Day 27 - Aleppo

Farhad must wake up early to apply for his visa if it is to be ready for our 9pm train from Syria to Turkey. Leila also doesn't have a visa but it is easy for Russians to get this at the border. So Leah, Leila and I sleep in and we prepare for our last stab at the market before we leave. After all is said and done we meet Farhad and Leila at the aged Baron Hotel and we catch our train out!

It is allegedly a new train, but as the car looks like it was designed and upholstered in the 70s my guess is that it is the schedule that is new. The carriage feels like an antique, with a well used mosaic tile floor and beaded shades swinging from ornate metal light shades. The rails are uneven and the train lurches just a bit too much for comfortable sleep in the chair.

Additionally we've unintentionally befriended a very chatty old American guy who has been travelling for over two years in Africa and the Middle East. I get the feeling that he's got an incredible story built up within him, and he hasn't had much of a chance to talk to people about it so we're getting a rambling and unedited version of his dialog on history and life in the world.

At the Syrian border we are awoken from whatever sleep we could have been having, and the engine detaches from the carriage. It is worthwhile to note that the engine is carrying only two carriages - ours and a dining car that only serves tea. Eventually another engine is attached, and I watch this process from within the train. This happens again at the Turkish border so I suspect this is an engine used only to shuttle carriages between borders for some weird visa regulation reason. We have a minor problem as we did not receive an exit card when we entered Syria, but when the officer learned that we crossed at Bab Al Nawas he understood, apparently regulations aren't always followed to the letter at that border crossing. I think in large part to Farhad's Arabic influence we get a warning instead of a fine.

The transfer engine detaches at the Turkish border and we must all leave the train to get our Turkish stamps. While we're doing this, another engine is attached to the train and we head off again - to arrive at Adana at 5.30 am.