PURA VIDA!

Not being an avid birdwatcher or nature enthusiast one thing I didn’t expect to find myself doing in Costa Rica was getting up at 5 am to go looking for the elusive quetzal. But unlike the majority of Latin American countries, the biggest draw for tourists to Costa Rica is the incredible diversity of flora and fauna so it is almost impossible not to be impressed. If the bilingual guides, who can spot the smallest flower or bird long before anyone else, don’t know the answer to a question about the plants and animals then it isn’t worth knowing. It is their intense passion for the country’s nature that cannot help but enthuse.

Whilst there are 25 National Parks in the country, Ticos (the name Costa Ricans call themselves) enjoy their claim that 25% of the country is protected by the government. Tortuguero National Park, named because of the large population of Leatherback turtles that nest on the beaches between June and September, is jungle on the Caribbean coast and unlike the other parts of the country there is no dry season - in fact it is one of the wettest areas in the country. Although seeing the baby turtles hatching is obviously a key attraction, a visit is more than worthwhile anytime of year as there are plenty of other species of plants and wildlife to be found than just turtles. On a boat trip along the canals we saw caimans, iguanas, green parrots, different types of monkeys, frogs, birds and a Jesus Christ Lizard, named because of its capability to walk on water. Many of the modern conveniences of normal city hotels are left behind here, although our lodge did provide guests with a free but very early morning wake up call: on-site howler monkeys!

Arenal Volcano National Park is 80 miles to the north of San Jose but the drive is very scenic and passes the less active volcano of Poas. Until 1968 the Arenal Volcano was believed to be extinct. Since then there have been frequent eruptions and the area has developed into one of the most popular tourist attractions of Costa Rica as visitors flock to the natural hot springs and to see the almost nightly lava spectacular. We signed up for our hotel’s ‘lava wake-up call’, went to bed and hoped for the best. Unfortunately it wasn’t our lucky night and the only wake-up was from the alarm clock. Primary cloud forest and rainforest cover Arenal National Park with an abundance of flora and fauna species in multiple life zones, innumerable rivers, waterfalls and thermal hot springs. Several of the hotel resorts have their own on-site hot springs. The Tabacon Resort has some of the most visited springs in the area but is not exclusive to hotel guests and resembles more a Disney-esque theme park than a place to relax and unwind. The private springs for guests close to the Kioro hotel are far more tranquil and exclusive than the more opulent alternatives at the Tabacon.

Located up in the mountains at an altitude of 1440m (4662ft) the cloud forest of Monteverde is teeming with wildlife. It is because of the altitude that it is known as a cloud forest rather than a rain forest since the clouds go through the forest. The rain season runs from May to October but this doesn’t mean it never rains at other times! The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is a non-government, private non-profit reserve containing 6 distinct ecological zones. The canopy is extremely rich with birds, insects, butterflies, and thousands of plants. The nearby Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve is a smaller reserve but offers similar flora and fauna and far less visitors. The best way to appreciate the cloud forest is to walk along the trails with your guide and a pair of binoculars. Outside of the reserves independent companies have constructed hanging bridges in the canopy and zip lines that let you get closer to the tops of the trees and have a better understanding of the different levels within the forest. In an attempt to try to restrict the number of tourists, the roads into the area have been left unpaved so a journey of only a few kilometres can take hours. The irony is that the pot-holed tracks only add to the remoteness of the area and in reality don’t keep the visitors away.

Driving south from San Jose along the Pan-American Highway, the road climbs high into the Cerro de la Muerte mountains, named Mountain of Death as a reference to the many ill-prepared travellers, who in the past attempted to cross the range on foot or by horse-back on a journey which lasted for three or four days at high altitudes with less than favourable weather conditions. The village of San Gerardo de Dota is located in a picturesque valley on the western slopes and has a plethora of plant and bird species. It is also the primary habitat of the quetzal, the most famous of all Costa Rican birds. The Resplendent Quetzal features heavily in the pre-Columbian civilisations of Central America and was revered by the Mayans and Atzecs who believed the bird to be the god of the air and was a symbol of goodness and light. The Mayan rulers wore headdresses made of the vibrant green tail feathers to connect them symbolically with Quetzalcoatl, the god of creation and wind. The bird can be seen most of the year but are more frequently found in their breeding season of April and May in the avocado trees (their favourite food). Apart from the quetzal a variety of other birds such as parakeets, woodpeckers, hummingbirds and tanagers can also be seen. The relatively remote village lies at an altitude of 2200 metres above sea level but the stunning scenery, lush cloud forest and the scope for bird watching make the region a beautiful place to spend a few relaxing days.

