the border between Lebanon and Syria, with the image of president Bashar Assad
There are no flights to Syria, at least not from any airport near me. Most airlines fly to Beirut – which suited me well, because my Lebanese friend had just returned from Rafa, in Gaza. Yes, that one. After a relaxing day in Beirut the group departure was scheduled early morning from the city centre. And an hour-and-a-half later we arrived at the border. Leaving Lebanon was a piece of cake, entering Syria took somewhat longer, because of system changes and shift changes, but in the end we cruised through this part, too. Lots of people in uniform, but altogether not unfriendly, it is just that the steps in the process need to be followed, so first pay for your visa, then go to someone who checks that you have paid for your visa, then another control, another scribble, and finally the relieving stamp. At each and every step in the process somebody goes through each and every page of your passport, to make sure that there is no evidence of you ever having been to the Great Enemy, Israel. I have got quite a few pages filled up in my passport, so scrutinising it takes some time. Likewise, the other group members are also well travelled.
tented camps, for which I suppose are Syrian refugees, on the Lebanese side of the border
In the run up to the border the Lebanese side is fully built up, with towns and villages along the road, as well as lots of small scale tented camps, which, I suppose, house Syrian refugees. Then there is no-man’s land, and then the Syrian side, deserted, in stark contrast with Lebanon. It is only when we get closer to Damascus, which is only 45 kilometres from the border, that we start seeing buildings again. In fact, lots of them, the majority under construction, but unfinished – possibly started long ago, ran out of money from economic downturn following the war. The war, these days, is the civil war after the Arab Spring.
at the border we are welcomed by Bashar Assad, the first of many of his images
also at the border, plenty of vans packed to the hilt – with what could be legitimate imports, or sanction busting, who knows?
But our target for the day are the remnants of that other war, or rather, the two wars that Syria fought with Israel, in 1967 and again in 1973. Which collectively resulted in the present-day de-facto border between the two countries, which splits the Golan Heights.
