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The flight to Aleppo took longer than I expected. I never flew east of İstanbul and was surprised to see that, 2 hours after take-off, we were still flying southeast, the breaking waves of the Mediterranean visible to my right below and Ararat rising ahead. I decided to go to Syria and Lebanon on a whim, after 2 friends from Belgium made a quick stop at İstanbul on their way back to Brussels. I could not believe the beauty of Baalbek and Palmira in the photos that were developed in Istanbul. This was year 2000 and while some of Turkey’s neighbors were off-limits, I could not come to terms why I have ignored Syria for so long. As soon as my visas were ready and I could get 2 weeks off from work, I left Turkey without a guide book or even a hotel reservation. A quick chat with my fellow travelers at the bus station to Aleppo city center made me choose the local gem where everyone was staying. I was going to spend 2 weeks on my own without an Internet connection or a mobile phone. At 25, I have already ‘conquered’ 20+ countries with inter-rail the same way. My last-minute hotel turned out to be the best in Aleppo. We had great fun with the people who tipped me the info. Apparently, they were ‘Turcos’, who migrated from Syria to Argentina during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, visiting their fatherland after a century away. We took a bus to Damascus together where the tea was being served from a samovar on a gas stove. The smells of the grand bazaar, the voice of the prayer from Umayyad Mosque, and the sweet teas at the chess cafés where I joined the local chess tournament are some senses I can never forgot. I only got afraid once, when a sand-storm on the way to Palmira blocked the road for 6 hours; hours which we filled with card games and local moonshine whiskey. On the way to Beirut from Damascus by a ‘dolmuş’, the 8 passengers I just met argued on my behalf with a heavily armed officer and secured my border crossing despite a problematic visa. To reach Baalbek, I had to buy a Hezbollah flag at every one of the 10 road checks. But it was all worth the sense of awe and wanderlust I had while having my solo dinner under stars at the Palmira Hotel. Was I too reckless? Or rather am I too cautious now? I think both are true. One applies more common sense when there is no back up plan. For those were the days of improvisation. You could talk to people on the bus. Your friend could make you wait for an hour or more. Worse, you would not know whether she would be coming or not, but at least you would have a book with you. Syria is now off the tourist map for a long time to come. I am happy that I was able to see a beautiful country and its friendly people. I also know how unpredictably things can change. As the latest coronavirus limits travel across the globe for some time to come; I constantly remind myself that travel opens up minds and takes you out of your comfort zone. True, it can be challenging sometimes but it is an experience that cannot be given up for discomfort, cost, or unknown pathogens. Just plan ahead a bit. Your imagination and your ability to face things as they come will handle the rest. Then what you see, eat, smell, hear, and touch will stay with you for all your life.