The Pacific coastline offers 3 distinct areas for wildlife protection. On the northern peninsula Playa Grande is thought to be one of the most significant nesting sites in the world for the baula, or leatherback turtle. However, despite the ever-increasing efforts to protect the turtles, fewer leatherbacks are nesting on the beaches. Between December and April it is possible to visit the beach during the night on a guided tour to watch the hatching of the baby turtles. The beaches around the town of Tamarindo are some of the finest in Costa Rica and aside from the turtles, racoons and howler monkeys are equally common. On the centre of the Pacific coast lies Manuel Antonio National Park, the second smallest but perhaps most visited national park in the country. Thickly forested volcanic hillsides rise steeply from the shoreline, which provide stunning views and plenty of walking opportunities. These tropical forests are home to a range of animals including different species of monkeys, toucans, iguanas, sloths and scarlet macaws and the beaches provide homes for a number of sea birds. Situated on the very southern stretch of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, the Osa Peninsula and the Corcovado National Park are home the largest population of scarlet macaws in the country as well as many endangered animals such as giant anteaters, Baird’s tapir and the harpy eagle. In the surrounding water of the Pacific Ocean and the Golfo Dulce dolphins and whales can also be seen. These, and the countless other species of fauna and flora have led the area to be considered by National Geographic as ‘the most biologically intense place on earth’. Here beautiful and remote lodges allow visitors to experience nature away from the crowds.

Costa Rica is home to more than 500,000 species, which puts it rightfully in its place as a country with one of the highest biodiversities in the world. With such a large proportion of the country protected by national park status it would be impossible to cover all the areas but hopefully this will help inspire you too, to get out of your hotel bed at 5am, pick up a pair of binoculars and go out in search of the quetzal

Argentina: The Andean Northwest

After a couple of days exploring Buenos Aires and the obligatory visit to the Iguazú Falls, most tourists head south to Patagonia or west to the Lake District. Instead, I flew 2 hours north to Salta, one of Argentina’s few remaining colonial cities and home of the empanada. These small pasty-like snacks come filled with mince, ham or cheese and potato and they won’t be found better anywhere else!

The main highlights of Salta are the rather pink cathedral on one side of Plaza 9 de Julio and the Cabildo on the opposite. Legend has it that anyone who walks round the back of the fountain in the middle of the square won’t ever get married, which explained the semi-circle of empty benches! The beautifully painted San Francisco church is another example of the colonial architecture the Spanish left behind. Its bright, deep red and yellow exterior makes it one of Salta’s most photographed buildings.

The recently opened MAAM Museum (Museum of High Altitude Archaeology) in Salta is also a worthwhile visit. In March 1999, three Inca children were found frozen at the peak of Mount Llullaillaco, 6700m above sea level, where they were sacrificed more than 500 years ago. The well-preserved mummies of the Llullaillaco Children are now displayed along with their accompanying artefacts in the museum. Having been previously amazed by the mummy of Juanita in Peru, these are even more well-preserved and amazingly lifelike!

However, for me the real focus of my visit wasn’t the city of Salta but rather the scenery and Andean villages of the Salta province. The biggest surprise of all however was the incredibly high standards of accommodation that are available in even the most remote of destinations.

The Calchaquí Valley and surrounding canyons are a truly hidden gem in Argentina’s northwest Andean region. The journey to get into the valley is just as stunning as the valley itself. The road leaves Salta’s Valle de Lerma and snakes up the Cuesta del Obispo (Bishop’s Summit) to a height of 3330 m above sea level. As the road finally enters the Parque Nacional de las Cardones (Cardon National Park) the landscape levels out to vast plains of cardon cacti resembling troops of soldiers standing to attention.

Heading south down the Ruta 40 are the charming Andean villages of Cachi and Molinos. With narrow cobblestoned streets and small churches, either provides a relaxing stop in the journey. Cachi, the larger of the two, also has a small archaeology museum and the relaxed way of life is a welcome change from the bustle of Buenos Aires and even Salta.

The Ruta 40 is Argentina’s equivalent of the M1 motorway. Running from Ushuaia in the far south almost to the Bolivian border in the north, the Ruta 40 traverses the entire country. Seeing the kilometre markers along the road showing we were still 4489kms from Ushuaia definitely puts into perspective the enormous length of Argentina. Unlike the M1, much of it is one-lane and from Cachi to Cafayate, through the Calchaquí Valley, it is a single-track dirt road. But the scenery is much more breathtaking.

