A Day Excursion to the Waterfall & Farm in Hama, Damascus, 4th May 2007

After a whole day of shopping at the souq in Damascus, we tried to get a travel agency to arrange a day trip out of Damascus, but were told that as it was the low season, it would not be easy to do so. We went to a few agencies but our attempts were futile.

Just when our hopes were fast vanishing, we went into this nearby restaurant, just 5-minute walk away from our guest-house. The owner, Admir told us that he had a group of Iranian students who were going for a excursion to the nearby waterfall and farm the very next day and asked if we were keen to go along. Each person had to pay 900 Syrian pounds, about US$20, inclusive of the transport, breakfast and lunch. We were more than happy to join the tour as we were just pondering about what to do with ourselves the next day.

After a month of sight-seeing, it was really good to get this opportunity to immerse ourselves into a typical day of the Syrian people. The excursion showed us the simple fun that Syrian people enjoy and their leisure activities. There were a total of 35 people, most of the participants were between 19-26 years old, and this excursion was organized to allow them to get to know more people, a little like our SDU in Singapore. It was fun just watching the dynamics of the different clichés, and observing the moves that the Iranian men made to the pretty French gal who was working in the French embassy.

After a 3-hour bus ride, we finally reached the waterfall. It was very interesting strolling around the waterfall and watching the varied activities of the Syrian people. Many families were relaxing on their picnic mats, with home-cooked food and nan (bread). In the same stream, sights of children playing of the water, a family washing their rice and fruits along the riverbank, and another family washing their dishes. Along the riverbank, young Iranian teenagers smoking shisha (waterpipes), another group happily dancing in sync with the with loud Middle-eastern music blasting from the speakers they brought from home. I was invited to drink a cup of chay (tea) from a three-generation family who was enjoying a picnic and took shots of their lovely grandchildren who were more than happy to pose their candid smiles for my camera. Arlina, Wei Chean and I helped Chef Admir to prepare lunch, cutting the bread into halves, spreading butter and jam over the bread and cooking the sausages over the barbecue-fire. Breakfast was served at close to noon and we were starved by then.

The next stop was the farm, which was another 2-hour drive from the waterfall. There was nothing much to do for us at the farm, besides a quick tour of the farm to look at the new facilities and the ducks and geese they kept. We lazed around in the Bedouin-tent and talked to some of the participants of the excursion. There was a 26-year-old lawyer who spoke very good English. He was one of those who were carrying a torch for the French gal and we could see sparks flying though it was the first time they met. Together, we chatted from topics like things we like about Syria, housing in Singapore, Indonesia maids, bomohs to gay and lesbian relationships in Singapore. When Wei Chean told him that Singapore in the capital for gay activities in Southeast Asia, he was shocked, and we bemused. The friendly Syrians also taught us how to play an interesting card game using just Jacks, Queens, Kings and As. It was a test of our alertness and was really enjoyable and fun. Thankfully, there was a Syrian guy who was very slow in his reflexes and I managed to clear my cards before him.

Lunch was served at 6.30pm and our stomachs were growling by then. It was a sumptuous spread of salads, chicken and jacket potatoes. However, having lunch at 6.30pm was a little strange for our Singaporean stomachs. After dinner, everyone was just relaxing in the Bedouin tent. Some of the Syrian teenagers decided to dance and soon, there were about 8 of them dancing to the music. The dance steps were very interesting, like a cross between tap-dancing and Middle-Eastern dancing. We were happily nestled on the sofa set, admiring the skilful dance moves of these youngsters. Chef Admir came out with two huge plates of desserts, bite-sized muffins coated with chocolate sauce and sliced pineapples and they were completely wiped out in no time.