C M Y K F1 TRAVEL 12-20-09 EZ EE F1 CMYK ABCDE Travel F sunday, december 20, 2009 GOING OUR WAY Road Trip Tens of thousands of bulbs light up a state park. F2 “Every time you look Sustainable and affordable? How to see Machu Picchu and the What’s the Deal? Southwest’s sale lasts only one more day. F2 outside your window, Galapagos Islands with minimal you know that a lot is disruption. F3 The Navigator Helping readers solve their travel disputes. F3 “ missing.” CHAT 2 p.m. Monday at washingtonpost.com/travel. — Debi Thomas, Biloxi, Miss., F6 A large statue of the Virgin Mary stands over Maaloula, Syria, where the ancient Aramaic language is still spoken. C M Y K F4 TRAVEL 12-20-09 EZ EE F4 CMYK F4 KLMNO SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2009 A Christian heritage thrives in the hills of Syria maaloula continued from F1 they realized how important it was, so they started teaching it in that it had never been used for church. The Germans opened our blood sacrifices. The icons on the eyes and showed us we had some- walls included one of John the thing special.” Baptist, particularly appropriate The language got another boost given the ceremony we were in 2004 when Mel Gibson’s movie about to witness. “The Passion of the Christ” de- Then the priest arrived, and we picted Jesus speaking Aramaic, stood quietly to the side as the providing English subtitles. But prayers were said and the baby few villagers could follow the dia- anointed. Here, for this brief mo- logue. A shepherd told a visiting ment, Aramaic was not a dead filmmaker from London that the relic but a living thing, a flower movie language sounded “broken” bursting through a crack in the to his ear. Maaloula’s vernacular is stones, greeting a child into a “faster and stronger,” he said. community of Christians that re- Faster and stronger applies to fuses to be swallowed up by the St. Thekla as well. Born in what’s Muslim world at its doorstep. now the Turkish city of Konya at Syria is known in the West for the time of Christ, she was forbid- its combustible politics: an ad- den to hear St. Paul when he came versary committed to the de- CHRISTOPHEto preach GOUSSARD the gospel. Sitting at her struction of Israel; a supporter of open window, she miraculously radical Islamic organizations heard his voice and was instantly such as Hezbollah in Lebanon; a converted.Tigri sAfter she broke her en- TURKEY R sanctuary for terrorists operating gagement and. vowed to remain a across the border in Iraq. Many “bride of Christ,” she was sen- C M Y K friends who heard that we were F1 tencedEu to death by fire. But a sud- ph vacationing in Syria thought we den ra storm doused the flames. TRAVEL 12-20-09 EZ EE F1 te CMYK SYRIA s C M Y K F5 Med. were daft, but few realized that When she R spurned the advances of the country’s extensive Christian Sea a nobleman. in the city of Antioch, TRAVEL 12-20-09 EZ EELEB. F5Maaloula CMYK heritage — St. PaulKeeping was converted the faith she was thrown into a pit with on the road to Damascus, after all Damascus wild beasts, which refused to at- — is still here to be seen and ISRAEL tack her.IRAQ Eventually, Paul blessed heard and felt. WEST her decision to live as an ascetic As a Jew, I never felt unsafe or LAIF/MAXBANK GALLI/REDUX virgin here in the hills of Maalou- unwelcome in Syria, but the SAUDIla, but she faced one more trial: A Christian steeples and Muslim minarets coexist inABCDE Maaloula, which is built on a steep hill. ARABIA country’s once vibrant Jewish JORDAN local peasant vowed to plunder SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2009 KLMNO 0 100 F5 population has been driven away, wash, a gesture of respect to the DETAILS her virtue.MILES She fled his advances, and the grand synagoguein of Alep- mothera of Jesus. Syrian Hana pointed out town and the mountain opened beforeF po lies decaying and desecrated the mountaintops where every GETTING THERE necessary, this is the place to intriguing destinations in theM.K. CANNISTRA/THEher, WASHINGTON offering POST a narrow path of es- behind iron gates. Syria has tak- year fires are lighted to celebrate The drive to Maaloula from stay if you really want to get a region. The Krak des Chevaliers, cape. en a differentVIEW view FINDER of its Chris- the Festival of thestrong Holy sun Cross. bounced offDamascus the light- takesman about officer, an hour a secretsense Christian of the town,Jesus, research is still spoken.a spectacular Now hemountaintophigh to clamber aroundThat apath steep, exists today, and after tian population, whichWhere remains the language(Legend says thatcolored after limestoneHelena, walls.over My reasonably wife, whose good roads, faith wasbut unmaskedAramaic whenor make aasked more whether we’dfortress like builtto hear