From Molinos it is a 3-½ hour drive to Cafayate along the dusty road through the Quebrada de las Flechas (Canyon of Arrows) with striking photo stops along the way. All of the formations are made from sand blown across from the Chilean Atacama Desert and are caused entirely by wind erosion since the region receives almost no rain.

Cafayate is the heart of the province’s wine production. The vineyards are at some of the highest altitudes in the world, which winemakers are active to promote as the winning formula of their wines. Within walking distance of the town are numerous vineyards offering guided tours and complimentary wine tasting and in Cafayate it’s possible to buy Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon flavoured ice cream. For the wine enthusiasts it is possible to stay at some of the estancias in the vineyards and get an authentic ‘wine’ experience. Among my favourite were the Estancia Colomé near Molinos and Patios de Cafayate on the outskirts of Cafayate.

The four-hour return drive from Cafayate to Salta is on tarmac roads and passes through the Quebrada del Rio de las Conchas (Canyon of the River of Shells). Photo stops are made at impressive natural rock formations such as Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat), El Amfiteatro (the Amphitheatre) El Fraile (the Monk), El Obelisco (the Obelisk) and other which are more subject to the imagination!

Heading north from Salta towards the Bolivian border the colourful canyons and the aptly named ‘Cerro de Siete Colores’ (Hill of Seven Colours) are the province of Jujuy’s semust-see attraction. The oxidisation process of the different minerals is shown in varying red and green colours, which seem to change during the day depending on the position of the sun. The small village of Tilcara has some ruins of an impressive Inca fortress and the colourful market in the town sells a wide array of typical Andean souvenirs and products made from the cardon cacti, seen growing in abundance across the region.

At the northern end of the canyon, the charming town of Humahuaca could easily be confused with a village in the Peruvian Andes and just highlights how significant the Incas were and the extents of the empire that they maintained. The narrow streets, some cobbled, some dust, lead to a small square and an even smaller and unusual looking church. Everywhere Quechan ladies are selling handicrafts and souvenirs and as it is at an altitude of 2800m above sea level, the coca leaf sold and chewed as a common Andean preventative measure to help alleviate symptoms of altitude sickness.

Being in Buenos Aires or Patagonia it is easy not to realise that the Incas could have influenced any part of Argentina since the Salta region was as far as their empire stretched. In many ways it is a shame that this part of Argentina is so much less visited but the lack of people and the remoteness of some places just add to its unique charm. The stunning landscapes, excellent food and delicious wine are an added bonus!

A Chile Winter

Beginning in the north the border with Peru and stretching over 4000 km to Tierra del Fuego in the south, Chile is a country of incredible contrasts. From the lunar desert landscapes of Atacama to the wilderness of the Patagonian steppe, at its widest point Chile is less than 350 km so almost everywhere you are the majestic Andes, the geographical border with Argentina provide a spectacular backdrop.

Contrary to belief, Chile can be a year round destination. Although there is more rainfall in the winter months between May and August, the capital of Santiago and the surrounding areas of Middle Chile are still mild compared to the British winter. Not that the Santiagans, wrapped up in hat, scarf and gloves would have you believe! Lying at 2300m above sea level, San Pedro de Atacama has warm, clear, sunny days but cold nights, particularly so in winter. Patagonia and Torres del Paine are beautiful areas to visit at all times of the year. The flowers in springtime, the summer sunshine and the autumnal orange and golden leaves are stunning but winter is just as picturesque. Although it is cold all year round, in July and August the wind is at its lowest and as the winter skies are often clearer, the visibility is much better which makes it an ideal season to appreciate the striking snowy scenery with virtually no one else around.

After a long flight from London to Santiago, via Madrid, most people want a comfortable hotel in the city, just 20 minutes from the airport. to relax in for the afternoon. As Chile is so long, it is impossible to avoid taking several domestic flights, which inevitably result in revisiting Santiago as flight schedules rarely coincide. As an alternative, I drove 50 minutes from the airport straight to Valparaiso on the coast. Valpo, as is called by its residents, is like no other city in Chile. It has a unique charm that can be likened to the colourful, aluminium-framed houses of the La Boca district of Buenos Aires, or a mix of the small, narrow streets of Lisbon with the rundown allure of Havana. Despite being a popular port of call for cruise ships, the city was virtually overlooked by those on board as it was seen as the point of access to Santiago, which is just one hour away. However, since being named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2003, the fortunes of this distinctive city have started to change. Many small boutique hotels have opened, attempting to entice people away from the more glamorous neighbourhood of Viña del Mar, the beach playground of the wealthy Chileans.

