Your tour was canceled. I am sorry," my hotel manager in Hama, Syria, said to me, shrugging his shoulders.
All morning I had been anxiously awaiting my departure for Krak des Chevaliers, a crusader castle near the Syrian coast that T.E. Lawrence once described as "the most wholly admirable castle in the world."
Though I initially had reservations about traveling to Syria and the region as a whole after perusing State Department travel advisories, those fears proved baseless as I made my way around a country hungry for visitors and eager to show off its historical sites. Krak was at the top of my Middle East agenda, and missing it would be admitting defeat.
"You could get there on your own," the manager said, noticing my disappointment.
I took my bag and walked to the bus station in the blistering heat. After being pulled to and fro by bus company agents promising adventure, I found a bus to Homs, the nearest major town to the castle.
"Krak des Chevaliers?" I asked the bus driver. "Yes! Yes," he yelled impatiently, pulling me onto the bus, probably having not understood my question.
An hour later the bus slowed to a halt. "Qal'at al Hosn," the driver yelled. The passengers looked at each other, waiting for someone to exit the bus.
After a moment of confusion, the driver pointed at me and signaled that I needed to get off. Bewildered, I took my bags and stepped onto the highway emergency lane.
The other passengers looked sorry for me as the bus sped away, leaving me directionless. I walked off the highway to the nearest town and bargained with a bored-looking local to take me to the castle. He agreed and motioned for me to enter his antiquated Russian-made car.
Outside the village, the terrain rolled and then began to climb. I finally caught a glimpse of the castle between two hills in the distance, easing my anxiety that I was headed straight to his relative's curio shop - a common destination for those who find new friends on the street in the Middle East.
The castle was breathtaking. My driver pointed toward it and said something in Arabic before ending in a long "Booooteefull."
It certainly was. After we passed through a rather unremarkable village, the castle came into full view, its size overwhelming. The rich history was easy to feel, particularly amid the bland concrete structures that surround the castle's base. The site was chosen by the emir of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, who built a fortress there in the mid-11th century.
It was captured by Crusaders during the first Crusade but only really inhabited in the mid-12th century by the Knights Hospitallers, contemporaries of the Knights Templar, who began as a protection service for pilgrims bound for the Holy Land.
As their numbers grew, the Hospitallers transformed themselves into a considerable fighting force against Muslim "infidels" who were seen as occupiers of Jerusalem. The Hospitallers paid heed to no other power except the pope, and at the height of their power, they were proprietors of seven major fortresses. The largest, Krak des Chevaliers, was used to stave off invading Muslim armies.
The Hospitallers expanded Krak's original structure, adding 3-meter-thick walls, a moat, a drawbridge, stables, a chapel and seven guard towers that peered out toward the Mediterranean Sea. The Hospitallers fended off numerous attacks by Muslim armies, including one led by Salah al-Din, the most famous Muslim military and political leader during the Crusades. The fortress was eventually captured in 1271 by Baibars, the Mamluk sultan who defeated the Crusaders during their ninth and final crusade to the Holy Land. Depending on the source, it is said that the Crusaders left without a fight, beleaguered and never to return again.
My enterprising tour guide, who had approached me at the front gate, recited the history of the castle in near perfect English.
He took me into the castle's passages, secret doors and hidden tunnels, recounting the tall tales and political intrigue that occurred through the centuries. Though my guide was clearly dwelling in the realm of fiction for the most part, I admired his ability to bring antiquity to life.
As I walked through the dark corridors of the castle, its history was palpable. Gothic, Byzantine and Islamic architecture meld to form one of the most eclectic castles of the period, one that reminds you that you are not in Europe.
After touring the bakery, the kitchen and the latrines (which smell as if they are still in use today), I made my way up to the windswept towers, which offer breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside, including the mountains of Lebanon in the distance.
Just for a moment I could sense the solitude and fear that soldiers must have felt looking out over this strange land, convinced their cause was divinely inspired - with invading soldiers similarly convinced.
When I left, the castle was nearly devoid of visitors, a phenomenon due largely to foreigners' unwarranted fear of travel to Syria rather than the site's lack of grandeur. It's a pity because Krak is no doubt one of the world's great historic sites - and worth the entire 25 cents it costs to enter.
If you go
Syria's desert climate has hot, sunny summers with cold winters. Fall and spring are cool and are the best months to visit.
Getting there
There are no direct flights between Syria and the United States. Recent fares online for flights in the spring round-trip started at $2,500 from the continental United States. Prices are more reasonable if you already in the Middle East, with connections to the Syrian capital, Damascus. U.S. passport holders must obtain a Syrian visa before arrival.
Where to stay
Most visitors to Krak stay in the historic town of Hama and visit the castle on a day trip.
Apamee Cham Palace Hotel: Abi Nawas Street, Hama. (963) 33 525335 or 525346. Hama's luxury option with spectacular views over the city.
Riad Hotel: Sharia Shoukri al-Quwatli Street, Hama. (963) 33 239 512. A well-maintained budget hotel in downtown Hama.
Cairo Hotel: Sharia Shoukri al-Quwatli Street, Hama. (963) 33 222 280. Hama's clean but basic backpacker hotel in the center of town.
More information
Both the Riad and the Cairo hotels offer day tours of Krak des Chevaliers and other tourist attractions in the region for very affordable prices. It is possible to reach Krak from the bus station in Hama, but transportation is irregular.
Article Source:sfgate.com
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