Latakia and Surrounding Area Highlights

Most of Syria that I saw is quite green. Common perception is that it's all desert, but that's simply not true.
Below is my cousin and his pet monkey named Mano. She was very cute, and weirdly human-like.
In both Syria and Turkey, sheep head were a common market sight. Gross.
This was seriously the noisiest market I have ever been to. It was intense.
The payphone. Everyone has cell phones though, so I never saw anyone using them.
All the restaurants had boxes of Kleenex on the table, to be used as napkins. Sometimes, they even had advertising on them for various prescription drugs, as though they came directly from the drug rep. Every time I saw it, I laughed.
Just outside of town, sheep were always crossing the road.
Pictures of the current and past Syrian presidents were plaster everywhere: on buildings, cars, houses, you name it.
A fiery tanoor (same as tandoor), for baking bread and savory pies. They were really good. That's one type of food I am not tired of.

Me at a seaside cafe. It was windy.

My dad had dreams about the Kinafe (dessert composed of cheese sandwiched between shredded dough and doused with syrup) at this shop. I think his version was better.
Latakia at night. Everyone stays up and out really late there, pretty much every day.

My cousin's citrus farm.


Kasab, a resort town in the mountains.
A miniature coliseum in Jublé.
The Mediterranean Sea.
Cool modern mosque by night.
Little Mano, up close and personal. She really has a very large, nice cage. Don't worry. :)
Ugarit, where the first alphabet was discovered.
My uncle's citrus farm.

These trees are over a hundred years old.
OK, story time: Note the bread sitting in front of my uncle. Pepsi was brought to the table, but my uncle didn't want cold Pepsi (I have no idea). The waiter took the Pepsi away, and brought back some hot, but dried up bread, and said "here, this is warm." Okaaaaay. But my uncle ate the bread.
Also, I was massacred by mosquitos at the restaurant (it's open air). One and half weeks later, the bazillion mosquito bites on my legs are still visible, although now they have faded into bruises.


Entire families were often seen riding altogether on ONE motorcycle. I don't know how they all fit.