Valpo is effectively two cities rolled into one: the less inspiring flat shopping and business district of El Plan near the port; and the winding labyrinth of rambling streets and alleyways, with the colourful houses made from corrugated iron that sit perched on the edge of the many cerros or hills rising precariously above. Each cerro has its own unique identity but it is Cerro Alegre and Concepción that attract the most visitors with their very individual and bohemian style.

The best way of exploring the hillside is by way of the 15 different ascensores, funicular-type lifts built between 1883 and 1916. Conveniently the oldest of these is Ascensor Concepción which climbs to Cerro Concepción from where you can wander for hours along picturesque street passageways, past photogenic houses and climb seemingly never-ending staircases up to the higher cerro. The Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda had one of his three houses, La Sebastiana, on Cerro Bellavista, which showcases Neruda’s eccentric style and is filled from the basement to the crows-nest like attic-study with his knick-knacks and quirky items collected on his extensive travels.

On a quiet residential street in Cerro Alegre, Hotel Zero is the perfect place to relax, either for a couple of nights after the long flight from London, or at the end of a tour of Chile before going home. Walking down the street you would miss it if you didn’t know it was there, but once inside, a beautiful converted house opens up in front of you, providing an instant calming and relaxing atmosphere. The high ceilings and huge windows shower the rooms with light and if you have a room at the back of the house, from the exquisite beds there is a view across the bay and to the port far below. An identical view can also be seen from the hidden sun terraces or panoramic winter terrace where breakfast and the Saturday brunch are served. Reflected in the hotel’s honesty bar, the very friendly owners and managers have successfully created a true, relaxed home-from-home gem, which makes you very reluctant to leave.

For the rest of my trip, I was lucky to be staying in two of the Chilean Explora hotels. The first, Hotel Salto Chico in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia opened in 1993 from ‘a philosophy of travel born out of the desire to explore the natural and cultural environment of remote regions at the Southern tip of South America’. Following its success, a sister hotel opened five years later in the Atacama Desert and in December 2007 the newest hotel, Posada Mike Rapu, opened on Easter Island.

Waking up the morning after a 2-½ hour flight and then a one-hour drive in the dark, it could easily have been mistaken that we’d been transported to another planet. We’d swapped city life for the desert and instead of a view over the busy docks of Valparaiso, I was having breakfast surrounded by volcanoes. Sitting at 2300m above sea level in the north of Chile, close to the Bolivian and Argentinean borders, San Pedro de Atacama is a small and relaxed desert town teeming with both backpacker hostels and luxury hotels, that provide a taste of the Andean culture that is harder to find elsewhere in Chile.

The Explora guides meet the guests each evening in the bar to discuss the excursions for the following day. There are possibilities of half or full day trips ranging from short easy walks along sand dunes or a horse ride across the Atacama salt flat to whole day treks up some of the world’s highest volcanoes. If that sounds too energetic, there is always the option of soaking in the hotel’s own natural hot springs about an hours drive away! One of Explora’s most unique advantages is the recently opened observatory. Because of the high altitude and no humidity, the air is much thinner and there is very little pollution from lights or other sources. Stargazing in northern Chile is among the best in the world so even without a telescope, it is impossible not to be mesmerised but the starry night skies. With the aid of trained astronomers and a powerful telescope, you can find yourself looking into star clusters, planets and even to other galaxies seventeen million light years away. A new device is soon to be installed at the Explora observatory, which will allow guests to photograph the night skies with their own digital cameras giving guests the perfect souvenir of the clear night sky.

