We had a large buffet breakfast with lots of Middle Eastern fare (salads, cheeses, olives, hummus) as well as American favorites.
We then visited the Great Collonade, agor, and palace baths of the Palmyra ruins. Ryan and I couldn't wait to ride the camels and hastily paid the "going rate" (likely more than we should have) for a quick five minute loop. Still, it was great fun and the camel driver was very nice. His friend wrapped us in headscarves for a picture afterwards.
The stream of souvenir sellers spoke decent English and pursued us through the site offering postcards, necklaces, and small figurines. Ryan bought a silver camel and a necklace after minimal negotiations. In general, the sales people seemed genuinely friendly and a couple of them chatted with us without even trying to make a sale. Of course, there were also several pushy ones insisting that we needed their scarves and pushing postcards at us.
I felt comfortable with the ones we brought from who seemed appreciative. However, I refused to buy from the young children or the adults who seemed to be with these kids. There was one particularly sad boy who sat looking dejected and refused to get up and sell when prompted by older boys. One of the older boys kicked him and shoved him in the side of the head. The scuffle was over as soon as it began, but I didn't know what to do aside from staying away from this group of sellers.
After the ruins, we drove halfway back to the ship and stopped at crusader castle of Krak des Chevaliers. We had lunch at a nearby restaurant including chicken, French fries, and most of the same appetizers as the night before. The we toured the expansive castle, walking along the castle walls and admiring the panoramic views of Homs.
We returned to the ship for a restful evening onboard. Returning to our cabin and the fantastic crew as like coming home. Unfortunately, Ryan got TD and didn't sleep well.
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
1 day ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
2 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
3 days ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week