Now I’m going to upload some more photos, just in case anyone ever checks in with this blog of mine. Firstly, one of me, playing yet another victorious game of chess with a Dutch friend in the beautiful Citadel in Aleppo in July.
Chess with Jaap
The rest are from a trip to the city of Latakia and some other areas in northwestern Syria that I visited in June with a group of nine people – Dutch and Kurdish – plus a driver. The next few photos are from Qala’at Salah Ad-Din (قلعة صلاح الدين), an impressive Crusader castle situated atop an easily defensible mountain. It is so-called because it was conquered by the mighty Salah Ad-Din (or Saladin, in most Western coverage).
Back in the good old days, a drawbridge used to be lowered from the entrance to the castle onto the pillar of rock in the first picture . Apparently this canyon is manmade, with the pillar being left standing to support the drawbridge. You might just about to make me out at the base of this structure.
This next picture is me with Hans from Holland. Unfortunately, the beautiful clear blue water in the background is just across the Turkish border, and so a swim was not possible.
This legendary fellow is Kadr.
On our first evening in the Mediterranean port of Latakia, we went down to the seaside for a night swim. The water was beautiful, but it was pitch dark apart from the lights along the beach. Kadr told us that there was a flat rock out to sea that he would lead us to, and we dutifully swam along after him, but as time passed, no such island was evident. It was a clear night, but the moon and stars above us were of no help in locating this mysterious diving platform. Nonetheless, Kadr assured us that it was just ahead and we followed on behind.
The swim continued as the beach became more indistinct behind us. The group of swimmers became strung out between the vanguard of Hans, Kadr and myself, and four or five stragglers trailing behind. Despite Kadr’s assurances that the rock was just fifteen metres ahead, ugly doubt began to surface in our minds as the dark sea gaped beneath us and the shore receded into the distance. As fifteen metres followed fifteen metres and no rock appeared, the group eventually retreated for the safety of the beach – all of us that is, except Kadr himself. He continued onwards alone, and eventually returned 20 minutes after the rest of us had emerged onto dry land. He hadn’t found the rock, but promised to prove its existence to us the following morning with the aid of the sun. But it never happened – maybe one day I will return and find that elusive island of Kadr’s… but I somehow doubt it…