Along with star-gazing, two of the most memorable highlights of the Atacama experience are watching the flamingos paddling in the lakes while the distant mountains change from a dusty red though to purple as the sun sets over the Atacama salt flats. Equally beautiful and photogenic was walking with our guide through the famous Valley of the Moon. Having lived and worked in the area for over 10 years, our guide Javier knew the Valley like it was his back garden. Seeing no one else for 3 hours it felt like we were alone with nothing but sand dunes, salt mountains and the volcanoes over 150 km away on the seemingly-endless horizon. Considering the extreme temperatures and high altitudes, the area seems a particularly harsh and inhospitable living environment for any wildlife. However, once the sun rises and you look closely, there is an abundance of birds and animals. The Andean geese and coots that nest on the frozen lakes high up in the mountains, take their heads out of the ice where they have been buried during the night to keep warm. The viscachas, a small rodent, native to South America and seen predominantly in the Andes, that looks like a rabbit with a long tail can be seen searching for food around the rocky outcrops where they can easily scurry back to hide from potential predators. Vicuñas, the wild and untamed relative of the llama, only live at altitudes above 4000m and as law from poachers now protects them, they are relatively unafraid of passing vehicles so can be spotted close to the roads.

Part of the Explora philosophy emphasises that it’s not just the destination that is important, but that the journey getting there is of equal, if not greater interest. After a four hour flight to Punta Arenas and then a five hour drive into Torres del Paine National Park, nowhere is this thinking more true and apparent. Interestingly, Torres del Paine sits on the same latitude south of the equator, as London is north but I cannot imagine anywhere in the UK, let alone London feeling quite so isolated and remote.

The view from the plane as we followed the Andes south from Santiago over the Southern Ice Field was magical. The clouds broke and enormous glaciers, icebergs and frozen lakes emerged below us. Although knowing it would be mid-winter, after three days in the desert, arriving in Punta Arenas, the most southerly city in South America, I was not mentally prepared for snow! Whereas in the Atacama the temperature ranged from –20ºC early in the morning to mid-twenties during the day, Southern Patagonia varied little between –5ºC and 4ºC. In summer, the long road between Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales is a three-hour expanse of little but a few scattered estancias and their grazing sheep and cattle but in July, it was a true winter-wonderland and the drive along the frozen road passed quickly. Along the road we saw plenty of wildlife, including the native rhea, South America’s ostrich, falcons, the arctic fox, and the biggest surprise of all was the colonies of flamingos, which looked somehow out of place as they swam across icy lakes.

There is something exciting about arriving at new places by night and by the time we entered the National Park it was dark so could only imagine what would await us the following morning. We were not disappointed. The Salto Chico Explora hotel is perched on the edge of Lake Pehoé and has probably one of the best views of all the hotels within the park over the glistening lake to the Paine Grande Mountain and famous Paine Massif. There is a very common perception that Patagonia is somewhere off limits in winter but the absence of the biting Patagonian wind means the calm lakes create mirror images of the mountains and landscapes. This lack of icy wind also makes the colder temperatures more manageable! The days are much shorter: the sun rises after 8am and sets by 6pm so the striking colours of the sky can be seen changing without early mornings or late nights. Winter is also the best time to see the infamous puma, as it has to venture further down the mountains to find food than it would do in the summer.

For me the biggest advantage of travelling to Patagonia in winter is that there is almost no one else there. None of the campsites are open for the trekkers wanting to hike the famous ‘W’ around the base of the Torres (Towers) and only a handful of the hotels stay open throughout. Those that do, including Explora, work on a very low capacity so it is quite feasible that on any excursions into the park you won’t come across another person. Obviously the weather conditions do limit some of the activities but there are still plenty of possibilities and there is something incredibly special about horse riding across the snow-covered plains and through frozen streams with the Torres Massif in the background. The most memorable part of the full day trek to the French Valley was walking through snow where the only fresh footprints apart from my own, were that of the puma.

In a country as long and narrow as Chile, that has all types of weather and so many different regions geographically, it is impossible to pick the ‘ideal’ season to travel. Traditionally, the high season has been from December to February, the southern hemisphere summer, but more and more people are choosing to travel in Spring, September to November and Autumn, March to May. Winter seems to put people off because it is assumed it will be too cold or wet, and perhaps difficult to travel to particular regions. Whilst this is of course true to specific areas, the Lake District for example can be very wet in winter, what awaits visitors brave enough to venture away from the European summer is a country with incredible contrasts, stunning scenery and the most welcoming hospitality. And most importantly, far less people to spoil the view!

Murder on the Taurus Express

As the conductor blows his whistle, the white and blue carriages of the Taurus Express pull out of Haydarpasa station on the Asian side of Istanbul. People are frantically trying to board the moving train carrying boxes and bags of purchases from the city’s Grand Bazaar. Friends and families continue their emotional farewells for right along the platforms. As I look out the window I am full of excitement.

The thought of 37 hours on a train with no restaurant on board and only one drop-toilet in a cupboard at the end of the carriage would once have filled me with dread. Now I can’t wait.

