So...I'm still not sure if my sneaky attempt to circumvent the Syrian national firewall against facebook and typepad worked, but I'm trying another sneaky way using my iPhone typepad app on a cafe's wifi setup. So tom and I (and a Finnish dude) made it across the border from turkey into Syria at about midnight after four hours of hanging out with border police, secret police, and other fun characters. The Aussie and the Finn got their visas without a problem, but as I suspected - mine was the tricky one. They had a bunch of different people talk to me, asked for the names of my parents, faxed my entire passport and visa request to Damascus, and generally chuckled at me whenever they passed. They told me it might be an hour, a day, or (as the official line goes) not at all. After about three hours I started being a bit more forceful, tested alexis back in the states for a hotel name and address in Damascus, and then convinced them that I was not in fact a spy and that they could find me at my hotel. They let me in.
I'm currently sitting in a cafe in old town Damascus getting ready to eat a shishkebab. At least for the next two days, text my phone or email me(both can be found on my facebook page) if you need to get a hold of me.
Always an adventure,
AJ
