I am sitting in my favorite cafe with WiFi in the Gemmayze district of Beirut called Spin Out. The Middle East didn’t work out the way I had hoped but I am flexible with my plans so I will survive. The denial of a visa on arrival at the Syrian border was always a possibility… Continue reading
Category: Middle East 2011
Lebanon-Syria Border Crossing Visa on Arrival (Difficulty: U.S. Passport)
Amid several warnings from the manager at the hotel and other locals I decided to take my chances at the border, obtaining a visa on arrival for Syria. The official rule is that if you have an embassy in your home country then you must apply in advance for a visa and have one in… Continue reading
Scratched the Syria Plan for Today
Normally I wouldn’t update this briefly but after posting about going to Damascus and the plan changing, I figured I’d let my readers know that plan was cancelled. I may still try it but I’m going to hang out in Lebanon a little bit longer. Going to go north to Byblos tomorrow and then back… Continue reading
The Road to Damascus is Paved With Uncertainty
How all of political issues and the U.S. response directly effects my travel is more about frustration than anything else. My plan when I arrived was to stay a couple of nights in Beirut and then cross the border of Syria on the Beirut-Damascus Road. The first day I was here the road was closed… Continue reading
Arriving in Beirut
I had been keeping a close eye on the situation brewing in Lebanon for a few nights while still in Hargeisa. The news about the popular uprising in Tunisia had stolen most of the headlines but I would occasionally catch a glimpse about Lebanon’s political turmoil. I had two choices. Fly to Beirut and attempt… Continue reading
Homeless in Dubai: The Self Inflicted Layover
If you’re following along this blog and have considered heading to Somaliland, it is likely your exit strategy might consist of the following. Since I didn’t want to backtrack to Ethiopia and deal with getting another visa, my only option was to fly out. There are limited options from both Hargeisa and Berbera. I chose… Continue reading