Instead of the second-hand microwaves and reels of electric cable brought on board by the family in the next-door cabin, my purchases from the souks are two days supply of food and drink and a lot of Turkish Delight. From Mr Mohammed’s smile, the sleeping-car’s porter, maid and butler, I can only assume he is welcoming us on board. My return smile when he shows me the small room with a flushing toilet at the other end of the carriage hopefully told him how grateful I was!

Formerly part of the London to Baghdad railway line, the Taurus Express crosses Turkey to Gaziantep in the south-east and once a week an additional sleeping-car continues across the Syrian border to Aleppo. Leaving the early morning hustle and bustle of Istanbul behind, the train follows the edge of the Bosphorus, a floating car-park of oil tankers and container ships waiting to head further inland to the Black Sea. Passing through the steep valleys and rocky landscapes of the Taurus Mountains, the train finally reaches an arid plateau deep in Turkey’s interior. A day later, the Express climbs away from the expansive plains crossing into the Syrian hills, dotted with olive groves.

On each carriage is a board telling us of the Turkish stations we’d be stopping at. Before even reaching the first unpronounceable station, we’d stopped at 5 more tongue twisters that weren’t even mentioned. Some of the minor stations, nothing more than a shed or kiosk and no platform, looked to be in the middle of nowhere with not a town or village to be seen. As people jump on and off at each one, I can’t help but wonder where they could be going.

As the train finally pulled into Aleppo, 37 hours after leaving Istanbul, I had the same exhilaration of arriving somewhere new that Agatha must have felt when first stepping onto that platform. In fact it is on the platform in Aleppo station where Murder on the Orient Express opens. Following in her footsteps, I stayed at the famous Baron Hotel where Christie wrote much of the book. After opening in 1909 the Baron Hotel became one of the most famous hotels in the Middle East and although it has evidently seen better days, the evocative atmosphere and smell takes you back to a by-gone day.

Aleppo is a fascinating town full of authentic Middle Eastern character. The labyrinthine souks are a warren of different smells. Running underground from the citadel in the city centre, I’d been warned that the best way to navigate them was to head downhill. Somehow vans, motorbikes with sidecars and even donkeys and carts all share the narrow passageways and steer their way around the maze. Passing everything from silver to spices, eventually the subterranean tunnels emerge onto a busy street and it’s easy to forget the hidden network that exists where days are spent trading goods and wares

To explore the rest of what Syria has to offer I hired a driver and guide. Heading south of Aleppo I stopped at Crac des Chevaliers near the industrial city of Homs. Perched high on a hill outcrop with panoramic views into Lebanon and to the Mediterranean, it is the best preserved Crusader castle in the world. I could easily imagine the soldiers looking out across the plains watching for the enemy. Following the signposts for Baghdad, my guide brought me to the oasis town of Palmyra in the middle of the desert. Now a principal producer of date palms, it was once an important Roman city located on strategic trading routes with the East. The temples and columns are very much part of the town, even passing alongside them on the main road into today’s Palmyra. Exploring the temples and ruins on a spitting camel was marginally more bearable in the still intense evening heat than on foot but it remains difficult to imagine the vast scale of the city at its heyday.

Syria’s capital city seems more cosmopolitan than Aleppo and I found the contrast of Islamic dress and Western clothing more apparent. The narrow winding streets are slightly wider and the grander souk is predominantly above ground. In order to enter the Umayyad Mosque in the heart of Damascus, I was given a hooded robe covering me from head to foot and removed my shoes. Although much hotter under an extra layer, it felt like an invisibility cloak and gave me more freedom to discreetly explore the mosque bare-foot. The stuffy temperatures inside the mosque made me understand why so many pray outside in the building’s shadows. The intricately carved wooden archways with ceramic tiles and gold paintwork set around the marble-floored courtyard provide the perfect refuge from the sun’s glare.

After spending 10 days with some of the most hospitable and welcoming people I’ve met, it’s easy to understand how Agatha Christie fell in love with a train journey and also a country. For me, travelling is not just about where I’m going but how to get there. Crossing the border into Syria, I felt a real sense of satisfaction that I’d almost accomplished the journey and found the destination to be friendly and exciting. It seems that whilst George Bush branded Syria part of the ‘axis of evil’, global peace could be modelled on the Syrians themselves. From waiters to taxi drivers and market traders, the most common greeting heard in broken English is ‘You are welcome in our country. Thank you very much’.