by the Crusaders,stony village.) is lunch we followed the footsteps of at about 10 percent, 14 ofcenturies Jesus livesmother on of Constantine,Cokie, andthe I firstsought thehiring shade a carof a and hedriver refused is to participateextended in a pilgrimagesac- the to Lord’s the Prayer90 in minutes his mother to the north;We followed theSt. party Thekla into through the the cleft in the after the region’s conquest by Christian Roman porticoemperor, as found our guide,Travelpreferable Hana, ex- to drivingrifice yourself. to Zeus. Sergiusmonasteries and his of St.tongue, Thekla andand of coursePalmyra, we said a well-preserved yes. monastery church,rock and for Hana perhaps rec- a half-mile. Many Arabic-speaking Muslims. The the relics of Jesus’splained cross in theJerusa- history surroundingFinding your wayfriend outsunday, of Bacchus, december a fellowSt. Sergius.20, 2009officer Right nextHana to St. held out hiscaravan arms stopand onin- the ognizedold Silk one of thecaves women pocked as his the cliffs above us, Baath Party, which byhas Steven ruled V.lem Roberts in 325, she orderedus. her ser- Damascus can beand difficult, co-religionist, and wereSergius, tortured the hotel tonedhas great the familiarRoad, words is several in a hourswife’s to the school friend.some They used were for tombs in antiquity, since 1963, is decidedlySpecial secular. to The Washingtonvants to light Post a seriesThe of firesoriginal that church,the he signs said, are notand always executed in the viewsSyrian over city the of valley,strange as well language as east; that Hama, to betweenme there the Krak for a baptism,others she told for dwellings. him, The walk was a bit treacherous, and I was start- GOINGBut one OURof its founders,WAY Michel eventually carried datedword offrom her dis-the 4th centurytourist-friendly.Road butTrip TensYourResafa, hotelof thousandsand or many of achurches bulbs tennis lightcourt in up and asounded astate swimming park. a bit F2 like andHebrew. Aleppo, We is sa- a pleasantand asriver “Everywe waited for time the cer- you look SustainableAflaq, was Greek andWe affordable?Orthodox. were standingcovery in the back court- to thewas Byzantine built on cap- top of a pagantravel agencysanc- canthis easily country arrange bear theirpool. names. vored the momenttown as theknown prayer for ancientemony wooden to begin, inghe togave worry us abouta turning an an- ChristiansNew have yardtraditionally of St. Sergius, itala Greek of Zealand’sConstantinople.) Catho- tuary, and some of thea car wooden and driver forMaaloula the day, or is Hana’strue home vil- echoed off the natureancientwater stones. wheels that oncequick irrigated tour. A stonekle altar, when dating we suddenly found our- outside your window, Howserved to seein high Machu governmentlic Picchu monastery and posts, the in theWe Syrian went hillfirst tobeams, St. Sergius, made the of LebaneseyouWhat’s can cedar, simply the engagelage, Deal? and a taxi; Southwest’son the driveWHERE sale from lastsTO the EAT only oneThen more a doorday. F2opened,the desert. and in from the church’sselves earliest at a days,monastery dedicated to Galapagosand Christian Islands townpractices with ofminimal Maaloula, and highestabout an point hour in town,were and more though than 2,000they years are old. plentiful.capital Syria has he twohad toldSt. us Thekla proudly Restaurantwalked about 30 well-dressed youhad no knowrim or drain St.that spout,Thekla. aa signThe lot sanctuary is is built disruption.monuments F3 are widelynortheast respect- of Damascus.not every It was traveler a Also gets known to see as a Mar classesSarkis,The Navigator ofthe taxis:that Yellow thisHelping ones is one are readers of theJust solvefew down places their the hilltravel frompeople disputes. the who Safir clearly F3 PLANNING were not tour- A TRIP on the spot where she lived in a “ cave until her death at age 90. ed. In the bazaarshot of Aleppo,day in latethe summer,baptism and in Aramaic,the monastery there are wasusu- namedsmall for anda Ro- cheap,where while Aramaic,“star” thehotel language (you can of getists. directions (No atone wearsIn the heels Internet that age, itmissing.” hasmaaloula continued on F4 names on the gold and jewelry ally guides or schoolgirls present taxisCHAT are a2 bit p.m. larger Monday and more at washingtonpost.com/travel.the desk), this is at the head of become more possible— Debi to plan Thomas, Biloxi,A Miss., series F6 of steps mounts the hill stores are still mainly Armenian, to recite the Lord’s Prayer in the expensive; both can be hired at the gorge through which St. trips on your own, even to to her tomb, separated by pleasing reflecting the influx of Arme- language. These guides report that reasonable rates for day trips Thekla made her epic escape.