IS - früher war der Nahe Osten beschaulicher

[Zambocano]

Vote A

[Aparillo]

Ein brandaktueller Reisebericht

Man lese und staune:

This story is about our 10-day trip around Syria in October 2014. Mainly that information is actual only for Russians, because we are Russian citizens and ordinary Syrian people are very welcome Russians because our government has provided support for Syrian government. So, we visited only government-control territory and we can’t judge what’s happening on the other parts of Syria. Anyway, that text is not about politics or who is right or wrong in that war, it’s about what we saw in Syria and that great Syrian people who still stay very kind, sympathetic and hospitable in spite of that terrible civil conflict.
Why we came to Syria
One day I and Alexander were struck by the idea of coming back to Syria, we wanted to see what happened to the country after 3 years of war. We travelled in Syria in January 2012 by hitchhiking around the country and after that unforgettable journey Syria was on the top in our travelling list. Great people, amazing historical sights, ancient cities. Also we were there one of the last travelers before the war who travelled by hitch-hiking all over the country. So, we decided to see how changed everything and what happened to that extremely friendly people. Our familiars reacted approximately like that “You are crazy…”, “We don’t have 1 million to pay for ransom”, “Are looking for the success?” etc. But after 10 days which we spent there we can tell: yes, it’s possible to be there, it’s rather safe to be on government-control Syria and you can observe life during
the war. Sure, it’s not typical trip, it’s some kind of war tourism where you automatically side with the government and feel all inconvenience of war time (posts, checking you passport, luggage etc) But it’s worth visiting if you are Syrian fun or advanced war tourist.
Getting Visa
After our decision we came to Syrian Embassy in Moscow to get visas. It was not easy. We explained that we’re journalists, showed some our articles (about Syria also), applied for it and had been waiting for one and half month. We weren’t sure if we could get it so we bought one-way plane tickets to Beirut (also it’s much cheaper than take direct flight from Moscow by Syrian Air). And in case of refusal we could spend that time in Lebanon. Till last moment we haven’t known if we could get visa (in Embassy they don’t give visa on border as it was before the war). Finally we got journalist visa stickers on Friday till 2 hours before closing (our flight was on Sunday). But that our visas are journalistic we knew later by accident, on Lebanese border.
Crossing the border
From Beirut we went to the border by hitchhiking. We changed about 8-10 cars. All drivers who picked us up scared us with terrorists, criminals and Syrians, told us not to travel in Bekaa valley which is now full of IS fighters (Bekaa valley you cross on the
Beirut-Damascus road). One driver not far from the border even told us “Never trusts Syrians”. So before the Lebanese border we got a little bit nervous. But without any questions we got a stamp on the Lebanese border and went on foot to the Syrian side. It was found that buffer zone is extensive, more than kilometer, so we started hitchhiking. Road to the Syria was almost empty, rarely some cars passed it but from Syria to Lebanon formed a long line from the cars overloaded with people and cargo. We caught fast Syrian car with Christian taxi driver and advanced style lady. That woman when she knew that we were from Russia settled all our matters with Syrian border guards. She patiently explained everything in Arabic to Syrian controls. After she went to duty free and put us a few bottle of whisky to transport it through the border. Finally after long checking our passports and luggage we got Syrian stamps.
Syria, Syria …first impression from its sandy and deserted landscape was – ok, now we’re in a normal country with normal distance between the cities (not like 10 kilometres) and not so overcrowding road, country like Lebanon.
Damascus
In Damascus we stayed near Madjet hotel. Couchsurfing these days doesn’t work in Syria. As we understood, people there are scared to communicate closely with foreigners, because after that they will communicate with police. So, nobody wants to let yourself in for trouble.
To find a cheap hotel was not easy, all former hostels now are closed and the cheap hotels usually are full of refugees from different regions. It’s not easy also to change money in Damascus. You can do it only in government-authorized office which work from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. And in those offices you have to fill a lot of forms to buy pounds. Overall it’s a very bureaucratic procedure. Syrians who changed it for us in office also understood that it’s very protracted process but they only shrugged their shoulders apologetically. There’s also black market exists but it’s closed for strangers. So, you have to know somebody if you want to change money. Because now as we felt people in
Damascus don’t trust the first comer. You can’t leave you luggage in hotel which you haven’t reserved yet. You can’t get honest reply for what really happening in the country from ordinary people, people avoid talking in political topics with you. But people there in Damascus still very friendly, helpful and kind-hearted. They are curious about you, they want to come to you and ask what are doing in Damascus, they are surprised to see you. When they knew that you were from Russia most of them thank you by touching their head. First day in Damascus military, police patrols checked our passports maybe every 50 meters, but after they used to us and welcomed us, invited to drink mate. The other wartime sign in Damascus – nobody takes any pictures outside. We did it in a souk or near the fountain but all times with a caution that soldier would come and ask for the passport and explanation. But in Damascus life really takes its normal course. People go for a walk, to the market, do their everyday business, go to the theatre etc. In Caravan Saray we even saw as students rehearsed the play. By the way, the main museums in Damascus and around the country are conserved (like National Museum in Damascus or Citadel of Damascus). But Al-Azem Palace or Caravan Saray are full of Syrian tourists. We entered for free there just because we explained that we were from Russia (Nahnu min Russia). And in Damascus from kids we were infected by Syrian toy toktyka. It’s very simple old Syrian toy from balls on the ends of one string with the ring. You take ring on your finger and shake a palm, thereby balls strike against each other. Toktyka makes specific sound which impossible to confuse with any other toy. It’s worth visiting Damascus just to see crowds of Syrian children with toktyka skillfully beating the balls. Definitely we had to stay in Damascus more than 2 nights and see more but we had to go because we had only 7-day visa and didn’t know which way we would leave the country…
Damascus – Lattakia. Coast.
We went to Lattakia by bus. Intercity buses to the northern part of country depart from the spontaneous bus station near Botanical garden on Homs road. The old station was totally destroyed during the fighting. Price for transportation compare to western countries, Lebanon or even Russia is still very cheap (ticket Damascus-Lattakia 349 km – 1000 pounds – about $ 6). Roads, roadway are in very good conditions on the government-control territory (especially if take into an account that the war have lasted already almost 4 years). On the way our passport were checked few times by soldiers, one time soldiers even wanted to take picture with us when they knew that we were Russians. After passing Homs and Lebanese range we found ourselves on the coast. It seemed that the war absolutely hadn’t touched that area (Tartus-Latakia). Peasants do some agriculture job, no any damages, just patrols near the entrance and soldiers near local municipality. In Latakia we stayed at Russian-Syrian family who escaped from Aleppo after rocket destroyed their house. From there we did a short trip to surroundings by hitchhiking. Hitch-hiking was good but each time when we were dropped off near the post, soldiers got us into the bus. So idea of hitchhiking these days sounds very strange for locals and they feel very worried about you and any ways try to put you into the bus.
From Latakia we visited great Marqab Castle, now it’s occupied with soldiers. Firstly soldiers didn’t let us in but after our Russian friend showed her picture with Assad soldiers they let us in and did a great tour around the castle for us. We finished our “tour” by drinking tea and observing fantastic view from divan-khana where soldiers sleep. By the way, that castle few months was captured by terrorists and soldiers explained us as the army drove them out from the numerous tunnels under the castle. Other famous crusader castles on the coast (Salah-ad Din, Krak and others) as we knew now are also occupied with army. So we decided that one castle is “enough” for visiting in war-time. Also we went to Ugarit – it’s also closed for visiting but we persuaded
keeper let us in. So as we made sure on our own experience, it’s possible to travel around Syria but with obstacles. Everything is closed, people a little bit scared. But we were told that we were first tourists for 3 year and we are a good sign…it means that better times were coming soon…
Leaving Syria
We got information that it’s possible to leave the country through Kasab check-point overland. In Latakia police station we’re told that Syria is ready to let us out, but Turkish side is not ready to let us in. On our own risk we decided to cross border there. We took bus to Kasab (IS camp and territory under IS control is very close to Kasab), some of the villages between Latakia-Kesab suffered from the war. Syrian border crossing was destroyed, no glasses on the window, bullet marks, nothing, just few beds and Syrian borders with paper and pencils. They went with us to the Turkish side, we persuaded them to let us into at least 20 minutes. They also tried to persuade officials from Ankara to enter Turkey here. Finally they refused and put forward to leave the country through al-Dana (from Aleppo), so they sent us to pass the territory under IS (!) control. After that “proposal” we could say only “Fuck Erdogan”. We had to come back to Latakia and bought ferry tickets to Mersin in touristic office. The vacant places were only in a 3 days. So, we had been waiting for that ferry for 3 days. As we knew there’s a year-round Turkish ferry from Latakia and Tartus but you it’s better to buy tickets in advance. When we left Syria, our visas had been already expired but nobody took any notice. But departure of that ferry was one of the stirring moments in that trip. I guess almost all passengers were one-way immigrants who would never come back to Syria under Assad regime. We were supposed to depart at 12 p.m. but we left at 4 p.m. Police, soldiers, secret police, I don’t know who checked all passengers into every detail. I think they would check everybody endlessly but eventually Turkish captain after 3 hours of waiting quickened Syrian border guards with irritation. We also were checked with some officers, they asked what we did in Syria, where did we stay etc. But after they
called somebody they let us go. Finally our ferry weighed anchor, Syrian escort ship with officer on the board took ship out the bay. All passengers were standing on the deck, shooting Syrian shore and that officer on the escort ship with the phone, somebody was very sad and gloomy, somebody was happy. They reminded us that white immigrants after Russian revolution who had to escape from Russia by ships. Like Syrian Odysseys without their Ithaka. After 6 hours we came to Mersin, Turkey, but it’s a different story…

