Day ? - On The Road To Damascus

Finally found a proxy site that hasnt been blocked from Syria. I should be in bed, but the clock maker from Homs has had me walking around the less picturesque sites of Damascus in an attempt to broaden my horizons or impress, I am not too sure.

Aleppo was uneventful unless you count the 12 hour tour of the dead cities and a 150km round trip to Krak des Chaviliers (sp?) in a mini bus of suspect safety record, the feeling I am being followed and the hammam of pain.

Aleppo is a strange city. Full of life and friendly folk but missing something or having too much of something, Ive not yet decided. Police on every corner, shoe shine boys touting for business - not sure whey they think black shoe polish would look good on my green and yellow veggie pumps though! - the odd turf war between the shiners and the usual traffic dodging and hussle and bussle of any middle eastern city.

When I arrived at the hotel the day before I introduced myself to a couple of American girls travelling through the middle east. They were in full swing talking about themselves and their trip - which from my questioning I could only determine a lot of down days and no learnt Turkish or Arabic, not even one word? No.

Next day I awoke late an could hear the American girls talking about themselves over breakfast. I was beat and not up for spending my time listening to down day travel stories so I decided to catch up on some internet research and take an easy walk around the new town, avoiding the touts in the souq as my brain wasnt up for it that day. Back at the hotel the American girls in their early 20s were still in the central courtyard of the hotel drinking Syrian Gin and lemonade while still talking about themselves. I introduced myself for the second time as they didnt seem to know who I was.

Early-ish night and the best sleep for a few days set me in good stead for the tour of the dead cities (Byzantine/Roman) and to suposedly the most impressive castle in the middle east (according to that well known ambiguous character Lawrence of Arabia). Dead cities interesting, castle disapointing, although the contrast between the outter Arab and inner Norman architecture and the warren of cavenous halls and tunels (which seemingly had no plan or design) was impressive, the mounds of trash and unguarded holes (skylights) in the floors, unprotected 100ft drops, rusty and rickety railings all left me with a feeling this country doesnt give a crap about anything or anyone. On the drive back to Aleppo the driver picked up some hitch-hikers, the one who sat in the back with me smelt like horse dung and insisted on showing me his funky phone which also acted like a torch, woo hoo! Trouble was it didnt actually work as a phone! ...and 12 bloody hours later I was back at the hotel famished. The German guy Thomas I met on the tour (which only consisted of 6 of us... a nice Dutch couple, a couple from Costa Rica - who seemed to make out at every opportunity, Get a room! - and Thomas and me) and I went out for some food where we ordered enough food to feed a family (resiting the raw meet and birds on the menu - restraint was always my middle name - but going for the meat and hummus, cherry meat, more meat, some more meat and a Taboule (sp?) salad - 1/2 of our five a day) and then deciding we were both too tired and not really that hungry either... but hey, it only cost us 4 pounds each... Ive made bigger and costlier mistakes.


After another good sleep I was set for a final a walk around Aleppo, this time the souq and the castle - perched up on a seeminlgy man-made mound of considerable stature, enough to give a decent view over the city and be windy enough to blow me over a few times... not good when you consider this is the country of limited health and safety considerations, again with sheer drops unprotected by railings or signs. My britishness has started to internally criticize this lack of attention to my wellbeing.

Jerin the Canuk from Vernon joined me on my ramble, although in true west coast style he was 1hrs late, and only arrived after I made a reminder phone call... I chastised him for being a flakey west coaster and left it at that :)

I am starting to feel like I am being followed. I have seen the same man/boy over the last 2 days no matter where I visit... the souq, the park, the square... I had dismissed it until I again saw him at the castle and pointed it out to Jerin and commented how odd it seems. 30mins later he was getting as paranoid as me after we ran into the same guy another two times in two different locations... spooky!

Time to exit, and a small detour to Lattakia for some R&R. Argument in two different languages with a taxi driver who doubled his fare, a helpful female Lattakian meditator who discussed philosophy and meditation with me on the 4 hour bus ride and Muhammud the super chilled (to the point of vacant) hotel manager at the Tin Tin hostel (Hotel Safwan) on Al-Cornish, the place to be and be seen in Lattakia.

Met up with a Syrian contact I had made and we walked around the town to see the sights (in true Syrian style). The Cornish (Al-Cornish) is a boulevard that runs along the sea front in Lattakia although this isnt any ordinary sea front, this is a container port! Donde esta la playa?

This town has the mediterranian climate and the mediterrainian bohemian attitude (in the younger generation that is) but it lacks the view of the Mediterranian... and Lattakians like nothing more than to walk up and down the Cornish watching the container port in action 24/7.

Frist day in Lattakia I just rambled around and found little of interest except a burger and fries on the American street. Second day it was a staggeringly long 30mins to get to a beach of any significance... I was greeted by four batteries of canons, a host of bored looking army boys on military service, ram shackle beach cafes surrounded by rubble and old metal and plastic containers and the usual mounds and mounds of trash. Mediterranian beauty Syrian style.

I hung out with the locals in the evenings and had some good times smoking the shisha and comparing life in London, Canada and Syria, but by the 2nd day life here seemed like a lifetime away from stimulating so the next morning I up-ed and left for Damascus.

I seem to have shaked my tail for now, maybe it was just a stalker with determination but of limited means to follow me beyond the Aleppo city limits. Time will tell.

After the customary chaos buying tickets, working out who is sitting in which seat etc etc I arrive in Damascus and start the search for a hotel room... but this town has less beds available than Bethlehem on Christmas Eve!

Sleeping on the roof tonight (Thur 8th), Funky!