Syria Through Different Eyes
September 25, 2011
On September 15th, the State Department issued the following travel advisory. “Given the ongoing uncertainty and volatility of the current situation, U.S. citizens who must remain in Syria are advised to limit nonessential travel within the country. U.S. citizens not in Syria should defer all travel to Syria at this time.”
Exactly one week later, I received the following note:*
“Welcome to Syria!
We are Alafaq Tours in Damascus. We offer tours for Individuals and Groups in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon in order to show them the great Civilization, inheritance and History of Damascus and Syria and its role and importance in the past and nowadays”
We have a desire to show them the real Damascus and Syria, not the commercial and tourist one, to change the prejudices and stereotypes in order that people go back to their home country with a better and much more accurate idea about the Arabs, the Middle East, Muslims and Islam. So we take care of everything, the best we can: Insha Allah, as we say here.”
We want to have a special and different “touch”, giving a deep and strong track of Arabic – Islamic identity and culture, in the choice of our itineraries and partners (hotels, restaurants, guides …). We offer a personalized and authentic service: an A’rada (typical folkloric group) upon the arrival at the airport, a Hammam (Turkish bath), a present upon departure, accompaniment during all the way and other details that will make your stay unforgettable.”
We want to make the difference with:
- The choice of the hotels, especially in Aleppo, where we can find Arabic palaces converted into hotels. In Damascus, we can also find two or three of them. It is better than placing you in a standard international hotel that looks like any other hotel in any other part of the world.”
- The choice of the restaurants, with oriental decoration, traditional atmosphere and Middle Eastern food.”
- And our team, which accompanies your group to help, talk, answer questions, explain the culture and its tradition, explain aspects of Islam, and the international situation. We also assist you in shopping, bargaining prices to help you obtain the best quality and best price.”
We want to give you a good image of our country. We also work with a long term vision. The visitor of today is the client of the future. Our aim is to make our clients so happy and their stay so enjoyable that they will come back again, with relatives and friends.”
It’s easy to smile at the timing of this note, or to be cynical about its enthusiasm. But I think it’s a wonderful and courageous thing Alafaq Tours is aiming to do. Perhaps it is not solely the travel agency but also the rest of the world that is viewing things amiss.
Conflicting Rights in the Air
September 19, 2011
A friend from Asheville told me about a recent experience he had traveling from Washington, D.C. to Charlotte, N.C. A blind passenger had her service dog seated in front of her, which is customary, but the dog was so large that the seat next to her could not be occupied. The plane was fully booked, and it took over an entire hour for the airline to find a passenger willing to take the next flight for a $200 bonus. Naturally, this inconvenienced all of the other passengers.
Here’s a situation where three (at least) legitimate rights conflict: the right of the disabled passenger to travel in comfort and safety; the right of the “bumped passenger,” vs. that of the service dog to take the ticketed seat; and the right of the airline to freely sell tickets without suffering a penalty if a disabled passenger requires more than one seat.
I don’t think there’s an ideal solution in this situation, but my sympathies and the law favor the disabled passenger. It is usually possible for an airline to find someone willing to wait for another flight when an appropriate incentive is offered. If so, there is no real inconvenience to the bumped passenger, who merely ends up in another seat. The airline in question has a full plane and can absorb the small loss on one seat; hopefully the other passengers suffer only a minor inconvenience.
What do you think?
Why our Travel Site will Host a Wellness Retreat
September 6, 2011
I’ve been asked why i-can-travel is hosting a Wellness Retreat this coming November. My response is that we can only go as far in this world as our minds and bodies take us. I’m not talking about workouts in the gym or the latest fad diet. And I’m not interested in six-pack abs or thinner thighs in thirty days. My concern is simpler and more basic than any of these. It’s directed at people who want to live full, vibrant lives but suffer from constant pain or chronic disease. I’d like to help them get the most out of their travels, whether throughout the world or only in their immediate neighborhood.
In many cases western medicine offers only limited relief. However, since moving to Asheville I’ve met many healers who diagnose and treat dysfunction of the body’s various systems and restore whole health. They work under the assumption that the body’s systems are interdependent and related and use non-invasive, hands-on techniques to achieve and maintain wellness of the whole person. Ultimately, they believe that the body is programmed for self-healing.
I have been deeply impressed with their kindness and with the efficacy of their treatments. They are people who generously share their knowledge and insight to empower others, so I have decided to put together an opportunity for some of them to meet with some of you.
At this retreat, participants will gain techniques for dealing with chronic pain and begin to take a more active role in healing themselves. As a result, they’ll travel with less pain and more confidence, wherever their journey takes them.
More details will be coming in the next week or so.
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