Webmaster's Note: Because the BikeAbout team is traveling in smaller groups for a little while, we have changed the format of the journal slightly. On the fast facts pages you will find fast facts for the lead group (today it's the guys, who are traveling from Lebanon to Syria). Cumulative mile totals are for all groups combined. The rider notes pages associated with each group are on separate pages. On the rider notes page, we have placed the lead group's notes first, followed followed by other group(s). For your convenience, the "View Rider Notes" links jumps to the beginning of each specific group's rider notes. When the groups rejoin in late February or early March, we will return to the original format for these pages.

topics: border crossing, nutrition, Hafez al-Assad, Middle East wars, history; jump to dispatch

BikeAbout Log

At 6:00 PM February 7, 1998
Sunrise (local): 6:31 a.m. Sunset (local): 5:10 p.m.	Weather 60°F
Traveled Since Feb. 6 56 mi / 90 km (66 km by Anthony with 24 km additional by Ethan and Padraic) Cumulative (all groups) 2160 mi / 3478 km	Lat: 34° 53' 29" N Lon: 35° 52' 34" E Elev: 3 ft / 1 m

Fast Facts

Where We Are: Tartous
Where We're Staying: Hotel Al Awayha
Places We Visited: Syrian border
Featured Site: Tartous
Person of the Day: Hafez al-Assad
What We Ate:: Food of the Day: carbohydrates; Breakfast: leftover pastries; Lunch: local flat bread; Dinner: three hamburgers, two plates of fries, a pizza, and a bowl of pasta (what do you expect after such a meager breakfast and lunch?); Olive Count: 1576
Word of the Day: Mish mahoul means "It is not possible" in Arabic.
Tech Fact of the Day: Crossing borders can be a pain (part #3): Flat Count (Cumulative): 13; Broken Spoke Count (Cumulative): 26

Next Stop: Hama!

View Rider Notes

Meanwhile, Ethan and Padraic had to return to Beirut, and
Corinne and andrEa are still relaxing in the company of their new friends in Rhodes, Greece.


Itinerary/ Journal	Discussions	About Syria	eDscape Projects	Scrapbook