Week 0 - Aleppo, Syria

Syria is proving wonderful, with plenty of unexpected treasures. I took the bus all the way from Istanbul to Aleppo, via Ankara and Adana and, finally, Antioch, my first taste of a Biblical destination. There was a slight scam at regarding he onward connection to Syria: the bus I had booked on to had mysteriously "disappeared". I could wait five hours for the next one or pay 10 Turkish Lira (about $5) to get on another bus that was leaving straight away. Of course I forked up and we were soon on our way.

The border was fine, the only delay being the incoming Syrians on the bus stocking up with cartons and cartons of Duty Free cigs and soon we were in Aleppo and Syria proper.

It was mid morning by then and the temperature was baking so it was nice just to check into a hostel and have a cold shower. I was staying in what the Lonely Planet calls the best backpacker place in town. It was clean and perfectly pleasant but if that's the best place the room for some competition. Then again, there were hardly any backpackers so maybe there isn't. I kipped for a while (the bus journey was mostly accompanied by loud Turkish soaps and then the football on the TV screens) and went out to explore.

Aleppo is souk central and has wonderful warrens of covered markets running through the old town. I spent the afternoon there wandering among the cloths, spices, saucepans, electrical goods and little cafes. No one hassles
you. Everyone is very welcoming and friendly. I like Syria.

In the souk I came across a little hammam and decided laze there for the rest of the afternoon. In contrast to my Istanbul experience this was the real thing. Again, very friendly people (staff and customers), a good steam, a scrub down with a brillo pad, a lather up with a soft sponge and lots of soap, a real massage and then lots of cups of sweet tea as I lazed in my own little booth like a sultan, wrapped up in towels and reading my book. Total cost 600 Syrian Pounds ($12). Worth ten time that.

The souk mentality has seeped out into the rest of Aleppo and shops selling the same sort of goods congregate together. So yet get the tyre area, fruit juice zone, sportswear street etc. My hostel seemed to be in the wholesale soft drink and detergent district. It made finding your way around a lot easier than remembering (and pronouncing) street names.

I spent some time in the Christian area of town, north of the old city and quiet and cobbled (with some beautiful Armenian and Greek Orthodox churches) and with cold beer on sale. And then I explored around the citadel, lovely at sunset, the pink light all over its golden stone, popped into the big mosque, had a(nother) kebab and got an early night as the next day would be on to Damascus.