April 14, 1967 -- Aleppo Syria, the afternoon

"We traveled steadily from Alanya to Antalya. About 40 kilometers out of Alanya our rides ran out and we slept by a stream. In the middle of the night a loud chorus of frogs awoke me. The next day we caught a bus to Mersin. One night there and on to Adana by Mototren. Adana to Iskenderon by afternoon train. A night there and on to Aleppo. We took a taxi close to the Syrian border from Iskenderon and then walked the final several miles, during which a farmer shared some of his lunch. At the border the guards closely examined our passports. If only they could have read English they might have understood our nationalities. As it was, they had no idea. We then took another taxi from the border into Aleppo The two taxis cost us two dollars.

In Aleppo we found that the Youth Hostel had been ordered closed. A small Arab boy led us to a small hotel.

Turkey was a very nice experience. In Antalya we met Mustafa, He played the black market while at the same time being a member of the National Tourist organization. Mustafa gave us tours of Alanya and Antalya. We saw belly dancers with him, and met an American prostitute at the same establishment (we did not use her services but she was very affordable).

Mustafa also gave us one of our most interesting evenings. In the dark we drove out of town in a Jeep. Well out of town we cut our lights, then the engine and coasted to a stop on a muddy, dusty road where some farmers were awaiting us. The farmers had dug up a tomb and were selling statues from it. Some were fairly large, greater than a foot high and seemingly of museum quality. Mustafa bought several but they were too large for Peter or I to consider."