I own a great internal a**hole radar. Wanna buy?
Trip Start
Apr 21, 2008
1
161
225
Trip End
Apr 20, 2009
Loading Map
Damascus,
Syria
Monday, September 29, 2008
I ended up walking to the bus station and then took a mini bus to the main bus station where I found a bus to take me to Damascus. The trip was about 3.5 hours long. Once I arrived in Damascus, a guy who I met on the bus helped me find the right city bus to get to the city center. He told the driver to make sure to tell me when to get off. The river looked like a dick and I doubted he would say anything when it was time for me to get off. Of course the driver never said anything. After being on the bus for about half an hour, I just felt like I was getting further away from the busier part of town which wasn't good. I asked some locals on the bus if I passed the city center and they said I did. They asked the driver to stop the bus immediately so I could get off. I offered the bus driver a sarcastic "shukran" (thank you in Arabic) before I got off. God my internal "asshole radar" is top notch. If I could sell it I would. I would make lots of money.
Once I got off the bus, I walked over to the other side of the road. There were dozens of mini buses driving by but I had no idea which ones were going to where I needed to go. So I spotted a young kid and asked him to help me find a bus to the city center. He was more than happy to help. He was a great kid. He was so excited to see this strange foreigner (that would be me) carrying this huge backpack. This time the driver told me where to get off. The locals I met on the bus were very nice. A heavy set man couldn't stop smiling when I sat across from him. We chatted for a short while. A girl covered in a chador looked at me as she exited the bus and said in perfect English "I hope you enjoy your stay in Syria." It really surprised me that she said something at all to me. I did manage to piss off one girl on the bus - unintentionally. I was asked to move to another seat and I stepped on her foot with all the weight of my backpack on me. I cant say I blamed her for getting pissed. I was a bit embarrassed.
I found the backpacker area of Damascus which I really liked as it had a lot of character. I had to visit 3 places before I could find one that had an available bed. Shortly after I checked in, I went walking around the city. Like any other Middle Eastern city during Ramadan, the streets were packed. Everyone as shopping. I learned from an English lady in my dorm room that during Ramadan the wife is responsible for either buying everyone in the family a new outfit or making them a new one. Also, people make a lot of house visits to friends so it is part of the custom to bring sweets to their homes. I guess this is why I have seen so many sweets sold on the streets.
One thing that stood out for me while walking in Damascus was how the women were dressed. This city definitely isn't as conservative as Aleppo. Although you will find lots of women wearing the chador here, you still have plenty of them who wear tight jeans and tight tops. It was unexpected. It is strange seeing both extremes on every street corner I walk through.
For most of the afternoon I just walked through the busy souqs. It is starting to be a favorite past time for me in this part of the world. Once I heard the prayer from the mosques signaling the end of the fast, I went looking for something to eat as I was starved. Unfortunately everywhere I went there was a massive crowd trying to order something. Another unfortunate thing is how it takes me forever to order anything at a sandwich shop as people just bud in all the time. It is the culture here. It was a bit frustrating tonight trying to get my hands on food but I persevered and ended up getting a couple of shawarma sandwiches.
One thing that always amazes me is how the roads become so quiet during dinner time. People rush home after the fast is over and for about 90 minutes you hardly hear any noises coming from cars. The bazaars are dead as well. But as soon as people finish eating, the streets and the bazaars are chaotic again. It really is amazing to see.
When I returned to my hostel, I ran into the 60 year old British lady I met earlier in the day. She was traveling Syria for 3 weeks all by herself. She was a very pleasant lady but man did she love talking. I just sat there for an hour just "pretend listening" to her. One thing she did mention to me that shocked me was how she regularly gets offers from young Syrian men wanting to sleep with her. She is 60!! She just tells them that she is old enough to be their grandmother and they shouldn't be looking for that kind of fun from women her age.
I was able to escape the British lady after a while. I decided to go to the main souq which I skipped earlier in the day. It felt like Christmas when I got there. People were shopping everywhere and you could sense that everyone was in a good mood. Ramadan was almost over and people were ready to celebrate.
I like Damascus. I look forward to seeing more tomorrow.
Dino Vagabond
