I Accidentally Ended Up in Palmyra and Honestly Can't Stop Thinking About It

the weather right now is basically perfect - around 20 degrees, feels like 19, humidity at 40% so it's dry, not that sticky feeling you get in coastal places. the sky was super clear, pressure at 1011 so no weird weather coming. honestly ideal conditions for wandering around ruins all day.

let me tell you about the temple of bel because that thing broke my brain a little. it's one of the best preserved roman temples in the middle east and it's just THERE. no ropes, no massive tourist crowds (i saw maybe 20 other people all day), you can literally walk up to columns that are 2000 years old. a local guide told me they restored some parts after the damage in 2015 but honestly you can't tell what's original and what's rebuilt.

"before the war, this place was packed. now it's quiet. some people say that's better, more peaceful. i don't know." - my bus driver, who grew up here

the tourist situation is weird. there's no big tourist infrastructure - no hostel right next to the ruins, no backpacker bars. you stay in tadmor town (which is small, a bit rough around the edges) and take a taxi or walk to the site. i met one french couple, two syrian families on a weekend trip, and that was it.

safety wise - i felt fine, but i also wasn't stupid about it. there's military presence around the site, which is comforting or unsettling depending on your vibe. checkpoints on the road from damascus. my advice? check the current situation before you go because things change fast in this region.

the valley of tombs is what i think about most. it's this stretch of ancient burial structures carved into the hills, and you can walk right in. some of the tombs have these incredible reliefs - figures, horses, details that have survived millennia. i sat in one for like 20 minutes just processing that people built this to last forever and it actually did.

food in tadmor - look, it's not a culinary destination. but i had this lentil soup at a tiny place near the bus station that was incredible, and fresh bread that was still warm. a local told me to try the za'atar manaeesh and he was right. simple food, good food, cheap food.

the digital nomad in me was STRUGGLING though. the wifi situation at my guesthouse was... let's say optimistic. i managed to find a cafe with somewhat reliable connection but i was definitely off the grid more than i usually like. if you need to work while traveling, this is not the place.