Barbara Walters chats with Forward Syria
Swaying between art and seduction
Discussing monetary policy with the man in charge
Where the earth screams in horror
11/10/2010 - Issue 44
The Lonely Bikers
His name is Mathew Robb, he's a British interior designer in his late thirties. Her name is Flora and she's a British Chef in her mid twenties. At first glance they seem like a nice, ordinary couple. Nothing could be further from the truth. Though they are a delightful and jolly couple, they are all but ordinary... These two high spirited Brits, who have recently arrived in Damascus, have just completed a tour of the Mediterranean sitting on their BMW motorbike.
Their journey began last February and has taken across more than 25,000 kilometres of highways, roads, and dirt tracks. From Spain and Portugal south to Morocco and Tunisia; across the Balkans until finally reaching Syria; which they’ve arrived in after Lebanon, Turkey and northern Iraq last August.
They arrived in Aleppo right in the middle of Ramadan and after two hours of searching through the city they finally found a hotel to stay. From Aleppo they travelled all over northern Syria, finally moving on to Palmyra where they got lost and were warmly rescued and welcomed by bedouins. They were offered food, drinks and a place to stay. Quite unexpectedly they were also offered a baby that displeased its parents... Confusedly they declined the overwhelming offer and later moved on further South, eventually reaching Damascus. They were both stunned by the deep culture that ran through the country and its people, and marvelled at the sight of the ruins and monuments they came across all over Syria.
