomach ;)
"Where will you stay tonight?"
"I don't know. Maybe three or four kilometers down the road"
"If you want to sleep in the restaurant you are more than welcome"
"That sounds great, cheers" :)
My food starts to arrive and I watch in horror as plate after plate fills the table. Absolutely awesome but even if I was feeling well there is no way in the world I would finish it all. A huge salad, hommus, babaganous, yoghurt, pickles, chips, bread and 1kg of fish! A big meal for two and a nice meal for three, I don't know what they are thinking but I'm sure the price will be for three as well...
Rather than put myself off my meal further I decide to eat as much as I can then argue about the price later. The fish is superb and I'm amazed how much I manage to consume but it still hardly looks like I made a dent!
Sure enough when the bill arrives it's huge. Abdula is back at the cash register so I head over to find out what the story is about serving one person a kilogram of fish...
"Did you order a kilogram of fish?"
"Of course not. Why would I order a kilogram of fish for myself? Do you ever have a customer come in and order a kilogram of fish per person?"
He turns to the waiter...
"Did he order a kilogram of fish?"
"He asked the price of the fish, I told him it's 1100SYP per kilogram and he said "OK, I'll have the fish""
I have to laugh as Abdula shoots him a look like he's a complete idiot, I am glad he gave an accurate description of the conversation though. Abdula, still not wanting to to completely write off 700g of fish, makes me an offer and tells me to take have the rest of the fish for lunch.
Normally I would stand my ground and only pay for what I ate but because I like the guy and because they are letting me stay here the night I make an offer which he thinks is reasonable. And anyway, I hardly have any chance to spend any money in Syria...We shake hands and go back to the table to drink. They are all set to drink the night away but one glass is enough for me and finding a cosy little spot in the corner I soon crash out...
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