[Sido]

crazy

[keks]

kraff ja

[Aparillo]

Fotos gibts auch:
https://www.facebook.com/anastasia.pish ... nref=story

[keks]

Jürgen Todenhöfer hat Eier aus Stahl bewiesen und ist in das Gebiet des IS gereist - vorab faßt er die Reise in 7 Punkten zusammen, ein detaillierterer Bericht folgt wohl bald:

http://juergentodenhoefer.de/7-eindruec ... gen-reise/

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBnBdRfNFaE[/youtube]

[Aparillo]

Guter Mann! Wollte er nicht ein Buch über den Trip und den IS schreiben?
Ich habe schon sein Buch "Du sollst nicht töten" gelesen. Etwas romantisch und altklug aber ein Bericht aus dem Inneren des Geschehens, der den Nahen Osten von einer ganz anderen Seite betrachtet.
Sicherungskopie gefällig? Dann PN mit Mailadresse an mich.

[Zambocano]

Interview mit einem wahnsinnigen deutschen IS Kämpfer, gedreht in Mossul nun online.

Neuster Geniestreich:
Schwule werden mit verbundenen Augen auf das Dach des höchsten Gebäudes der jeweiligen Stadt geführt und runter geworfen. Sollte das nicht reichen, wartet unten der Mob, bereit zur Steinigung.

Einfach unglaublich.

[keks]

http://suechtig-nach-jihad.de/

sehr eindrucksvolle amateur-"doku" eines 24-jährigen generation y hipsters über das camp bab salameh, 50 meter von der türkischen grenze entfernt. nichts für zarte gemüter. der erzählstil nervt leider teilweise.