Long story short, once I depart Syria, there is no way back in.
I'd had a great time in Syria, but I began to get a whiff of hipster pretentiousness in Damascus that I felt would only become worse in Beirut.
Now don't get me wrong, my research indicated that Lebanon is an amazing country, and a place I would love to visit, but at this point my only opportunity to visit Lebanon is constrained by time and limited to Beirut.
One of the heartbreaking aspects of travel for most of us is the limitation, the editing of an itinerary due to any number of restraints. Time, money, visa restrictions all play a part and it is best to accept the fact some great potential experiences must remain on the cutting room floor, and that one must move forward with nary a glance behind, nor a twinge of regret.
Farewell Damascus, hello Palmyra, and I send my regrets to Lebanon. In hindsight, it is the best travel decision I have ever made.
I disembark the bus on the outskirts of Tadmor, the town adjacent to Palmyra. As usual, I adopt my "too cool for school" stance. I smoke and I wait, as if I know exactly what I'm doing and I'm in no hurry to do it, which of course is utterly untrue.
I check out the humble bus station, watch relatives pick up my fellow passengers and keenly observe the actions of other tourists as they negotiate fares to Tadmor, while taking in the wider landscape around me, which is both stunning and desolate.
I give myself a mental pat on the back for having made it this far as I tell myself to breathe.
I see a minibus one passenger short of a quorum. I negotiate a cheap fare and I take the last seat and off we go.
I arrive at my internet reserved hotel, but they have no idea about my booking, and I have no proof that I actually made a booking.
And here is travel tip #9842 - Always print out confirmation of an online reservation!
No matter, I'm famished and I kill some time dining in the restaurant while the gracious staff prepare a room for me, and I eventually print out a receipt and present it upon check out and they honour the price.
But I digress, this post is not about the mundane details of my check in, nor about the thought process that led me here. It is about Palmyra.
I check in to my room, power nap, and awake to the realisation that one of the finest historic sites on the planet is 150 yards away. I get my boney ass out of bed and head out.
When I first glimpse the unspeakable magnificence that awaits, I give myself another pat on the back.
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