Damascus

While Aleppo was enchanting Damascus blows you away. This certainly the highlight of my trip so far. I booked into a dorm room in a nice, quiet relaxed hostel north of the old city and last night three of us went exploring the souks and then sat the evening out at a small pavement cafe on a pedestrianised street, drinking beer and tea and with people around us playing backgammon or chatting into the night. The temperatures are ferocious during the day time (though it's amazing how quickly you get used to them) but after sunset there's a just a warm breeze and an almost perfect Mediterranean climate.

Today two of us went exploring the old town. The jewel of the city is the Ummayad Mosque, famous for its green and gold mosaics that line the inner courtyard (described by the guide leaflet as "deemed to be the most beautiful mosaics in the world"). But the whole of the old town is a treat, with little alleyways leading to tiny courtyard gardens or to a row of pavement cafes where you can sit and have a fresh juice or some sweet tea. It is also, of course, where St Paul settled after his life-changing moment on the road to, and indeed we found the "Street that is called Straight", where he lived, and the house where he was lowered down from a window outside the city walls to escape the Romans.

There's a big Jewish quarter here too but not much evidence of a synagogue or anything. A man we started talking to (who for 100 Syrian Pound fee unexpectedly took us on a short cut to Paul's house through an old lady's kitchen and over some scrubland) said that there were loads of Jews still living in Damascus and that they were "very nice. I have my shirts repaired by one of them." But I could see any evidence of them anywhere. The Christian quarter you can tell straight away as women aren't wearing scarves and there are shops selling spirits.

Tonight I am going to sleep on the roof of our hostel. Last night I didn't sleep well as my bed squeaked and groaned every time I moved and I had to go up to the roof (where there are lots of people sleeping) in the end to have a proper sleep. It will be nice to be under the stars (well, under the stars under a kind of canopy). Very Pauline, I think. And I have just discovered that today is Wednesday and not Tuesday, which means tomorrow is my trip to Amman, across the Allenby Bridge and into Jerusalem.

Hope all is well at home. It's nice you're reading this. Do drop me a line if you get the chance. And have a great day.

Dx