With all the Syrian refugees fleeing from their country today, memories were brought back of a wild trip some of us stationed on the carrier Roosevelt ventured, in November Our ship was anchored off Beirut, Lebanon. A group of us decided to take a bus trip to Damascus, Syria, through a tour provided by a Lebanese outfit. If I remember correctly, it is about a three hour drive over a mountain between the two cities. We had a Lebanese driver, and a guide.
About halfway through the trip the unheated bus made a pit stop up in the mountains. We all had a few drinks to warm up. I remember thinking to myself "what the heck are we doing up here - in the mountains - in a tavern - in no mans land - between two Mid East countries that are not too friendly with each other - or us. Arriving at the border the lebanese guide got out of the bus to talk to the Syrian soldiers.
They had rifles slung over their shoulders. For some reason our guide got into a heated argument with one of the soldiers, and the argument got to the point, the guide actually punched the soldier in the face. All of us sailors thought "we've had it now, these soldiers will probably open fire on us and the Lebanese guide".
Just the opposite happened, the Syrian soldier put his hands up to his face, leaned against the bus and cried. I mean he was actually sobbing.. The tour guide got back on the bus, and we took off without any further problem. We never knew what provoked the incident, or why the other soldiers just stood by without doing anything, but we were glad to get out of there and get down to Damascus.
Walking the shopping area of Damascus, a large street with many shops, with a large overhead roof that covered the street, we found the most exotic shops in any country Ive been in. Some of the guys bought fancy knives and daggers with ivory and camel bone handles that were inlaid with fake rubies, emeralds, etc. Wood carvings, inlaid jewelry boxes etc.
